The Houston Astros are continuing to reshape their baseball operations department, hiring Conner Watson as director of hitting while searches for a new general manager and manager remain unresolved. Watson joins Houston after spending the past two seasons as the Cleveland Guardians’ assistant director of hitting development.
The move follows Houston’s recent appointment of Spencer Medick as director of pitching, giving the Astros new leadership in two important areas of player development before the organization’s top baseball operations positions have been filled.
Watson Brings a Player Development Background
Watson’s experience includes three years as a lead hitting instructor at Driveline Baseball’s Arizona facility, where he worked before joining Cleveland in 2024. Driveline is known for combining biomechanics, technology, and individualized training programs to help players improve their performance.
His subsequent role with the Guardians involved hitting development within an organization that has emphasized identifying and improving individual player skills. Watson now moves into a leadership position in Houston, where he will help guide the Astros’ approach to developing hitters.
The hiring fills a vacancy created in August when Dan Hennigan left the Astros to join the coaching staff at Wake Forest University. Hennigan had served as Houston’s director of hitting and offensive coordinator, working with the coaching staff on game preparation, swing analysis, and offensive strategy.
Watson arrives at a time when Houston is reconsidering how its offensive development program should operate, from the minor leagues to the major league roster.
Astros Add Leadership on Both Sides of Player Development
Watson’s arrival follows another notable offseason addition.
On October 20, Houston hired Spencer Medick as director of pitching after four seasons working in the New York Yankees’ minor league system. Medick served as pitching coach for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre during the 2026 season and also has experience with Driveline Baseball.
The appointments give the Astros two new development leaders with backgrounds in organizations that emphasize technology and data-driven instruction. Although their responsibilities differ, Watson and Medick are entering positions that influence how players are taught, evaluated, and prepared for advancement through the organization.
Their experience could help Houston bring greater consistency to its development programs, particularly as the Astros attempt to strengthen their pipeline of major league talent. Whether the appointments produce measurable improvements, however, will take time to determine.
Why Are the Astros Hiring Before Choosing a GM?
The timing of the appointments is particularly interesting.
Houston is still searching for a general manager following Dana Brown’s departure, while the managerial position also remains vacant after the organization parted ways with Joe Espada.
Normally, incoming baseball operations leaders have considerable influence over personnel decisions involving their coaching and development staffs. The Astros, however, have moved forward with two significant hires before selecting their next general manager.
That raises questions about how much of Houston’s future player-development structure is being established before the new leadership arrives. It also suggests that the organization considers its hitting and pitching development programs immediate priorities rather than matters that can wait until the broader front-office transition is complete.
There has been no public indication that Watson’s hiring identifies Houston’s eventual general manager or signals a particular managerial candidate.
What Watson’s Arrival Means for Houston
For the Astros, the next challenge is turning organizational changes into better results on the field.
Houston has made several changes to its coaching and development operations over the past two offseasons. Watson’s arrival represents another step in that process, but his influence will depend on how effectively the organization translates instruction and analysis into player improvement.
His Driveline experience suggests familiarity with modern approaches to hitting development, although that background alone doesn’t guarantee results.
The Astros now have new directors overseeing both hitting and pitching development. What remains uncertain is how those appointments will fit into the plans of the general manager and manager Houston eventually hires.
For an organization attempting to return to postseason contention in 2027, those decisions will help shape what comes next.
