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Yandy Diaz 2020 Outlook: Emerging Power Could Spur Breakout Year
Until last season, Yandy Diaz had been an enigmatic sort who did not appear to have any upside. Despite his hulking build, he seemed to be more of a contact/on-base combination hitter. Diaz’s OBP consistently remained in the high .300s to .400s over his first five pro seasons at different levels. But his ISO never went above .136. His batting profile just did not appear to jibe with his physique. He never hit more than seven home runs at any level in the Cleveland organization from 2014 to 2018. But when he arrived in Tampa Bay last season, the Rays made some minor tweaks to his hitting mechanics, and Diaz finally unleashed some pop. Diaz raised his Launch Angle from 4.4 to 5.7 and his Exit Velocity of 91.7 ranked in the Top 8 percent of the league. Diaz’s Barrel % also jumped from 4.4 to 10.4 and he had a xSLG of .491. He hit 14 homers in 347 at-bats, and his ISO jumped to .208. There were apparent sacrifices in BA (.267) and OBP (.340). A foot injury also shelved him in August and cut into his postseason availability. But even at 28 years old, Diaz now has finally added real power to his profile, and that gives him promise for the 2020 season. His combination of past on-base skills and emerging pop will likely earn him the third spot in the lineup and regular playing time at third base. As he continues to progress, you could get a BA in the range of .275 with a breakout campaign in the HR and RBI categories. He is quite appealing at an ADP of 226.99.
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