“I see Altuve, Alvarez being that 1-2 punch in your face" - Astros manager outlines plan for star sluggers amid high expectations

Before the opening day of the 2024 season arrives, the Houston Astros manager Joe Espada is preparing to make some lineup changes. On Sunday, the Astros manager shared his vision for the team’s batting lineup.

He wants to bat Yordan Alvarez in the second spot moving him from his usual spot at No. 3. Espada thinks that the best lineup would have Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez batting first and second followed by Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker.

“I see Altuve, Alvarez being that 1-2 punch in your face, right out of the gate and Breggy provides that on-base threat,” said Joe Espada (via Houston Chronicle).

“He is so good with people on base, so having him potentially sandwich between Alvarez and Tucker, I think that’s a good weapon, a good strategy for us. So you guys will see me move that stuff around and see how it goes.”

Alvarez has spent most of his Major League career in the middle of the lineup with only one start in No. 2 spot. Espada hasn’t confirmed the shift to be permanent and he plans to test it in Grapefruit league games and to proceed further according to his performance.

Since his major league debut in 2019, the two time All-Star has been considered one of the top hitters. In the 2023 season, the star slugger had a batting average of .293, hit 31 homers and had 97 RBIs despite being limited to 114 games due to injuries.

Yordan Alvarez’s spring training debut against the Washington Nationals, per reports

The Houston Astros won their first spring training match against the Washington Nationals 7-4 without Yordan Alvarez. According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the 26-year-old will make his 2024 spring training game debut on Tuesday against the Nationals.

It seems to align with the Astros’ plan for the upcoming season, as stated by the team manager Joe Espada. The top slugger is not injured and is most probably being held out due to the team’s schedule.