Astros raid Guardians’ hitting development staff with latest hire

GuardiansAstros hire Guardians hitting development assistant with Driveline backgroundConner Watson, who spent two seasons as Guardians assistant director of hitting development, is heading to Houston to take over as Astros director of hitting.APCLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians are losing a behind-the-scenes hitting assistant as Conner Watson is heading to Houston to become the Astros’ director of hitting.Watson spent the last two seasons as Cleveland’s assistant director of hitting development, working largely outside the spotlight as part of the organization’s player development operation in Arizona.Watson joined Cleveland with a noteworthy background, having spent three years as a lead instructor at Driveline Baseball’s Arizona facility. His experience with data-driven hitting development programs made him a the kind of coach that appealed to a Guardians organization that has increasingly leaned on technology, analytics and individualized instruction to develop talent throughout its minor league system. Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti last week praised the progress of the club’s young hitters, saying the Guardians made “meaningful strides” offensively in 2026, particularly with the development of their younger players.But that development did not translate to the kind of consistency that delivers postseason wins. Cleveland’s hitters still ranked among the lowest in the majors at generating runs in 2026, despite winning a third consecutive AL Central championship.Watson’s fingerprints on Cleveland’s offense weren’t always visible, but his departure is another reminder that the Guardians’ player development operation has admirers elsewhere. Antonetti acknowledged during the club’s end-of-season press conference that staff turnover was a possibility. “This time of year, there’s going to be the inevitable permission requests,” Antonetti said, though he added that Cleveland expected its major league coaching staff to return. Watson’s departure comes from the player development side rather than Stephen Vogt’s big league staff.Watson will find at least one name in Houston that has a connection to Cleveland. Astros hitting coach Victor Rodriguez, who spent six seasons on Cleveland’s coaching staff from 2018-23, is expected to remain with the organization despite the departure of manager Joe Espada. Joe Noga has more than 25 years experience in Cleveland sports media with time spent covering Browns, Cavaliers and Indians/Guardians, as well as local high school and college sports and athletes. He covered a...This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by Cleveland.com staff.