Why Astros Should Consider Giving Christian Vazquez More Starts

Everyday Astros catcher Yainer Diaz has struggled to start the season both at the plate and behind it. Here's why Houston should pivot to starting Christian Vazquez.

Houston Astros catcher Christian Vazquez running on the bases. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The 2026 season hasn't been kind to the Houston Astros, especially for everyday backstop Yainer Diaz.

Diaz has been the starting catcher for Houston since 2024. His debut season with Houston in 2023 consisted of performing under then primary catcher over Martin Maldonado. The offensive stats for the rookie showed up.

Diaz clubbed 23 homers in his rookie season with an .846 OPS in 104 games and a 12.2% barrel rate. In his second season in the majors he assumed the everyday catcher duties, increasing his batting average to .299 in 148 games. While his barrel rate dipped to 7.6%, his production was still valuable.

What Makes a Solid Catcher

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Maldonado, primarily known for his stellar defense behind the plate, didn't replicate Diaz' offensive prowess. A team looking for more offense would choose Diaz over Maldy on paper. However, the catcher's role is much more than just swinging the bat. It's the ability to develop a strong relationship with the pitcher on the mound and strategize the best way to get batters out. Arguably catchers make pitchers perform better.

Expertly calling games and understanding hitters' weaknesses behind the plate is important in a catcher, a role in which Maldy flourished with Houston. He is in large part behind three Astros no-hitters, two thrown by Cristian Javier and the bullpen and one thrown by Framber Valdez.

Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press wrote back in 2023 following Valdez' infamous no-hitter and cited then closer Ryan Pressly's remarks of Maldy being "one of the hardest-working guys on this team ... he's essentially our quarterback."

Javier also chimed in and said through an interpreter than "he {Maldonado] is a great person and means a great deal to me. For me, it's almost like God put him here for us, to be able to guide us through these games."

Diaz learned under Maldonado while he was developing but isn't producing similar results as of late. His first two years defensively were relatively solid, with Blocks Above Average (BAA) rated at an 82.5 score on Baseball Savant, along with CS above average score of an 80. These numbers are considered above average to great.

Last season was statistically his worst, plummeting his BAA to a score of 28, and a CS dipping to 68. Additionally, his hitting stats decreased as well, batting .256 with 20 homers and a .701 OPS in 143 games.

Diaz' 2026 Struggles

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) reacts in the eighth inning | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

This season, Diaz is laboring behind the dish with a 32 BAA and a 28 on CS above average. The 27-year-old has yet to record an out on a stolen base, with nine opportunities. Not only that, the offense has taken a huge nosedive, batting .186 with a .476 OPS in 59 at-bats.

While the main factor for the Astros' pitching struggles can be attributed to injuries, it's arguable that Diaz plays a role in this as well. His role as the everyday catcher is a factor to the Astros' main pitching struggles, having issues effectively calling games.

Recently against the Seattle Mariners. right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows served up two 95 mph fastballs down the middle to Mariners slugger Josh Naylor, both of which led to home runs. Giving up a homer on the first at bat would probably indicate a need to change the pitching sequence the next time Naylor comes up to hit.

Unfortunately, Burrows and Diaz did not get the memo, essentially pitching the exact same way to Naylor in the next at-bat. This was key in Seattle finishing a four-game sweep off the Astros.

The Astros are 4-10 in Diaz's first 14 starts. One thing Houston looked for in the past offseason was to sign a backup catcher after Victor Caratini departed for the Minnesota Twins. What better decision than to reunite with veteran Christian Vazquez?

Christian Vazquez, An Unexpected Positive Addition

Vazquez was a nice piece in the Astros' 2022 World Series run, adding much needed offensive boost in the catching department. Back with Houston four years later, he's off to a blistering start, averaging .370 with a homer and nine RBIs in eight games. Vazquez has caught six games, is 4-2 in them, and has thrown out four runners in four stolen base attempts. Throughout the past five seasons, the 35-year-old consistently sports a "great" in BAA on Baseball Savant.

While it's a small sample size, manager Joe Espada should consider starting Vazquez more games and give Diaz a breather. It's clear that while the Astros pitching needs serious improvement fast. Their starting catcher also has contributed to the woes of the young season. Adding in Vazquez, who's been consistent as ever behind the plate along with seeing the ball better, would give the Astros a boost in winning more ballgames.