New Astros Manager Stresses Need for Improved Defense

New Astros manager Joe Espada is making defense a priority in Spring Training.

Spring Training is a good time to work on fundamentals and eliminate bad habits before the season begins and games start to matter. Players have roughly six weeks to hone their mechanics and get into a groove.

The importance of defense is often lost on players, many of whom are more concerned with their pitching and hitting stats. Those numbers are what usually translate to big bucks in free agency, after all.

Fielding is often an underappreciated difference-maker in games, however, and new Houston Astros manager Joe Espada wants to see his team get better in this critical area.

Astros manager Joe Espada talks about the Astros needing to improve their defense this year. pic.twitter.com/gaEghEVtEl

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 17, 2024

"We need to catch the ball," Espada told reporters at Spring Training on Saturday. "If we pitch and we catch the ball, we are in every ballgame. That's something we emphasize every year in Spring Training and it's a priority for us as an organization."

The Astros were a strong defensive club in 2023, ranking ninth in FanGraph's overall fielding metric (10.6). They were tied for 16th in defensive runs saved (15), ninth in UZR (12.6) and 11th in outs above average (9).

However, those numbers represented a drop-off from 2022, when Houston won the World Series. That year, the Astros were fourth in FanGraphs' defensive value (33.0), fourth in DRS (67), sixth in UZR (14.3) and second in OAA (32).

While defensive numbers can fluctuate significantly from year to year, Espada wants to avoid further slippage. Teams need to execute in all facets if they want to win a championship, and making plays consistently in the field is a crucial component to winning ballgames.

Hopefully Espada's early focus on defense pays off and translates to a few more wins this season, especially in October.