Astros' 20 home run catcher to play for Dominican Republic at World Baseball Classic
Astros' 20 home run catcher to play for Dominican Republic at World Baseball Classic originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz will play with the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, according to an X (formerly Twitter) post from Talkin' Baseball .
Diaz is considered one of the best-hitting catchers in Major League Baseball and posted a .256/.284/.417 slash line with 20 home runs in 143 games in 2025 with the Astros. His bat went cold for the first few months of the year.
With Manny Machado , Jose Ramirez , Elly De La Cruz , and many other stars, the D.R.'s squad for next March's WBC should be one of the best.
If Diaz is the starting catcher, he will handle a pitching staff that will include Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara. The Dominican Republic will compete in Pool D against Venezuela, the Netherlands, Israel, and Nicaragua.
Diaz homers in first LIDOM at-bat
To prepare for next season with the Astros, Diaz is logging some playing time in the Dominican Republic's winter league, LIDOM.
Playing for the Leones del Escogido, the 27-year-old launched a home run over the left field fence during his first at-bat of the winter. He last appeared for the Leones during the 2022-23 LIDOM season.
Diaz will once again be an essential part of the Astros' lineup, so the hope is that he has a healthy and productive stint at the WBC.
