Yandy Díaz

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Yandy Díaz

|image = ProfileDiazstlrays2024.jpg

|caption = Díaz with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2024

|position = Third baseman / First baseman

|team = Tampa Bay Rays

|number = 2

|bats = Right

|throws = Right

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|8|8}}

|birth_place = Sagua La Grande, Villa Clara, Cuba

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = April 3

|debutyear = 2017

|debutteam = Cleveland Guardians

|statyear = April 25, 2025

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label = Batting average

|stat1value = .287

|stat2label = Hits

|stat2value = 809

|stat3label = Home runs

|stat3value = 78

|stat4label = Runs batted in

|stat4value = 354

|teams =

Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|2017}}–{{mlby|2018}})
Tampa Bay Rays ({{mlby|2019}}–present)

| awards =

}}

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

Cuban career

Díaz began his career with the Naranjas de Villa Clara in the 2008-09 Cuban National Series; at 16 years old, he registered two hits and two walks over seven plate appearances. The next year with Villa Clara, he slashed .292/.417/.351 in 67 games. In his final season with Villa Clara, he slashed .254/.399/.331 in 59 games. He was not included on the roster for the 2012–13 season, which saw Villa Clara win the championship.

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2017/03/cleveland_indians_42.html|title=Straight out of Cuba: Yandy Diaz, Leandro Linares signed with Cleveland Indians after defecting together|last=Hoynes|first=Paul|date=March 19, 2017|website=cleveland.com|language=en-US|access-date=March 10, 2019}} He had made two prior attempts to defect, but had been caught and arrested by the Cuban government on both occasions. In August, he signed with the Cleveland Indians for $300,000.{{cite web|url=http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2017/03/cleveland_indians_42.html|title=Straight out of Cuba: Yandy Diaz, Leandro Linares signed with Cleveland Indians after defecting together|work=Cleveland Plain Dealer|first=Paul|last=Hoynes|date=March 18, 2017|access-date=April 6, 2017}}

American career

= Minor Leagues =

Díaz played for the Carolina Mudcats of the High–A Carolina League in 2014.{{cite web | last=Alexander | first=Elton | title=Yandy Diaz is a hit right now for Akron RubberDucks: Cleveland Indians Class AA Report | website=cleveland | date=May 15, 2015 | url=https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2015/05/yandy_diaz_is_a_hit_right_now.html | access-date=October 29, 2024}} Playing for the Akron RubberDucks of the Double–A Eastern League in 2015, Díaz was named an All-Star.{{cite web | last=Alexander | first=Elton | title=Yandy Diaz honored for hot season with RubberDucks: Cleveland Indians AA Report | website=cleveland | date=August 29, 2015 | url=https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2015/08/yandy_diaz_honored_for_hot_sea.html | access-date=October 29, 2024}} The Indians promoted him to the Columbus Clippers of the Triple–A International League in September, and assigned him to the Arizona Fall League after the 2015 regular season.{{cite web|url=http://www.ohio.com/sports/rubberducks/rubberducks-third-baseman-yandy-diaz-establishing-himself-as-one-of-baseball-s-top-minor-league-prospects-1.621151|title=RubberDucks third baseman Yandy Diaz establishing himself as one of baseball's top minor-league prospects|author=Spencer Davies|work=www.ohio.com|access-date=November 30, 2015|archive-date=April 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409145227/http://www.ohio.com/sports/rubberducks/rubberducks-third-baseman-yandy-diaz-establishing-himself-as-one-of-baseball-s-top-minor-league-prospects-1.621151|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2015/09/27/0927-clippers-review.html|title=Baseball – Clippers: Lindor's flash kick-started season that produced a title|author=Jim Massie|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=November 30, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092931/http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2015/09/27/0927-clippers-review.html|url-status=dead}} Díaz began the 2016 season with Akron and was subsequently promoted to Columbus, where he won the International League Rookie of the Year Award.{{cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2016/08/31/0830-clippers-diaz-roy.html|title=Clippers' Yandy Diaz named IL's top rookie|work=The Columbus Dispatch|date=August 31, 2016|access-date=September 12, 2016|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019014941/https://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2016/08/31/0830-clippers-diaz-roy.html|url-status=dead}}

= Cleveland Indians =

File:Yandy Diaz (36058547483) (cropped).jpg

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2017/03/roster_complete_yandy_diaz_mic.html#incart_river_index|title=Infield is set: Yandy Diaz, Michael Martinez make Cleveland Indians' Opening Day roster|author=Zack Meisel|work=Cleveland.com|date=March 30, 2017|access-date=March 31, 2017}}{{cite web|title=Indians set Opening Day roster|url=http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/221924776/indians-set-opening-day-roster/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403111850/http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/221924776/indians-set-opening-day-roster/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 3, 2017|access-date=April 2, 2017}} Diaz played 49 games, slashing .262/.352/.327 predominantly 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.{{cite web|title=Rays get infielder Diaz, trade Bauers to Tribe|website=MLB.com|url=https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-land-yandy-diaz-in-trade-with-indians/c-301824978|access-date=December 13, 2018}} Díaz missed some time due to injury during the season, only accumulating 307 at bats. He did hit 14 home runs while driving in 38 runs.

