Edwin Diaz (minors03)

Edwin Díaz Pantoja

• Bats Right, Throws Right

• Height 6' 1", Weight 223 lb.

• High School Ladislao Martinez High School

• Born August 25, 1995 in Vega Alta Puerto Rico

BR register page

Biographical Information

Edwin Díaz has played three AAA seasons (through 2022) and been on the Puerto Rican national team.

He was picked by the Oakland A's in the 15th round of the 2013 amateur draft, one pick after Cody Ege, and signed for a $100,000 bonus. The scout was Ruben Escalera. He hit .239/.276/.359 in his pro debut with the AZL Athletics, fielding .950 at short, which he split with Yairo Muñoz. Returning to the same team the next year as a utility infielder, he batted .241/.343/.359. Making his Puerto Rican League debut that winter, he was 3 for 27 with two walks and a double for the Senadores de San Juan, backing up Iván DeJesús Jr. at short.

He continued his woes in the summer of 2015, batting .100/.158/.157 in 45 games for the Beloit Snappers and .171/.259/.276 in 24 contests for the AZL A's. Rather than cutting ties with him, the A's gave him more chances. He improved to .271/.311/.331 for the 2016 Beloit Snappers, fielding .944 as the starting third baseman. He was 3 for 26 with four walks for the 2016-2017 Tiburones de Aguadilla. In '17, he played for Beloit (.250/.350/.414 in 89 G) and the Stockton Ports (4 for 45, 4 BB). He batted .250/.322/.462 for the Gigantes de Carolina in 2017-2018.

Díaz split 2018 between Stockton (.237/.328/.432 in 84 G) and Midland Rockhounds (.155/.209/.252 in 31 G). He tied Sandber Pimentel for 4th in the A's chain with 15 dingers. He followed with a .225/.300/.352 clip with Carolina in 2018-2019. In 2019, he produced at a .238/.321/.439 clip with 36 doubles and 7 triples in 127 games but was 0-for-13 with a walk in his AAA debut with the Las Vegas Aviators. He led the A's chain in two-baggers (one ahead of Corban Joseph), tied Dustin Fowler and Jeremy Eierman for 5th in triples, was 9th in homers and was 7th in RBI. He led the Texas League in doubles, six ahead of Gabriel Cancel and Ivan Castillo. He tied Nick Heath for sixth in triples and was 4th in RBI (between Cody Thomas and Abraham Toro). He hit .185/.248/.324 for Caguas in 2019-2020.

The 2020 minor league season was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic. After batting .234/.308/.489 for the Criollos in the winter, he was 2 for 17 with a walk and a homer in the 2021 Caribbean Series. He eked out a .160/.295/.394 clip with 6 homers in 30 games between three A's farm clubs in 2021. He hit .172/.308/.425 for Caguas in 2021-2022. Only Danny Ortiz had more homers than his six, though. He was 0 for 7 with a walk and five whiffs in the 2022 Caribbean Series. He was signed by the Houston Astros and split the summer between the Corpus Christi Hooks (.168/.254/.376 in 44 G) and the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (.227/.277/.273 in 30 G). Edwin hit .229/.375/.418 for Caguas in the winter, with 8 homers and 29 RBI in 48 games. He led the league in homers and RBI, winning MVP honors despite his low contact. He was 6 for 28 with a double, homer and five RBI in the 2023 Caribbean Series, tying for 7th in RBI. He joined the much more famous closer Edwin Diaz to give Puerto Rico two Edwin Diazes in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He appeared in one game but did not bat.