HOUSTON — MLB has just witnessed a real shock. The Houston Astros “snatch” Victor Rodriguez — who is considered a gem in the San Diego Padres’ coaching system, to take on the role of new hitting coach. And just hours after the deal was announced, Rodriguez officially broke his silence, sending his first message full of determination and emotion:
“I will make this team great. They trusted me, and I will repay them with something no one expected.”
This is more than just a coaching contract — it is a declaration of rebirth for an Astros team that is finding its identity after a tumultuous 2025 season. Rodriguez, who has significantly improved the Padres’ offensive ability in two consecutive seasons, is said to be the strategic factor that Houston is desperately looking for.
According to The Athletic, the Astros have been tracking Rodriguez since mid-September, as the team began planning to restructure its coaching staff after Alex Cintrón left the hitting coach position. However, few expected that they would be able to convince the Padres to “release” him – especially when Rodriguez was still under contract and was being evaluated as “the offensive brain of the future” for San Diego.
Houston’s decisive recruitment of him was considered a “spectacular coup” in the MLB coaching market. An inside source said:
“The Astros don’t just want a hitting coach, they want someone who can change the DNA of the entire team.”
Before coming to the Padres, Rodriguez spent nearly 30 years with the Cleveland Guardians’ youth system, where he made a name for himself with his “targeted touch” philosophy and his ability to bring out hidden power in average hitters. When the Padres signed him for 2022, many saw it as a turning point that would see them become the NL West’s top offensive force for the first half of the 2024 season.
Now, as he arrives at Minute Maid Park, Rodriguez will face a completely different challenge: reviving an Astros bat that was once feared in the American League but has declined significantly as several key players have lost form.
“I know they’re hurting,” he said. “But sometimes the best teams are born from the most bitter defeats. I’m not here to fix them — I’m here to create something that never happened.”
According to many experts, Rodriguez’s arrival could be the missing piece that will help the Astros return to their golden age. He is known for his meticulous coaching style, encouraging players to “attack with intelligence, not just power.”
Former manager Alex Cintrón once said:
“Rodriguez is the rare guy who makes players understand why they missed — and makes them want to try again immediately.”
Analysts believe that in just a few months, Houston could see the resurgence of names like Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Peña or Yainer Díaz, who have struggled to maintain power in the bat.
“This is an opportunity not to be missed”
In his closing remarks, Victor Rodriguez looked around the press room, smiling calmly but meaningfully:
“I saw the Padres make the impossible possible. And now I’m here — where bigger dreams are waiting to be written.”
Houston is hungry for someone who can say that. And if that promise is true, the 2026 season could be the season when the Astros once again make MLB look up.
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