Houston Blastros
Yainer Diaz (HOU): 2-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
It’s been a career year for Yainer Diaz. He began the year as a relatively anonymous right-handed bat in the Astros system that played his way onto the major league roster in Spring Training. Diaz broke into the lineup in a full-time capacity in June, and never looked back. Since becoming an everyday bat in the Houston Astros‘ lineup, Diaz has hit .293 with 16 home runs, 41 RBI and 28 runs scored in just under 250 plate appearances. With catcher eligibility on most fantasy platforms, Diaz has become a cult hero among the fantasy baseball population.
Yainer Diaz (HOU): 2-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Used as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, Diaz took full advantage of the situation. Trailing 12-0 in the eighth, the Tigers waved the white flag and inserted catcher Carson Kelly on the pitcher’s mound. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Diaz took a 63-mph “fastball” deep to left field for a 424-foot two-run home run. He earned another at-bat in the ninth against position player Zach Short and singled through the left side to finish 2-for-2 from the plate.
Looking ahead to next year’s draft season, Diaz may not be drafted as a top-five catcher but he certainly has the potential to reach that kind of ceiling. Extrapolating his production to approximately 500 at-bats to match the workload of a full-time player, Diaz’s 2023 production (.290 batting average, 32 home runs, 82 RBI, 56 runs scored) would place him in the elite names among the position. He’s certainly a name to watch this offseason.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday
Ramón Laureano (CLE): 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
You think this guy wanted to get out of Oakland? Since joining Cleveland, Laureano has batted above .250, with three doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, and eight runs scored in 14 starts. He was on base in five of his six plate appearances, with a double, two walks, and a home run in the 11th that helped the Guardians to a 10-7 win. Laureano batted just .213 in Oakland this season, indicating that maybe his effort wasn’t all there. With the change of scenery, Laureano has become viable in deeper fantasy leagues once again.
Brandon Lowe (TB): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB.
Lowe drove in a team-high four RBI, getting on base four times. He lifted a solo home run in the first inning, added a two-run single in the sixth and an RBI double in the eighth as the Rays took down the Yankees, 7-4. With three hits, including a double and a home run, it might surprise some fans that Lowe’s biggest rip came after Sunday’s game against the New York Yankees when he referred to the club in pinstripes as “A last-place team … we don’t need to worry about it.”
Mauricio Dubón (HOU): 3-6, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Dubon came through late in the game for the Astros, recording three hits including a solo home run. Dubon powered up on an 0-2 changeup, knocking it 360 feet out to left just clearing the wall. Since August 15, Dubon has batted .400 (14-for-35) with two home runs, eight RBI and 10 runs scored. His playing time in Houston is still a question mark as the team’s super-utility guy, but if he keeps hitting Dusty Baker will find a way to get him at-bats.
Davis Schneider (TOR): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI.
The Toronto Blue Jays teed off on Noah Syndergaard, lifting three home runs in the game. Schneider got in on the action with a two-run blast in the sixth inning to put the Jays ahead, 5-4. Schneider added a double in the eighth inning before being lifted for a pinch-runner. Schneider’s bat has been impressive since being called up earlier this month, and his 35.0% ideal plate appearance percentage has been outstanding. With Bichette leaving with an injury for the second time in less than a month, Schneider will likely see increased plate appearances (just in time for a trip to Coors this week).
Royce Lewis (MIN): 1-6, HR, R, 4 RBI.
It was a tough day at the plate for Royce Lewis, but his one positive was a big one — a sixth-inning grand slam. After Jordan Montgomery loaded the bases with a hit and two walks, Chris Stratton came out of the bullpen and threw two straight sliders to Lewis. The second one was not as good as the first, and Lewis sent it deep to center field for a 423-foot grand slam.
Triston Casas (BOS): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Casas ripped a pair of extra-base hits but it wasn’t enough to lift the Red Sox past the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon. Casas hammered a fastball to the right-center field gap in the first inning for a double. In the sixth inning, he popped up a changeup the other way but got enough of it to lift it over the Green Monster for a two-run homer. After a scorching July in which he hit .348 with seven home runs, Casas has cooled in August, coming back to Earth with a .250 batting average this month.
Martín Maldonado (HOU): 2-4, HR, R, RBI.
Maldonado finished with a pair of hits, including the second of back-to-back home runs with Dubon in the seventh inning before being lifted for a pinch-hitter late in the game. Maldonado battled through a six-pitch at-bat before lifting a 2-2 changeup into the left field bleachers to extend the Astros lead. The catcher’s 11th home run of the season was one of four that the Astros hit on Sunday.
Ryan O’Hearn (BAL): 1-1, HR, R, 2 RBI.
O’Hearn came into the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning with the Orioles trailing, 3-1. Facing a right-handed reliever, O’Hearn turned on a cutter that did not get in far enough on his hands and deposited it into the Eutaw Street flag court for a two-run home run to tie the game. O’Hearn has been a revelation in Baltimore, batting a career-high .295 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI in just over 250 plate appearances. His .350 BABIP is likely unsustainable, but even if he regressed to his 2022 mark of .313, he would still be considered an impact bat in the Orioles’ lineup. Though the resurgence of Ryan Mountcastle has cut into his playing time this month, O’Hearn is still a solid streaming option for weeks in which the Orioles face a majority of right-handed starters.