From ice cream vendor to MLB, charting Yilber Diaz's journey as he debuts on the mound for Diamondbacks
Debutant Yilber Diaz started for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday against the Atlanta Braves. Diaz capped off the night with a quality start, pitching six innings for one run before leaving the game with his club leading 3-1. However, the Dbacks couldn't capitalize on his start, losing the game 5-4 in the 11th inning.
Diaz's climb to the majors has been nothing short of inspirational and his debut game reflected the hard work he did in the past to reach this stage.
Former ice-cream vendor Yilber Diaz's journey to the majors
Yilber Diaz was once an ice cream vendor and used to sell candies to survive at the age of 18. Fast forward five years, and he struck out five major league hitters during his debut. However, his entire journey is what makes it inspirational.
“I stopped playing baseball for a little bit,” Diaz said through translator Rolando Valles via MLB.com. “And then I picked it up and then once I picked it up, I had a goal and I wasn't going to stop until I achieved that goal. I worked so hard for it and I always was hopeful that it was going to happen.”
The Diamondbacks scouted Diaz and signed him as a non-drafted free agent with a signing bonus of just $10,000 in February 2021. However, Diaz didn't have the best start to his career, posting a 5.13 ERA in 26 1/3 innings in his first year of rookie ball in the Dominican Republic.
Moreover, his pitching attributes, like low 90-mph fastballs and poor command, got to a point where the Dbacks thought of releasing him. Not to be the case, Diaz worked on his pitches and as a result, he now throws a 99-mph heater consistently.
“His grit, his mindset, his work ethic got him over the hump, and [he is] the ultimate success story,” Diamondbacks farm director Shaun Larkin told PHNX Sports. “It’s an all-encompassing moment for player development as we watch him make his debut tonight. It’s really cool.”
Before his MLB debut on Monday, Diaz was coming off a stellar pitching performance with Triple-A Reno, throwing six no-hit innings with two walks and 13 strikeouts.
So when Jordan Montgomery hurt his knee, Torey Lovullo brought in Yilber Diaz as a replacement and he immediately showed why he belonged in the majors. Lovullo will have Diaz back on the mound when his turn hits next in the rotation again.