"[Yainer Diaz's] maturity has been something we've really enjoyed watching the last two months" - Joe Espada praises Astros slugger's growth this year
Houston Astros slugger Yainer Diaz has been tearing the cover off the ball for the last few months. Since the beginning of June, the slugger is hitting .348/.365/.536 and has been a part of Houston's turnaround.
Diaz started putting it together after Kyle Tucker headed to the IL. Before Tucker's injury, he was hitting .249/.278/.358. Now, he is one of the team's leaders at the plate.
This turnaround is something that manager Joe Espada is proud of. He went on a recent airing of MLB Network radio to discuss his slugger's recent success.
"His adjustments offensively have been impressive. Changes to his swing, trying to get the ball in the air a little bit more. Since he hits the ball so hard, he has the ability to get the barrel to the ball, but we really wanted him to drive the ball a bit more and he's been doing that," said Espada.
Espada is happy with how Diaz has looked this season after working on his swing. He has been able to get under the ball more and drive the ball to all parts of the field.
"His maturity has been something we've really enjoyed watching the last two months, and behind the plate also. He has really clicked with our starters and relievers," said Espada.
Espada is not just impressed with how Diaz has looked at the plate, but he is also happy with how well he has done behind the plate. He has clicked with the revolving door of pitchers Houston has brought out this year.
Yainer Diaz has been on fire lately for the Astros
Coming into the season, there were a lot of eyes on Yainer Diaz. He was coming off a solid rookie season where he was impressive both behind the dish and at the plate.
Astros fans were wondering if he would build upon his solid 2023 season, and he has. He is currently hitting .297/.320/.444 with 10 home runs and 59 runs batted in.
Over his last five games, he has been one tough out. He has gone 11-for-21 with two home runs and five runs batted in. He was even able to hit a double off Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes.
Diaz has quickly grown into a dependable MLB backstop and can keep developing into something better. He is just 25 years old and has a bright future ahead of him.