Jordan Díaz (baseball)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Díaz and the second or maternal family name is Sandoval.
Jordan Díaz
Díaz with the Oakland Athletics in 2023
Orix Buffaloes
Second baseman
Born: (2000-08-13) August 13, 2000 (age 24)
Montería, Colombia
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 18, 2022, for the Oakland Athletics
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.227
Home runs10
Runs batted in28
Teams
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Colombia
Junior Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2021 Cali-Valle Team

Jordan David Díaz Sandoval (born August 13, 2000) is a Colombian professional baseball second baseman for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2022.

Career

Oakland Athletics

Díaz signed with the Oakland Athletics as an international free agent on August 13, 2016.[1] As of 2021, in the minor leagues he had played 205 games at third base, 24 at first base, 12 at DH, 4 in left field, and one each at second base and catcher, and had a career slash line of .271/.324/.417.[2] On November 19, 2021, the Athletics added Díaz to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[3]

Díaz with the Lansing Lugnuts in 2021

2022

Díaz with the Vaqueros de Montería in 2022

Díaz began the 2022 season with the Double–A Midland RockHounds, and was promoted to Triple–A after hitting .319 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI across 94 games. On September 17, 2022, Díaz was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[4] He made his major league debut the following day against the Houston Astros, collecting his first career hit in the game, a single off of reliever Phil Maton.[5] In 2022 with the Athletics he batted .265/.294/.327 with no home runs and one RBI in 49 at bats, walking 3.9% of the time (as opposed to the league average of 8.3%).[6]

In the offseason, Díaz played winter ball with his hometown Vaqueros de Montería, batting .339/.428/.468. The team won the Colombian Professional Baseball League championship and went on to represent Colombia in the 2023 Caribbean Series.

2023

The Athletics optioned to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators to begin the 2023 season.[7] They promoted him to the major leagues on April 19.[8] On April 21, Díaz hit his first career home run, a go-ahead solo shot off of Texas Rangers reliever Will Smith at Globe Life Field.[9] On May 9, Díaz had his first multi-homer game, launching three home runs at Yankee Stadium against the New York Yankees. His first home run was a solo homer off of starter Clarke Schmidt, with his second home run also a solo homer off of reliever Albert Abreu, and his final blast a two-run homer off of Greg Weissert. In doing so, he became the only second baseman in franchise history to accomplish the feat alongside Héctor López.[10] In 90 games for Oakland, Díaz hit .221/.273/.364 with 10 home runs and 27 RBI.

2024

Díaz was optioned to Triple–A Las Vegas to begin the 2024 season.[11] In 29 games for Las Vegas, he hit .204/.288/.327 with two home runs and 10 RBI. On May 22, 2024, Díaz was designated for assignment by Oakland.[12] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Las Vegas on May 27.[13] He elected free agency on November 6.[14]

Orix Buffaloes

On November 28, 2024, Diaz signed with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).[15]

International career

Díaz played for the Colombian national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.[16] He struggled in the tournament, going hitless over 10 at-bats with one walk.[17]

Personal life

Díaz has openly criticized the management of professional baseball in Colombia. In a 2023 social media post, he accused Edinson Rentería, a Colombian baseball executive and brother of Édgar Rentería, of stifling the growth of baseball in Colombia. "He is a person who deceives, abuses the trust, and defrauds... I hope that people realize this, that is why I make this message public."[18] Rentería responded by saying he would take legal action against Díaz.[19]

References

  1. ^ "Jordan Diaz Shows Added Power at High-A".
  2. ^ "Jordan Diaz Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. ^ "Allen among A's prospects added to 40-man". MLB.com.
  4. ^ "Athletics' Jordan Diaz: Called up Saturday". cbssports.com. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  5. ^ Vaziri, Aidin (February 28, 2023). "A's prospect Jordan Diaz lighter, feeling 'great' in roster quest". Sfchronicle.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  6. ^ "Jordan Diaz Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. ^ "A's announce 10 roster moves". mlb.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  8. ^ "A's select RHP Mason Miller and recall INF Jordan Diaz from Las Vegas". MLB.com.
  9. ^ "Diaz's 1st career homer helps A's snap skid". mlb.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  10. ^ "A's rookie Jordan Diaz hits 3 home runs in career first". espn.com. May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  11. ^ "Athletics' Jordan Diaz: Optioned to Triple-A". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  12. ^ "A's Designate Jordan Diaz For Assignment". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  13. ^ "A's Outright Jordan Diaz". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  14. ^ https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-free-agents-2024/
  15. ^ https://elmeridiano.co/%C2%A1jordan-firma-millonario-contrato-en-japon
  16. ^ "Diaz excited to help grow baseball in Colombia". MLB.com.
  17. ^ "Stats - Colombia". MLB.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  18. ^ "Jordan Díaz sienta su voz de protesta en contra de Edinson Rentería" (in Spanish). Vavel. October 25, 2023.
  19. ^ "El rifirrafe Díaz-Rentería tuvo un segundo capítulo" (in Spanish). Vavel. October 27, 2023.
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