Yandy Díaz

Yandy Díaz Fernandez (born August 8, 1991) is a Cuban professional baseball third baseman and outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Cleveland Indians.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Díaz and the second or maternal family name is Fernandez.
Yandy Díaz
Díaz in 2017
Tampa Bay Rays – No. 2
Third baseman / First baseman / Left fielder
Born: (1991-08-08) August 8, 1991
Sagua la Grande, Villa Clara, Cuba
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 3, 2017, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
(through 2019 season)
Batting average.274
Home runs15
Runs batted in66
Teams

Cuban career

Diaz played for the Naranjas de Villa Clara in the 2012-13 Cuban National Series.

In 2013, at 21 years old, Diaz defected from Holguin, Cuba to Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic alongside his childhood friend Leandro Linares and another unnamed individual.[1] He had previously attempted to defect twice, both times which he was caught and arrested by the Cuban government. In August, he signed with the Cleveland Indians for $300,000.[2]

American career

Minor Leagues

Díaz played for the Carolina Mudcats of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League in 2014.[3] Playing for the Akron RubberDucks of the Class AA Eastern League in 2015, Díaz was named an All-Star.[4] The Indians promoted him to the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League in September, and assigned him to the Arizona Fall League after the 2015 regular season.[5][6] Díaz began the 2016 season with Akron and was subsequently promoted to Columbus, where he won the International League Rookie of the Year Award.[7]

Cleveland Indians

Díaz earned a non-roster invitation to the Indians' 2017 major league spring training camp. After batting .458 (22-for-48) with a 1.252 OPS during spring training, and after injuries to other players forced the Indians to adjust their roster, Díaz was named the Indians' starting third baseman for the start of the 2017 season.[8][9] Diaz played 49 games, slashing .262/.352/.327 predominately playing third base.

Diaz spent the 2018 season between Columbus and the Cleveland Indians, playing 39 games and slashing .312/.375/.422 with one home run and 15 RBIs.

Tampa Bay Rays

On December 13, 2018, the Indians traded Díaz to the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade in which the Rays also acquired Cole Sulser for Jake Bauers, and the Seattle Mariners acquired Edwin Encarnación from the Indians for Carlos Santana.[10] Díaz missed some time due to injury during the season, only accumulating 307 at bats. He did hit 14 home runs and 38 RBI.

Díaz hit two home runs in the 2019 American League Wild Card Game as the Rays defeated the Oakland Athletics.[11]

Personal life

His father, Jorge, also defected from Cuba to play professional baseball in the United States. Yandy was six years old when he last saw his father.[12] Diaz is of Afro-Cuban descent.

See also

References
  1. Hoynes, Paul (2017-03-19). "Straight out of Cuba: Yandy Diaz, Leandro Linares signed with Cleveland Indians after defecting together". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
  2. Hoynes, Paul (March 18, 2017). "Straight out of Cuba: Yandy Diaz, Leandro Linares signed with Cleveland Indians after defecting together". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  3. "Yandy Diaz is a hit right now for Akron RubberDucks: Cleveland Indians Class AA Report". cleveland.com. 2015-05-15. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  4. "Yandy Diaz honored for hot season with RubberDucks: Cleveland Indians AA Report". cleveland.com. 2015-08-29. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  5. Spencer Davies. "RubberDucks third baseman Yandy Diaz establishing himself as one of baseball's top minor-league prospects". www.ohio.com. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  6. Jim Massie. "Baseball – Clippers: Lindor's flash kick-started season that produced a title". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  7. "Clippers' Yandy Diaz named IL's top rookie". The Columbus Dispatch. August 31, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  8. Zack Meisel (March 30, 2017). "Infield is set: Yandy Diaz, Michael Martinez make Cleveland Indians' Opening Day roster". Cleveland.com. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  9. "Indians set Opening Day roster". Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  10. "Rays get infielder Diaz, trade Bauers to Tribe". Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  11. "Diaz shrugs off pressure as 2-HR night fuels Rays". 2019-10-03.
  12. "Cuban Yandy Diaz breaks from past, embraces future". americansportsnet.com. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
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