Justin Dirden Makes Case For Promotion With Big Week
Houston Astros outfield prospect Justin Dirden, now 25, went undrafted in the COVID draft of 2020. He has done nothing but smash the baseball since then with a boisterous, aggressive approach at the plate. He has impressed scouts by blasting the ball to all parts of the field with authority. Dirden's power bat has translated to a high strikeout rate in the past, but he has shown progress working counts and reducing his K/BB rate. Finally, the Southeast Missouri State product is solid defensively and could put together a long career in any three outfield positions. This past week, Dirden went 13-for-26 with four homers, nine extra-base hits, 15 RBI, one walk, and nine strikeouts. During this five-game span, he scored seven times and put together a phenomenal .500/.519/1.192 slash line. There's no doubt that the rising star could have a legitimate fantasy impact in the near future.
Houston Astros outfielder Justin Dirden has been impressing manager Dusty Baker in spring training. The 25-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder isn't on Houston's 40-man roster, but he's already hit two home runs in the Grapefruit League. "We're impressed with him and that's why he's here," said Baker. "He's getting a lot of playing time, getting a lot of looks. He's playing well; he's playing very well." Still, it will be very tough for Dirden to win an Opening Day roster spot. He hit .302 with 82 runs, five triples, 24 home runs, 101 RBI, 51 walks and 12 stolen bases in 124 games with Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land in 2022. The team's No. 11 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is one to watch in dynasty/keeper leagues.
Justin Dirden
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Astros
