Diaz brings high expectations with bat, glove as starting backstop

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- There’s something different about the way the ball leaves the bat of Yainer Diaz. The swing seems so effortless, yet the results -- a baseball screaming over the opposite fence for a homer -- served as a tantalizing tease last year of what Diaz might be able to accomplish as the Astros’ starting catcher.

“It’s just electric when the ball comes off of his bat,” third baseman Alex Bregman said. “It’s a different sound.”

“It’s ridiculous,” utility player Mauricio Dubón said.

With the departure of veteran Martín Maldonado in free agency after six years with the Astros, Diaz and his mighty swings take over as Houston’s starting catcher and bring high expectations. That’s based on his tremendous 2023 offensive numbers when he hit .282 with 23 homers and 60 RBIs in 111 games.

Diaz, who finished fifth in American League Rookie of the Year voting last year despite his status of a backup, will be the first catcher other than Maldonado to start on Opening Day for the Astros since Robinson Chirinos in 2019, barring an injury. He has the potential to hit 30-35 homers, especially if he cuts down on his chase rate and becomes more disciplined at the plate.

“If he can stay healthy, he’s going to be on top of the leaders in a lot of categories,” Dubón said. “He’s a guy that puts the ball in play and he hits for average and power. It’s a matter of staying healthy for him.”

Diaz arrived in the Astros system in 2021 as a footnote in a trade that also netted reliever Phil Maton in exchange for center fielder Myles Straw. Even though he had yet to play above Class A, Diaz’s bat drew intrigue. It’s proven to be a good trade, and the focus this spring has been on getting Diaz reps behind the plate with some pitchers who he hasn’t had much experience catching. Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez worked exclusively with Maldonado last year.

In fact, 35 of the 42 games Diaz started last year behind the plate came with rookie pitchers on the mound. He caught Hunter Brown 17 times, J.P. France 14 times and Ronel Blanco four times. He also caught Brandon Bielak starts three times, and Cristian Javier and José Urquidy twice apiece. Valdez, in his first start of the spring, decided to wear a PitchCom device on his glove to help him better communicate with Diaz.

“I think my biggest challenge is just trying to help them in the moment when maybe they can’t find themselves,” Diaz said. “We’re all human, so just trying to navigate those moments when they’re having a little issue finding how they are. I think that’s going to be the biggest challenge for me this year.”

Prior to catching new closer Josh Hader in the bullpen earlier this spring, Diaz went over pitch selection in detail and where Hader likes his catchers to set up.

“I’m more of just trying to get a feel for how he runs things on the back end and adjust from there on what works for both of us,” Hader said. “I don’t really like to tell them exactly what I like to call there, but I want to see what he gives me and go from there.”

The Astros brought Diaz and backup catcher Victor Caratini, who was signed to a deal in December, to Minute Maid Park for a couple of weeks prior to Spring Training for a sort of catching crash course.

“I thought those two weeks went really well and gave our coaches a little head start in getting to know them and some ideas we have that could help [Diaz] in his game calling and receiving,” manager Joe Espada said.

Espada believes Diaz is up to the challenge, not only based on what he saw last year, but also because of the work he’s put in this year. Diaz is an exceptional blocker behind the plate and has a strong arm, but needs to make improvements when it comes to framing.

“I’ve been around catchers in the past and sometimes we want them to grasp things quickly and sometimes it takes time,” Espada said. “You have to be patient, but we know he has all the tools to be a really good catcher for a long time.”