Astros Catcher Could Be Emerging Star Despite Flying Under the Radar

Will the catcher of the Houston Astros become a star?

Nick Ziegler | Mar 21, 2025

Mar 14, 2025; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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Houston Astros

With the Houston Astros getting ready to start the upcoming campaign, all eyes will be on how the franchise can perform after a wild offseason.

This winter, the Astros were one of the most active teams in both adding players and losing players.

The overhaul the team underwent was rather shocking, and their reign in the American League will be challenged this year.

They made the decision to trade away Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs. This deal was the clear indication of change for the franchise, with the organization knowing they wouldn't be able to afford to keep a player of his caliber in free agency.

Furthermore, the lineup also saw the loss of Alex Bregman, who left in free agency for the Boston Red Sox.

Despite these departures, the team made some additions to boost production, and they also have a fair amount of talent still on the team.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently spoke about Yainer Diaz being an underrated star for the Astros who could be ready to become a household name.

“Yainer Diaz isn't necessarily more important than newcomers Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes, much less fellow incumbents such as Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña. But as far as untapped upside goes, he stands out.”

Diaz is certainly someone who has been flying under the radar for Houston in their star-studded lineup the past several years. However, he has emerged as a very good player in his own right.

The 26-year-old slugger slashed .299/.325/.441 with 16 home runs and 84 RBI in 2024.

Last campaign was his first full season of workload, and Diaz proved that he could be a very productive hitter for the franchise.

At his age, there is reason to believe he will be able to improve as well, especially in the power department.

Diaz might be flying under the radar, but that will likely change in 2025.

Even though players like Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes were brought in, the young slugger will also be expected to help replace the production of the departed stars for the Astros.

Fortunately, even though losing Tucker and Bregman is significant, having players like Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Diaz, along with the new additions, might still be one of the better lineups in the league if things go according to plan.

Even though he isn’t a household name yet, expect to hear Diaz mentioned a lot in 2025.

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