Houston Astros Face Major Challenge After Departure of Important Staff Member.
What turned the Houston Astros into the American League powerhouse they are today was a combination of elite front office work that identified early talent and got them into the organization where their developmental team turned these prospects into elite players.
That’s what the best franchises do.
Spot talent and develop them to reach their full potential.
It helped that the Astros were able to undergo a complete teardown rebuild that gave them the opportunity to select from the best players available. But as history shows, top picks don’t always pan out.
That largely hasn’t happened in Houston.
Just look at the star players during this “Golden Era.”
Almost all of them were drafted and developed by the organization, turning them into the current versions of themselves.
But as the Astros’ pipeline has continued to diminish over the years, new general manager Dana Brown will be tasked with rebuilding the pool to give the developmental side more talent to work with.
Unfortunately for Houston, one of their important staff members has departed the franchise.
In January, it was reported that hitting coach Jason Kanzler will be joining the Chicago Cubs to become their new director of player development.
Maybe that doesn’t seem like much on paper, but according to those around the league, Kanzler is very highly thought of and will be a huge loss for the Astros.
“People w/the Astros echoed this. Kanzler is a big loss from an R&D standpoint,” Chandler Rome of The Athletic posted on social media.
So, what made the 33-year-old that important to Houston?
“He had the unique ability to see the whole picture and understand that all players matter and deserve an opportunity to unlock their potential and thrive … Kanzler is described as having an appetite for information and a tolerance for taking risks and trying new things,” writes Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.
The Astros were once seen as an organization who was on the forefront of player development, but with changes in the front office over the years, there are questions if that’s still the case.
Losing Kanzler won’t help that perspective.
It wasn’t just a hitting coach who Houston lost, it was someone who has been instrumental in developing the talent within their organization.
