The Guardians are set to lose one of the people behind their hitting development work, and he’s moving to a bigger job with an American League rival.
Conner Watson is joining the Astros as their new director of hitting, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. Watson had spent the past two years in Cleveland as assistant director of hitting development after previously working at Driveline.
“The Astros are hiring Conner Watson as their new director of hitting, source tells @TheAthletic. Watson, a former Driveline employee, worked as the Cleveland Guardians assistant director of hitting development for the past two years,” Rome wrote.
Watson’s move comes at a time when Cleveland’s offense is under the microscope. The Guardians finished the regular season 24th in the majors in runs, 26th in OPS and 27th in home runs. Then, in the American League Championship Series loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, the lineup managed only eleven runs over the final five games.
Cleveland added Watson in November 2024, part of a broader set of changes to its player development leadership. Before that, he spent three years as a hitting lead at Driveline Arizona, the data driven training center known for its work with both hitters and pitchers. The Guardians brought him in because of his work on swing mechanics and his ability to connect with players.
Now he’s taking on a much larger role in Houston, where he’ll be in charge of hitting for the Astros during a period of transition.
The departure does not look like a coaching shakeup inside Cleveland. Last week, Stephen Vogt and president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said they expected the full coaching staff back in 2027, with one exception. They also noted that another club could request to interview someone for a better position, which is what happened here with Watson’s promotion.
There were some encouraging signs from the young hitters on the roster this season. Chase DeLauter led the team with a 131 OPS+ as a rookie and set a franchise record for hits by a rookie in a single postseason. Travis Bazzana made the All-Star team, and top prospect Ralphy Velazquez hit 29 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A.
Still, Cleveland knows the bat-to-ball side of the roster has to take a step forward. Watson leaving gives the Guardians another opening to adjust their hitting staff this winter, and whoever steps into that role will inherit an organization still looking for answers at the plate.
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