Sugar Land duo compete with top prospects
LOS ANGELES — Yainer Diaz’s first start as a Class AAA catcher contained the opportunity most minor league backstops beg for. The Astros promoted him to Sugar Land on June 20 and, three days later, allowed him to debut at designated hitter.
A day later, Diaz drew a daunting assignment. Jake Odorizzi threw the first three innings as part of a minor league rehab assignment, allowing the 23-yearold catcher a crash course in catching a bona fide big leaguer. Then, a budding one bounded in from the bullpen.
Hunter Brown fired five scoreless innings to finish that game. He struck out five, surrendered three singles and did not issue a walk. Brown lowered his ERA to 2.66, furthering one of the most dominant minor league seasons.
“Sometimes the game can speed up, especially in such a crucial position like catcher, pitcher, shortstop,” Brown said. “I feel like he’s very comfortable back there, which gives you confidence on the mound. It doesn’t feel like he’s just throwing pitches down. He seems very comfortable in his plan and his approach back there. I think the guys really like throwing to him. I know I do.”
Brown spoke from the cramped visitors clubhouse at Dodger Stadium, home to the 25 American League prospects participating in the prestigious Futures Game. Diaz’s locker sat to his left.
Class AAA Sugar Land’s most promising battery spent Saturday surrounded by some of the sport’s most touted prospects.
Diaz started the game at designated hitter, batted sixth and hit a third-inning single.
Brown struck out one, walked two and allowed three unearned runs in the second inning after Tampa Bay Rays prospect Taj Bradley started the game. Baseball America pegged Bradley the sport’s No. 18 prospect in its latest Top 100 rankings.
Brown vaulted more than 30 spots to No. 54 in those same rankings. The hard-throwing righthander is one of the sport’s fastest-rising pitching prospects, one some surmise has out-performed the minor leagues.
On Saturday, an opposing scout who watches Brown regularly estimated he could pitch in 22 of 30 major league rotations. Posed the same question, another scout replied: “a majority.”
The Astros are not in either category. The team’s rotation boasts an American League-low 3.13 ERA. Its six-man setup could turn to seven if and when Lance McCullers Jr. returns from his flexor tendon injury. The team is 29 games over .500 and does not have a glaring need for Brown.
Brown is regularly reminded of his plight. If Brown harbors any animosity or anxiousness, the 23-year-old Detroit native does not show it. He speaks softly and often wears a wide smile. Asked whether he is bored at Class AAA, Brown chuckled before confirming “no, no, no” he is not. He is finding ways to tinker with his pitch mix and sequencing, including using his slider more against lefthanded hitters and finding spots to throw his changeup to righties.
“Obviously I would love to be up with the Astros,” Brown said. “I think I can help them out. But they’re also doing so well it also feels like they don’t need me right now. I’m just waiting for the opportunity to appear and, when it comes, I’ll be ready.”
Brown’s 2.38 ERA and 12.1 strikeouts per nine both lead the Pacific Coast League. Opponents are slashing .186/.279/.256 against him. Since last season, Brown has lowered his walk rate from 4.5 to four batters per nine innings, improving one of the primary areas of concern the Astros shared with him in spring training.
Addressing one problem area — coupled with his continued dominance— makes his human nature harder to suppress.
“Even in my exit meetings, they’re like ‘force our hand.’ I’ve seen (general manager James) Click say that in the media. And I’ve kind of come out and felt like I’ve done that and I’m still in Triple-A,” Brown said.
Saturday showed some of the strides Brown must continue to make. He threw just 13 of his 26 pitches for strikes and struggled to command his fastball. He touched 99.8 mph with the first pitch he threw — perhaps a sign of some adrenaline — but walked two batters on nine total pitches.
His battery mate had a more impressive show at designated hitter. Diaz struck a fourth-inning single against Atlanta prospect Jared Shuster with a 108 mph exit velocity. Only one other ball had been hit harder all game.
“He has incredible backside pop, just from watching him,” Brown said. “I’ve seen him hit some absolute bombs back side. Which, as a pitcher, to me, if I was on a different team and I see that, even if he’s a little bit off and lunging forward, he still has enough in his swing to stay back and hit the ball the other way, even if he’s beaten a little bit.”
Almost all of Diaz’s future value is tied to his bat. He has a career .320/.356/.496 slash line, but could stand to generate more power. He hits the ball hard and to all fields, but does not have the prototypical swing many scouts enjoy.
The Astros acquired Diaz last July in the trade that sent Myles Straw to Cleveland. The team left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft last season, but may not have the same luxury this December.
Diaz has continued to mash since joining the Astros, including a .316 batting average and .504 slugging percentage at Class AA Corpus Christi this season. He struck out 40 times and drew 21 walks in 267 plate appearances, a testament to his swing decisions and ability to make contact.
“Honestly, that’s one of the things I’ve liked about the Astros — they haven’t changed a thing,” Diaz said through an interpreter. “They’ve kind of let me be me and given me some advice on pitch selection and what to swing at, what not to swing at. But as far as my actual swing, they’ve left me alone.”
Scouts are divided over Diaz’s defensive ability or whether he’ll improve enough to be an everyday catcher. He has an aboveaverage throwing arm, according to some, but is below average in his overall defense. At Class AA Corpus Christi, Diaz made more starts at first base (25) than he did at catcher (23), but said on Saturday that was more a function of roster construction.