Yilber Diaz

Coming into 2024, Diaz was known to have some of the best stuff in Arizona's farm system, but his shaky control led many to project a future relief role. Diaz's 8.5 percent walk rate in 50.1 innings at Triple-A was easily his best mark to date, which is impressive considering the ball and strike challenge system at Triple-A and the fact it was Diaz's first exposure to that level of competition. He logged 104.1 innings in the minors split between Double-A and Triple-A and did two stints with the big-league club, where he logged 28.1 innings while splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. His 96.1 mph average fastball ranked in the 81st percentile just based on velocity, but the pitch played down (.388 xwOBA) due to average ride, poor extension and the shaky command one would expect from a rookie. His slider, meanwhile, had a 36.5 percent whiff rate and was his primary put-away pitch. Diaz's knuckle curveball is an OK third pitch, but he was much better against same-handed batters (9.7 K-BB%) than against lefties (1.8 K-BB%), which is not surprising given how much he leans on his fastball and slider. The Diamondbacks are a good team with a good defense, but Diaz is probably no higher than eighth on the organizational depth chart, so he will likely spend a decent amount of time back in the Triple-A rotation. Read Past Outlooks