Marlins’ hopeful first baseman of future is on a hot streak at the plate in winter ball
Lewin Diaz had the bases loaded, two outs and a full count in the first inning Tuesday when Nestor Cortes left a pitch up the middle. Diaz, the No. 8-ranked prospect in the Miami Marlins organization according to MLB Pipeline who is playing for the Estrellas de Oriente in the Dominican Professional Baseball League this winter, ripped the pitch through the shift for a line drive to right field.
The outfielder bobbled the ball as Diaz chugged to third base for a triple and cleared the bases for his first triple of the winter ball season. Diaz clapped his hands as his dugout behind him celebrated.
And after the past week and a half, there is much to celebrate with Diaz. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting first baseman has hits in 10 of his past 11 games with the Estrellas de Oriente, posting a .289 batting average (11 for 38) with two home runs, the triple, nine RBI and six runs scored in that timeframe. He has also not committed an error defensively since his hitting streak began on Dec. 14.
The Marlins surely hope this type of success continues as he prepares to enter his second full season in the organization. Miami traded closer Sergio Romo to the Minnesota Twins for Diaz on July 28, 2019, citing Diaz’s power as a left-handed hitter as a primary reason for obtaining him.
Diaz made his MLB debut during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, hitting .154 (6 for 39) with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored.
“Left-handed power is Diaz’s carrying tool, and he has plenty of it thanks to an impressive combination of bat speed, strength and leverage in his 6-foot-4 frame,” reads his scouting report from MLB Pipeline. “He looks to drive the ball in the air and can hit the ball out of any part of the ballpark. He shows some feel for hitting, making consistent contact to all fields, though he may need a more selective approach to hit for average against big league pitchers.”
And while the Marlins envision Diaz as their long-term first baseman of the future, they don’t necessarily need to rush him back to the majors in 2021.
Miami already has a logjam at first heading into the season, with both Garrett Cooper and Jesus Aguilar signed to one-year deals and under team control for the near future (Cooper through 2023; Aguilar through 2022).
Should there not be a universal designated hitter in 2021 — Marlins manager Don Mattingly said National League clubs should prepare as if that is the case — then Cooper and Aguilar will have to split time at first base, with Cooper potentially getting the occasional start in the corner outfields.
That leaves Diaz with time to continue to develop in the minor leagues, which wouldn’t be the worst thing. After all, Diaz never played above Double A before being thrust to the big-league club for a short period of time in 2020.
“Defensively he’s off the charts. Offensively, we think he will be a guy that’s dangerous, that is going to have power to all fields,” Mattingly said earlier this offseason. “One of the things we talked to him about when we sent him back to the alternate camp [site in Jupiter] was he’s going to have to figure out who he is, what [types of pitches] he wants to handle. Young guys that come up — and he’s no different — they swing at a big old box of stuff, trying to handle the whole plate. That’s an area where he’s going to have to grow.”
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