When George Springer signed with the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the 2021 season, it was assumed by many Houston Astros fans that speedster Myles Straw would be the team’s center fielder for years to come.
But that assumption came to an abrupt end on July 30, 2021, when Straw was traded to the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians). Coming back to Houston was relief pitcher Phil Maton, who filled an immediate need. and a young 22-year-old catcher who was playing in Class A.
The Real Centerpiece?
Because Maton had major league experience and immediately moved into the Astros bullpen, he appeared to be the centerpiece of the trade. But that may not be the case as Yainer Diaz was showing talent at a level greater than being just a throw-in for organizational depth.
Diaz, who signed for $25,000 out of the Dominican Republic when he was 16, hit .355 with a .503 slugging percentage in the Rookie-level Arizona League at the age of 18 during his first season as a pro in the United States.
Since then, all he has done is hit for average as his career minor league batting average of .321 proves. But he is not just a player who hits for average. As he has grown into his body, his power has developed as well.
Let’s dive more into Yanier Diaz.
2017-2022 Stats
| YEAR | LEVEL | G | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | DOSL | 42 | 1 | 21 | 3 | 18 | .294 | .321 | .379 |
| 2018 | Rk | 41 | 2 | 28 | 7 | 18 | .355 | .387 | .503 |
| 2019 | Rk|A- | 54 | 7 | 40 | 8 | 30 | .341 | .364 | .512 |
| 2021 | A|A+ | 98 | 17 | 90 | 23 | 63 | .324 | .362 | .527 |
| 2022 | AA|AAA | 105 | 25 | 96 | 34 | 79 | .306 | .356 | .542 |
| 2022 | Astros | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | .086 | .132 | .086 |
Diaz, a right-handed hitter who can also play first base, has a nice compact swing that allows him to make consistent contact. His strikeout rate during his time in the minors was only 14 percent, which helps explain the high batting average as he frequently puts the ball in play.
But since joining the Astros organization, Diaz has not only continued to hit for average, but he has seen his power numbers jump. In 2021, he played in 61 games at Class A Lynchburg in the Cleveland system and hit five home runs in 105 plate appearances – a 4.7% home run rate.
Then he was traded and between Class A Fayetteville and High-A Asheville, Diaz slammed 12 homers in 155 plate appearances – a rate of 7.7%. And he has continued to hit for power, smacking 25 round trippers last season between Double-A and Triple-A.
2023 Stats
| SPLIT | AB | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 119 | 33 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 23 | .277 | .291 | .521 |
| Last 7 | 26 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5 | .308 | .308 | .692 |
| Last 14 | 42 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 9 | .286 | .296 | .619 |
| Last 28 | 64 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 12 | .328 | .333 | .688 |
After getting a cup of coffee with the Astros last year with eight at-bats in six games, Diaz has been with the club the entirety of the 2023 season.
But with Martin Maldonado getting most of the starts behind the dish and Jose Abreau the starter at first base, at-bats were hard to come by. He only had 33 plate appearances in 10 games in April (and slashed .214/.273/.286) and had 35 plate appearances in 12 games in May, slashing .235/.229/.441 with two homers.
Getting the Opportunity
But when Yordan Alvarez landed on the injured list with an oblique strain earlier this month, it opened up playing time for Diaz as he has been getting a host of at-bats as the DH while also catching a few games. Given regular at-bats, Diaz has taken advantage of his chance. Entering Friday night, Diaz is slashing .333/.339/.684 this month with five homers and 10 RBI, with three of those homers coming in the last week.
Overall this year he has a 5.5% home run rate (MLB average is 2.9%), leading to home runs like this one to left or this one to right field – his first to the opposite field. He also has an average EV of 91.1 mph, a Hard Hit% of 48%, and a Barrel% of 15.0%, way about the MLB average of 6.8%.
Needs a Little Patience
Diaz has also continued to make contact at the plate. For the season he has an 18% strikeout rate, but he still chases pitches out of the strike zone, like he did here. But Diaz is almost too confident in his ability to make contact.
As you can see from the stats above, he has drawn only three walks in 127 plate appearances for a paltry 2.4% walk rate. But while he swings at a lot of pitches out of the zone, he only has a Whiff% of 23.4% against fastballs and 29% against both breaking balls and offspeed pitches.
And if you think he is only a dead red hitter, think again. While the sample size is admittedly small, he has a .250 batting average against the fastball with a .484 slugging percentage while hitting/slugging .262/.452 against curveballs and .462/.923 against offspeed pitches.
The Future Is Bright
The immediate future for Diaz is a little cloudy. While Alvarez is on the injured list, Diaz will continue to see plenty of at-bats. But once Alvarez returns, it will certainly mean fewer at-bats for Diaz as manager Dusty Baker refuses to make Maldonado the backup catcher and Abreu will still get the majority of playing time at first base. Alvarez spends plenty of time in left field and not DH, but a host of other players are battling for the DH at-bats when Alvarez is in the field.
So for the rest of this season, Diaz’s playing time will be a little up in the air. But for 2024 and beyond, there is no doubt he will be the everyday catcher for the Astros as he is a solid receiver behind the plate with one of the better arms at his position. Add in the fact that he can hit for average and power, and there is no question he is a player you should target in your dynasty league.
And right now may be the easiest time to add him. He is rostered in only 4.1% of ESPN leagues and 15% of Yahoo leagues. Even in Fantrax, he is widely available as he is rostered in only 33 of leagues. So if you have the ability to ride out the unknown situation of how much playing time he will get this year, then Diaz is the catcher you need to get.
