Elias Diaz was promoted to the Pittsburgh Pirates major league roster as a catching prospect. Quick overview: This is what you may expect.
In 2008, the Pirates signed Venezuelan free agent Diaz to a contract. He’s always been a standout defender, but his offensive production in Double-A didn’t really go up until 2014 when he hit .328/.378/.455.
He spent most of 2015 and 2016 at Triple-A Indianapolis, with a few minor appearances in the majors thrown in for good measure.
According to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2017 Top 20 Prospects list, Diaz was placed 16th.
For the most part, he was out for the season with an elbow injury, but the 26-year-old Venezuelan has been praised for his defensive prowess and leadership qualities, and he’s a prototypical reserve catcher.
He’s more valuable in fantasy baseball than in the real world, so keep that in mind. Other sources have him much higher on prospect lists, and he’s worth keeping an eye on. Estimated time of arrival: 2017.
He had a .305/.317/.441 batting average in 15 games at Triple-A before being promoted this season.
Diaz is a 6-1, 215-pound right-handed hitter and thrower. The catcher has a 70-grade arm and above-average mobility for the position It’s not uncommon for him to make an error, but he is quite effective against baserunners and is an excellent receiver who works well with the pitcher.
He’s a hard-hitting hitter who doesn’t get many at-bats. Overall, he is a.250ish hitter with little OBP or SLG, and he has below-average raw power as well.
His defense should keep him in the majors, but he won’t be able to contribute much offensively until he suddenly develops more power or an improved eye at the plate.
When Was Elias Díaz Drafted?
Diáz joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008 as an undrafted international free agent. For the Pirates of the Venezuelan Summer League, he made his professional debut in 2009.