Yainer Diaz

Diaz added some power back last season, reaching 20 homers for the second time in his career, but it came at the expense of batting average. In fact, Diaz lost more than 40 points in BA as his flyball rate jumped from 26.3% to 35.1% and his BABIP fell from .338 to .277. Diaz has a unique hitting profile in that he often goes chasing after pitches, but he makes enough contact within the strike zone to maintain a relatively low strikeout rate. He also rarely takes walks as evidenced by a career 3.6 BB%, which dings him in OBP leagues. Diaz didn't set the world on fire last season, but he has proven plenty capable against big-league pitching since taking over as the Astros' primary catcher a few years ago. His .272 xBA from last season suggests there is a happy medium for the Houston backstop; improvement could push Diaz back into the upper tiers at the catcher position. Read Past Outlooks