ISAN DIAZ MIAMI #5
Isan Diaz | Rank: 5 (Preseason: 7)
Team: New Orleans Baby Cakes (AAA)ETA: 2019Position: 2BAge: 23 DOB: 05/27/1996Bats: L Throws: RHeight: 5′ 10″ Weight: 185 lb.Drafted: 2014, CBB (70) – ARIOther Lists: Top 100 Prospects (#86), Top 10 2B Prospects (#6)Watch
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
A Puerto Rican drafted in the second round by the D-backs out of a Massachusetts high school in 2014, Diaz won MVP honors in the Rookie-level Pioneer League in 2015 before getting traded to the Brewers in a deal for Jean Segura the following January. He led the Class A Midwest League with 20 homers in his first season in the Milwaukee organization but slumped in his second, then got dealt to the Marlins as part of a package for eventual National League MVP Christian Yelich. He struggled again at the plate in 2018, batting .232/.340/.399 between Double-A and Triple-A, but still has more offensive upside than most middle infielders.
Diaz’s best attribute is his plus raw power, with his bat speed and the strength in his compact frame translating into hard-hit balls to all fields. He can get aggressive at times but his hand-eye coordination and patience should have translated into better than a .254 career average in his first five pro seasons. He did make some adjustments last year to reduce the uppercut in his left-handed stroke but they didn’t produce noticeably better results.
Diaz needs to reach his offensive potential to make it as a big league regular because he doesn’t stand out in other aspects of the game. While he has good instincts on the bases, his average speed doesn’t make him much of a threat to steal. Signed as a shortstop, he gets the job done at second base but his average arm limits his usefulness on the left side of the infield.
| 2019 |
|---|
| PCL |
| Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | K | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO (AAA) | 100 | 368 | 85 | 112 | 20 | 2 | 25 | 68 | 47 | 93 | 5 | .304 | .393 | .573 | .967 |
| Minors | 100 | 368 | 85 | 112 | 20 | 2 | 25 | 68 | 47 | 93 | 5 | .304 | .393 | .573 | .967 |
Source: mlb.com
