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JB’s Fantasy Baseball Advice: Finding a cheap mid-20s power source

By Justin Buckhanan

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 05: Christian Walker #53 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats against the Boston Red Sox during the MLB game at Chase Field on April 05, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Red Sox 15-8. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 05: Christian Walker #53 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats against the Boston Red Sox during the MLB game at Chase Field on April 05, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Red Sox 15-8. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – APRIL 05: Yandy Diaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays hits a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the first of a Major League Baseball game on Opening Day at Oracle Park on April 5, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – APRIL 05: Yandy Diaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays hits a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the first of a Major League Baseball game on Opening Day at Oracle Park on April 5, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Yandy Diaz

Diaz is the rare Cuban ex-pat who didn’t come to Major League Baseball amid huge fanfare and a big contract. In 2013, he defected to the United States and received only $300,000 from Cleveland to sign. He didn’t get started on his minor league career until his was 22 years old in 2014.

There’s nothing obvious in Diaz’s statistics that show he’s going to be a big-time power hitter. But he requires a much closer examination. At 27, he may finally be taking advantage of his hard-contact skills. Diaz is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and looks buffed at the plate. The more important factor is that his contact skills have always been strong with less than a 20 percent strikeout rate and a very good walk-to-strikeout ratio.

For those who are into advanced metrics, Diaz has some of the highest exit velocities this side of Giancarlo Stanton. Diaz already had three home runs this season, putting him well on his way to the best power season of his career (he has never had more than nine in a full season). The other advantage in nabbing Diaz is that he’s eligible at both third base (five games) and first base (three games). The other advantage for Diaz is that the Rays, despite their extraordinarily deep farm system, don’t have a big-time third baseman among those prospects.

Matt Duffy is the only eminent challenger for playing time, but Duffy is currently injured and has nowhere near the type of power potential that Diaz has flashed so far this season (or even throughout their respective careers). The Rays have also shown incredible trust in Diaz so far, batting him between leadoff and clean up in every game.

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