Actually, I tend to remember his stellar ones... 2021, 2022, even covid 2020... and not as much the bad ones. The Astros didn't pitch well as a team in the 2021 WS so maybe that's taking up the memory space. And I know he had at least one awful Rangers ALCS start in 2023 (a lot of bad pitching that series as well). And in the end, him clinching game 6 (after dominating in game 2, against a killer lineup) is still going to outweigh all of that. The fact that he's getting compared to the killer B's... when he's the only Astros starting pitcher in their franchise history to clinch a championship for them is further exemplifying the mystifying bias people have with him. There's too many future HOF pitchers to list who had dud starts in the small sample "carnival" game that is playoff baseball. If the stellar starts in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (including WS) never happened, the "head case" theory would start to take hold. In the end, he's a lot like a f-ton of stud pitchers these days who have some questionable big game starts. Or just look at the Astros playoff track record against aces, or TOR guys, in their primes.... including Chris Sale (multiple times), Kluber, Bauer (when he was less of an idiot and a better pitcher), Glasnow, Snell, Cole, Wheeler, Nola... I just don't see that consistent starting pitcher playoff performer that is always lights out... at least not for this era.... and the fact that he's been able to do it on the biggest of stages should still weigh into the positive here. You know more than anybody not to overreact for small sample size or simply recency (or basically anything playoff related in baseball)... and yet you're using some of that logic to support this. Yes, he's an emotional guy... that somehow has emotioned his way into being possibly (or on the extreme short list) the best day-in/day-out starting pitcher in franchise history... playoffs included.... in an era where starting pitching is absolutely not what it used to be.
Talking about Janek and whatnot...if you draft a C, doesn't really matter if it's HS or D1 (unless you're a top-10 Buster Posey type), it's gonna take at least 3 years to begin thinking about a functional MLB role.
The DBacks stadium has a very spacious outfield. I think it’s more that Joe wanted to put Altuve at DH than anything.
Well that shouldn’t stop Diaz from catching. Looks like Joe had two choices and chose Caratini. Like I said, maybe it’s nothing.
Sadly, I agree. I’m very disappointed in Diaz this year. He really regressed. I still hold out hope that he will catch fire.
Maybe. Brandon Webb didn’t make that work for him if I recall. Kevin brown- but maybe he was older when it fell apart for him.
Kevin Brown (arsehole!) threw a 98mph fastball in his prime (also was an AS and threw 200+ innings with an ERA under 2.5 at age 38). Brandon Webb's shoulder exploded when he was 29 years old. Not quite the same thing we're talking about here wrt Framber.
I think it was in '99 or '00...the water got too hot in the shower for Kevin Brown's liking so he went and got a bat and destroyed a toilet. https://archive.ph/9OZj6 "The Plumber" was a great nickname after that. About 4 years later he got pissed off about whatever and broke his pitching hand punching a wall.
How long of a leash does Yainer have? It would not surprise me if Caratini starts more games than Diaz the rest of the season. Maybe its time to consider giving Yainer a change of scenery? ( not deadline but offseason)
here's my prediction with yainer. they'll continue to use him for the rest of the year. However, next year they will most likely make a decision to either keep him or trade him before the deadline.
I think he has been bumped by Caratini and it’s understandable. I still think Diaz gets a good amount of at bats the rest of the way. He really needs to get hot and finish strong. I am disappointed in his season thus far as most of us are. On the flip side, down seasons are very common in baseball. Many of the greatest hitters have had a bad season or two. Yaz had like 7 or 8 very average seasons. Mike Schmidt hit like .190 one year. There are many examples of good or great hitters having off years.
People needs to be more patient with Diaz...just because he's having a down year doesn't mean the Astros should trade him anytime soon or even during the off season.