Díaz hit two home runs in the 2019 American League Wild Card Game as the Rays defeated the Oakland Athletics.{{Cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27756288/yandy-diaz-2-hrs-shrugs-pressure-leading-tampa-bay-rays-wild-card-win | title=Diaz shrugs off pressure as 2-HR night fuels Rays| date=October 3, 2019}}

File:Yandy Díaz2024stlraays.jpg

Although plagued by a hamstring injury in September 2020, Díaz appeared in 34 games of the abbreviated 2020 season, slashing .307/.428/.386 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/rays-yandy-diaz-determined-to-bounce-back-in-21/|title=Rays' Yandy Diaz: Determined to bounce back in '21|date=February 17, 2021|website=CBSSports.com}}

In the 2022 season, Díaz hit .296/.401/.423, leading the Rays in on-base percentage (.401), OPS (.824), and OPS+ (142), and finished second only to Harold Ramírez in batting average. He received MVP votes for the first time in his career. On January 31, 2023, he signed a three–year, $24 million contract extension with the Rays.{{cite web | last=Topkin | first=Marc | title=Rays finalize 3-year, $24 million extension with Yandy Diaz | website=Tampa Bay Times | date=2023-01-31 | url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2023/01/31/rays-finalize-3-year-24-million-extension-with-yandy-diaz/?outputType=amp | access-date=2025-04-09}}

Díaz was named to his first All-Star Game in 2023, when he was elected the American League starter at first base. In his first at-bat, he hit a solo home run to put the AL up 1-0, becoming the first Rays starter to homer in an All-Star Game and the first Cuban-born player to do so since Cookie Rojas in 1972.{{cite news |last1=Toribio |first1=Juan |title='My head is spinning': New dad-to-be Yandy Díaz's whirlwind All-Star experience |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/rays-yandy-diaz-hits-home-run-in-2023-all-star-game |agency=MLB.com |date=July 11, 2022}} Diaz and his wife welcomed their first son the day after the All-Star Game. Diaz therefore flew into Seattle the morning of the All-Star Game, and flew back immediately afterward. He was officially placed on the paternity list on July 14.{{Cite news |last=Topkin |first=Marc |date=July 13, 2023 |title=Rays’ Yandy Diaz will miss at least Friday’s game after birth of son |url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2023/07/13/yandy-diaz-paternity-list-mcclanahan-glasnow-josh-lowe-family-emergency/ |access-date=July 16, 2023 |work=TampaBay.com}} Díaz led the AL in batting average (beating out Corey Seager on the last day of the season) and in batting average on balls in play (.367), as he hit .330/.410/.522 with 22 home runs and 78 runs batted in.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=al&qual=y&type=8&season=2023&month=0&season1=2023&ind=0&sortcol=11&sortdir=default&pagenum=1|title=Major League Leaderboards - 2023 - Batting|website=FanGraphs Baseball}} In doing so, he became the third Cuban-born player to win a batting title, after Tony Oliva and Yuli Gurriel. Díaz also won the 2023 Silver Slugger Award for AL first basemen.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-yandy-diaz-wins-al-silver-slugger-award|title=Yandy Díaz wins AL Silver Slugger Award|website=MLB.com|date=November 9, 2023|accessdate=November 11, 2023}}

In 2024 Díaz had a 20-game hitting streak, breaking Jason Bartlett's record for the longest streak in Rays history.{{cite news |last1=Berry |first1=Adam |title='It was a beautiful feeling': Yandy sets franchise-record hit streak in win |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/yandy-diaz-sets-rays-hitting-streak-record |access-date=March 14, 2025 |publisher=MLB.com |date=June 28, 2024}}

Díaz was announced as part of FEPCUBE's "Patria y Vida" team of expatriate Cuban ballplayers participating in the inaugural Intercontinental Series in Barranquilla, Colombia.{{cite news |title=Anunciado el roster preliminar FEPCUBE 'Patria y Vida' que jugará en la Serie Intercontinental de Béisbol |url=https://diariodecuba.com/deportes/1703870925_51910.html |agency=Diario de Cuba |date=December 29, 2023}}

On March 14, 2025, the Rays announced that the team option for the 2026 season on Díaz's contract had been picked up, and that a vesting option for 2027 had been added.{{cite news |title=Rays pick up 2026 team option on 1B Yandy Díaz |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44253639/rays-pick-2026-team-option-1b-yandy-diaz |access-date=March 14, 2025 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN.com |date=March 14, 2025}}{{cite news |title=Rays exercise 2026 option for infielder Yandy Díaz, add vesting option for 2027 |url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-rays-exercise-2026-option-for-infielder-yandy-diaz-add-vesting-option-for-2027 |access-date=March 14, 2025 |publisher=MLB.com |date=March 14, 2025}}

Personal life

His father, Jorge, also defected from Cuba to play professional baseball in the United States. Jorge Díaz briefly played in the Texas Rangers organization and spent the rest of his career in independent leagues.{{cite web |title=Jorge Díaz - Cuban, Minor & Independent Lg Stats |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=diaz--001jor |website=Baseball Reference}} Yandy was six years old when he last saw his father.{{cite web|url=http://americansportsnet.com/cuban-yandy-diaz-breaks-from-past-embraces-future/|title=Cuban Yandy Diaz breaks from past, embraces future|work=americansportsnet.com|access-date=November 30, 2015}} Diaz is of Afro-Cuban descent.

Díaz is married to his wife, Mayisleidis. They welcomed a son, Yandy Jared Díaz, in July 2023.{{Cite tweet |user=TBTimes_Rays |last=Topkin |first=Marc |number=1681095182425657344 |title=#Rays Diaz rejoined team after missing last 3 games attending to this guy, newborn son Yandy Jared Diaz, who arrived Wednesday at 9 pounds and 20 inches |date=July 17, 2023}}