Astros might be stuck with the one defensive issue they can’t solve

Catcher is easily the most unique position in baseball, and it's one that requires an emphasis on defense more than offense. Houston Astros fans needn't look any further than Martín Maldonado to understand that fact. Unfortunately for Houston, their current set of backstops don't hold defense in high regard, at least not when it comes to throwing out would-be base stealers.

If there was one thing Maldonado did well during his time in Houston, it was control the run game. The veteran catcher, who's now suiting up for the San Diego Padres, was always among the tops in the Major League Baseball in both pop time and caught stealing above average. From 2020-2022, Maldonado was consistently among the 80th percentile or better in both categories. You didn't run on Maldonado, and if you did, it usually didn't end well.

Sadly, neither Yainer Diaz nor Victor Caratini can say the same. According to Baseball Savant, Diaz's 2.00 pop time and -4 CS above average are among the worst in MLB. Caratini is in the same boat with an even slower pop time (2.04 seconds). This has turned into a big problem for the Astros catching duo, and it's not one that's easily fixed.

Astros catching duo of Yainer Diaz and Victor Caratini are among the worst in MLB at throwing out base runners

Only Shea Langeliers of the Athletics has allowed more stolen bases than Diaz among American League catchers. Diaz has watched 36 base runners swipe a bag while only throwing out five. His .122 caught stealing percentage is among the worst in the AL.

Caratini hasn't been any better, in fact, he's been worse. The veteran backstop has only thrown out one of 27 would-be base stealers this season for a paltry .037 caught stealing percentage. Caratini is at the absolute bottom of the AL in this category.

The question becomes, however, can these issues be blamed solely on Diaz and Caratini. Any baseball sage will tell you that most successful base stealers take their cues from the pitcher; meaning that Houston's pitching staff could be to blame for some of the team's defensive shortcomings.

Nevertheless, with both Diaz and Caratini failing to register a sub-2.00 second pop time, even hurlers who are tremendous at keeping runners in check would struggle with those two behind the plate.

Thankfully Houston has Walker Janek working his way up through the team's farm system. The former first-round pick is highly regarded for his defensive acumen. Unfortunately, Janek is nowhere near MLB-ready, meaning that this issue may drag on throughout the entire 2025 season.

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