Javis Diaz

Javis Manuel Diaz

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 10", Weight 165 lb.
• High School Escuela Villa Progreso

• Born June 25, 1984 in Santiago, Santiago, D.R.

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Javis Diaz has played as high as AAA.

Diaz was signed by scout Felix Francisco for the San Diego Padres organization in 2002 and played for the DSL Padres from 2003-2005. He hit .286/.414/.379 with 27 steals in 36 tries and 44 runs in 64 games in 2003, his first season as a pro. He had less than half the swipes of the DSL leader despite his impressive baserunning. For the 2004 DSL Padres, he hit .242/.351/.301 with 25 steals in 34 attempts. Despite 78 walks in 132 games in his first two seasons, he would not show an impressive batting eye in coming years, swinging more aggressively.

He hit .332 between three stops in 2005 - .322/.447/.475 in 20 games for the DSL Padres, a team-high .352 (/.425/.510) with the AZL Padres and 4 for 19 with four walks for the Eugene Emeralds. His 31 total steals tied for second among Padres farmhands. He was second in the Arizona League in slugging behind Lorenzo Cain, third in average behind Ariel Nunez and Cain, 4th with 6 triples and 5th in OBP.

He played for three different clubs in 2006, hitting .285 with 9 swipes before his season was cut short by a finger injury. He hit .277/.347/.377 and stole 31 bases in 45 tries for the Fort Wayne Wizards in 2007. He struck out 103 times despite a previous career high of 54. He led San Diego minor leaguers in stolen bases but was 23 behind Midwest League leader Gorkys Hernandez.

Diaz spent most of 2008 with the Lake Elsinore Storm (.253/.315/.332, 28 SB, 7 CS) and briefly reached the AAA level with the Portland Beavers in 2008, going 2 for 9 with a triple. He spent the winter with the Licey Tigers.

Diaz joined the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 2009 after being picked in the AAA phase of the 2008 Rule V Draft and spent the summer with the Clearwater Threshers, for whom he hit .253/.326/.321 with 34 steals in 43 tries. He only hit .091 against left-handers that year.