Mascai is really limited defensively and strikes out a lot. Hard to see path forward for him but he does have some of the best power in the system.
Isn't he somewhat on the older side for a Low-A ball player? Seems like a quintessential all-or-nothing guy.
He's basically dead-on average for the league he's in. Whatever that means. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mascai001vic
The Astros keep trying but his interest in defense is really limited. It’s a case of his bat being a lot more mature than the rest of his game. When I asked they said he isn’t defiant like Martes was or a choker like some others. He goes through the drills and motions but he just isn’t into it like he is with a stick in his hand. At this point if he can just be a bad but not horrendous catcher at game calling and strategizing, he will make a lot of money in the big leagues. The bat is MLB good.
Would like to see Enmanuel Valdez get some time in CF. He's played some in both LF + RF. Kids bat is amazing thus far.
Even if he can just play defense well enough to be a backup C and get ab at DH and 1B then he can still be a really valuable player. Not a star like he might be if he is a full time catcher who can hit really well, but a solid 2-3 win player. Hell if Houston could swap Castro out for a guy like that, the team would be quite a bit better off.
If Diaz has the same attitude about playing defense at 1st base that he has about catching we should be shopping him right now for whatever he will bring. His bat will bring something.
That is a tough one because Diaz is a career .330 hitter that doesn't strike out and has a lot of untapped power. Guys that are like that in the minors usually turn into good hitters at the big league level. He has a decent throwing arm and from what I have heard it is more of a maturity issue than anything else.
Not shocked. He makes a lot of hard contact. He doesn't strike out a whole lot. He is consistent and he has a lot of doubles and long singles that will likely end up over the wall with more experience. He is really a naturally talented hitter. I hope he matures enough to handle catching because he will be able to hit.
Looking at his batted ball profile, seems a little like Yordan where he has a lot of power but is more of a natural line drive hitter than a fly ball hitter.
I didn’t realize he was only 21. I have known about him for a while and remember him in Low A for a few years so I assumed he was already 23 or 24. Thanks for the correction. Regardless, my point about him striking out way too much at the lowest full-season level still stands.
