Why Was Jake Meyers Demoted, and Who Benefits?

The Astros made a notable roster move yesterday, with top prospect Yainer Diaz getting called up for Jake Meyers.

Jake Meyers will be known by Houston Astros fans for bursting onto the scene in August of 2021 and his dynamic playoff play against the White Sox unless, of course, he continues the downward spiral that now has him back in AAA. Meyers had 146 at-bats in the 2021 season and slashed .260/.323/.438 with an OPS of .761.  He also hit six home runs and drove in twenty-eight over those forty-nine games.

He continued his hot streak in the playoffs, hitting .375 with two RBI in four games. Ever since he smashed into the wall during game four of the ALDS, however, he has not been able to regain his mojo.

Meyers returned to the lineup on June 24th this season and hit .314 in his first 14 games with three doubles, a triple, and a home run, while driving in 10.  The Jake Meyers of old was back!  Or so we thought.  After that hot start, Meyers’ bat went silent and over the next 33 games, he hit just three doubles, one triple, and went homerless while driving in four.

Similarly, his 34 strikeouts in 88 at-bats proved to be a disturbing trend as he sank into a slump, slashing .148/.211/.205 with an OPS of .415 in those final 33 games.  Those stats bring us to yesterday, August 29, 2022, when the Astros announced Meyers had been optioned to AAA-Sugar Land. Astros fans hope he can regain his ‘Jake the Rake’ confidence and find his way back to the big leagues.

On the bright side, the corresponding move is quite exciting. The Astros will promote Yanier Diaz from Sugar Land to fill the roster spot and give the Astros more depth. Diaz has played designated hitter, catcher, right field, and first base this year as well as 48 games with Sugar Land after starting the year with AA-Corpus Christi, playing in 57 games.

In effect, Diaz is the benefactor to Meyers’ slump and his promotion is well-deserved since he has slashed .294/.343/.587 with an OPS of .930 and hit 16 home runs while driving in 48 this season.  Diaz could end up splitting time at first base, outfield, and DH and the Astros could use Kyle Tucker in centerfield to finish out the season if Diaz gets hot.  Either way, I’m excited to see how Diaz does in the big leagues since he has shown he deserves a call-up multiple times over the course of the summer in Sugar Land.