Dezenzo keeps getting chances -- and keeps cashing in

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – When players reported to Spring Training more than a month ago, Astros manager Joe Espada was very direct with his messaging to outfield prospect Zach Dezenzo: You have a chance to make this club.

Final decisions are looming, and it’s not quite time to make those calls. But with exhibition season winding down and Opening Day inching closer, a few things have crystallized, including the obvious: Dezenzo has done little to change his status as a contender to crack the Opening Day roster.

“I’ve made this clear – for you to find out if a player can stick and stay in the big leagues, it’s by playing, by game experience,” Espada said. “It’s by playing. If one of those players makes the team, I want those guys to play often. Everyday at-bats. When we sit down and we make those decisions, we take those things into account.”

If it were as simple as carrying the best 26 players into the regular season, Dezenzo, who is hitting .371 this spring after going 1-for-2 -- driving in two runs on a single -- with a walk during the Astros’ 5-0 win over the Mets at Clover Park on Sunday, would be a lock. Same goes for outfielder Cam Smith, whose opposite-field two-run homer in the second inning marked his third tater of the spring.

But other factors have to be considered. And often, it’s not as simple as making decisions solely based on performance.

The reality is that when it comes to promising prospects, the need for playing time often drives decisions. Dezenzo, who was drafted in the 12th round in 2022 out of Ohio State and is the club’s No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, might be better served playing every day. And the best place to do that, logically, is with Triple-A Sugar Land.

But why let logic get in the way of giving a player his just due for having a great spring?

“I feel like Joe getting me in the lineup consistently has been awesome,” Dezenzo said. “I'm really thankful for that. Just the reps I've been able to get this year in Spring Training, and I think the combination between first and the outfield has been great. I've been balancing that pretty well. [I’m] really happy with some of the results and the numbers that I put up so far.”

The Astros’ starting outfield, as it stands, places Jose Altuve in left, Jake Meyers in center and Chas McCormick in right. For now, Ben Gamel, a left-handed hitter, might have the edge as the fourth outfielder, with the remaining bench roles going to Jon Singleton and Luis Guillorme.

But that’s assuming Dezenzo, who played one month at the big league level last season, and Smith, Houston's top prospect who was drafted in the first round by the Cubs only last year and has never played higher than Double-A, don’t make the cut. A few weeks ago, that was probably where this was all headed.

But today? The games might not have any impact on standings, but what’s happening on the field is plenty meaningful. Dezenzo is doing his part to ensure he’s staying at the top of the Astros’ minds when it’s time for the staff to make roster decisions. He’s playing a lot, and he’s moving around the field.

Dezenzo saw a lot of time in the outfield earlier this spring, and he has started at first base four of his past six games.

“I think most guys will tell you that being an everyday guy is a lot easier because you're in the flow of things every day,” Dezenzo said. “It's just seeing pitching, live pitching, every day -- you're in the flow of the game more. I just think it's been so great Joe has been able to give me so many reps in games, consistently.”

Including Sunday, Dezenzo has had 37 plate appearances, and he has logged at least one hit in nine of the 14 games he has played.

At-bats will be harder to come by in the regular season, and assuming the lineup stays healthy, Dezenzo will have to adjust to being a bench player should he make the team. For now, he will maintain the same focus that has gotten him this far this spring, while doing what he can to force his way onto the roster.

“He knows that he can play both corner outfields,” Espada said earlier this spring. “I feel comfortable playing him at first base. Consistency is key. He’s got to understand this is going to be his role, and if he’s not playing every day, he’s got to adjust to that. We’re trying to figure out what’s the best roster construction for us so that all these guys, young players get an opportunity to play, because I want these guys to play.”