Rays' Yandy Diaz is quietly having the best season of his career
Acquired in an offseason trade in 2018, first baseman Yandy Diaz has been one of the most consistent hitters on the Tama Bay Rays over the past four seasons and is off to his best start in 2023.
With a .320 batting average, 12 home runs and 30 RBI, Diaz has had a power surge that has him two home runs shy from tying his career high of 14, set in 2019.
A bulk of Diaz's production has come out of the leadoff spot, consistently setting the table for one of the more potent offenses in the league, propelling them to a MLB-best 39-17 record.
He currently leads all of MLB in wRC+ with 193, compare that to the 207 wRC+ that New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge had in his record-breaking 2022 season, and it shows how special of a season Diaz is currently having with Tampa Bay.
With a mixture of power and contact to go with a great batter's eye, Diaz has struck out just 251 times in 1,780 plate appearances while adding 231 walks in his four-plus seasons with the Rays.
Focusing more on being able to lift the ball, Diaz has seen it go over the fence more often, and is known to use the speedy infield at Tropicana Park to his advantage.
Not only is he lifting the ball more, but he is hitting it harder with an average exit velocity of 103.4 mph and a groundball exit velocity of 95.3 mph. Both would have led the majors last season.
Diaz, who earned a single MVP vote last year, could become a AL MVP finalist this year if he is able to sustain his production, as the Rays look to make their way back to the World Series for the first time since 2020.
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