“Whenever it failed, there was a lot of tension, a lot of animosity from all involved, including the pitchers, so he was on the front line having to push it.”

The Astros, one of the earliest and most faithful adopters of the shift, had already committed to it by the time Espada arrived, but he was charged with unifying the team in other areas.

“We use a lot of information to help our coaches do their jobs,” Luhnow said. “He’s very receptive to it. He pushes us when he doesn’t agree, but ultimately he’s responsible for making sure everybody — all of our coaches and players — are following the plan that A.J. sets.”

But beyond internal politicking and understanding the nuances of analytics, the modern coaching job still demands long hours of technique instruction. Astros shortstop Carlos Correa described arriving early to spring training camp every day to work on his defense with Espada. “I think he’s one of the best infield coaches out there,” Correa said. “It’s unbelievable how much I’ve learned from him.”

Those who know Espada praise his preternatural understanding of the game and say he has been prepared to coach his entire adult life. As a young shortstop at the University of Mobile, an NAIA program where he holds the school record for career batting average at .442, Espada not only knew what he should do in every situation but also “where everybody was supposed to be,” said Mike Jacobs, the school’s longtime baseball coach. “That was even as young as 18, 19 years old,” he added. The very first time Jacobs saw Espada play in a high school tournament, he took the field with an Ozzie Smith-style back flip.

Espada and Hinch were drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the second and third rounds, respectively, of the 1996 draft, and both remained in that organization through the 2000 season. Espada never got to the majors, reaching as high as Class AAA over nine years of minor league ball. In 2004, Espada signed with the Pensacola Pelicans in the independent Central League, where he was reunited with Jorge Hernandez, a former Mobile assistant working on the Pelicans’ staff.