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MLB expert predicts surprise Astros player to break out during the 2024 postseason

Eric Cole
Eric Cole

Climbing Tal's Hill

Seattle Mariners v Houston Astros / Tim Warner/GettyImages

Now that the playoff picture has come more into focus, it's time to predict how the Houston Astros might perform, and which players will carry them or be their undoing. In most cases, these national predictions are boring, as they amount to "very good baseball player will continue to be very good," with only surface level analysis and little regard for actual matchups.

In short, expect to see a lot of "Alex Bregman will make statement ahead of free agency" and "the Astros need Yordan Álvarez to be healthy" takes in the coming days.

However, Sarah Langs over at MLB.com had a refreshingly different approach to this exercise when she participated in their roundtable predictions for playoff breakout stars. In her section of the piece, Langs eschewed the usual names and instead decided to give some love to Yainer Diaz.

After a closer look, it seems like she may be on to something.

Yainer Diaz predicted to be Astros' breakout star during the playoffs

Langs first pointed out that Diaz's offensive performance for Houston in 2024 has been critical to the team thus far, especially when compared to what they had been getting out of Martin Maldonado the last couple years. He ranks sixth among all catchers in fWAR, as he has shown he is a more than capable backstop who knows how to manage a pitching staff.

On top of that, Diaz is slashing .302/.326/.445 this season, mostly at a position where offense is more a luxury than an expectation. Sure, Diaz's power numbers are down this season and his walk rate is abysmal, but the guy can just flat out hit, in addition to being a strong defensive catcher.

In the playoffs, we all love underdog performances and unique storylines. Astros fans have come to expect guys like Bregman, Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, and Framber Valdez to show up under the bright lights because they have consistently done so. However, a guy like Diaz, who has both been awesome and who has flown under the radar a bit this season, is a prime candidate to finally get to shine, if he has a couple key moments.

What is likely to get lost either way is just how important a player Diaz has grown into for the Astros in just his second season in the majors -- which goes beyond his contributions at the plate. Yes, he can hit. However, Diaz was also instrumental, along with Victor Caratini, in shepherding Houston's ever-morphing pitching staff through a host of tough times, adjustments, and injuries. Whether or not Diaz "breaks out" during the playoffs, the Astros appear to be in good hands at catcher for the foreseeable future.

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Eric Cole

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.