Joe Espada, Carlos Mendoza chase October spots

First-year managers Carlos Mendoza of the Mets and Joe Espada of the Astros were among a record six Latinos charged with leading their respective big league clubs entering this season. Of the six, only Pedro Grifol of the lowly White Sox didn’t survive the season.

The Red Sox’s Alex Cora, the Nationals’ Dave Martinez and the Cardinals’ Oliver Marmol are the other three Latino managers in MLB this season. Espada and Cora were born in Puerto Rico. Mendoza was born in Venezuela. Grifol is the son of Cuban immigrants. Marmol is the son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Martinez, who was born in New York, has Puerto Rican roots.

All of them appreciate what they mean to Latinos throughout the baseball world.

“We have to represent ourselves with integrity and professionalism because we’re trying to leave that door open for many others who are capable of doing this job,” Espada says. “So I want as a Puerto Rican, I want Puerto Rico to be proud of the way I conduct myself, the way I manage this team.”

Managers play vital roles in bridging their clubs together. Being bilingual is beneficial for the Latino managers in forming relationships with American and Latino athletes. 

Important representation

Almost 30 percent of the players in MLB are Latino. It seems it will increase as more players from Spanish-speaking countries continue to make a splash in the majors. Espada inherited an Astros team with high expectations. The Astros reached seven straight American League Championship Series before he took over.

To add even more pressure on the rookie manager he replaced legendary manager Dusty Baker, who gave the Astros their second World Series title in 2022. 

MORE FROM OUR ESQUINA 

Los Jefes: Nationals manager Dave Martinez

Top 10 Latino managerial prospects in MLB

Reggie Jackson: ‘Baseball Still Behind’

The Astros faltered early. By June 15, the Astros had a 33-40 record and were 10 games back in the AL West. A plethora of pitching injuries, an inconsistent offense, and an inexperienced manager seemed like a recipe for disaster for the Astros. 

However Espada guided a turnaround. The Astros are now first in the AL West by four games and hope to clinch a playoff berth soon.

Carlos Mendoza stays true to himself

Similar to Espada, Carlos Mendoza’s Mets struggled initially. On June 1, the Mets had a 24-34 record and were 16 1/2 games back. Remaining true to himself has been key for Mendoza.

“Be your own person,” Mendoza said. ”Be yourself. Remain humble and listen. Having the ability to listen, I think, has been one of the best pieces of advice I’ve received.”

Mendoza and the Mets needed the summer heat to catch fire. Mendoza, a native of Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, led his team to 12 wins in their last 16 games in June. They also had a nine-game winning streak in late August.

The Mets are now trying to hold on to the final wild card in the National League. Martinez and Cora are the longest-tenured Latino managers. They both were hired in 2018. Cora won the World Series as a rookie manager in 2018. Martinez won the World Series in 2019 over the Astros when Espada was the Astros’ bench coach.

Overcoming expectations

The Nationals are in rebuilding mode. Martinez is in the forefront of developing players into major leaguers. Although the Nationals are 17 1/2 games back from the last wild card spot, Washington exceeded expectations. 

According to Fangraphs, the Nationals were projected to win 65 games and lose 97 games. Washington has won 69 games and are closing in on 70 wins. 

The Red Sox were projected to finish last in the AL East, but Cora has Boston in third place. For much of the season the Red Sox were contending for the playoffs. Even though it doesn’t seem likely this year, with Cora on the helm, the Red Sox will surely be contenders.

Marmol signed a two-year extension before the season started. Marmol took the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2022. This year the Cardinals are out of the playoff hunt. 

Grifol didn’t fare well as he tried to turn around the struggling White Sox, but many in baseball believe he was not given a chance to succeed. After two seasons in Chicago, Grifol was fired after breaking their 21-game losing streak. 

A team having a Latino manager helps create a tight-knit locker room. However it also helps Spanish-speaking fans get closer to their favorite team and maybe help create many more bilingual managers. 

“As a Puerto Rican manager,” Joe Espada said, “as a Latino manager, being able postgame to give answers in Spanish so they understand what goes on behind the scenes and my perspective as a Latino it’s important. Because I’m representing millions of people, I want them to know exactly how I feel, what I’m thinking, how our players are. Being in this chair has been a blessing.”