Isan Diaz (SS, MIA) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 6% of leagues

ANALYSIS: We have been graced with some fantastic prospect call-ups in baseball this year, particularly in the middle infield, but one that we possibly didn't expect was the extremely fresh promotion of formerly top-100 prospect Isan Diaz (along with teammate Lewis Brinson). It was Diaz's demonstration of considerable power in the early stages of the minor leagues that caused him to climb the ranks, but he fell off of radars after forgettable showings in 2018 for Double-A Jacksonville and Triple-A New Orleans. Diaz has clearly put that business behind him, because he has fully earned his major league call-up with his work at the plate in 2019.

In 377 AB this season for the New Orleans Baby Cakes, Diaz has clobbered an eye-opening 26 home runs, five stolen bases (albeit, in an uncharacteristically inefficient nine attempts), and a well-polished slash of .305/.395/.578. That is a line that communicates season-long dominance by the 23-year-old Puerto Rico native at the highest level of the minors, and that is a sample of power-hitting seldom seen by even the most highly anticipated blue chip shortstop. A couple of injuries have opened up some room in the Marlins batting order, and the club definitely has more to gain by deploying Isan Diaz than the likes of Miguel Rojas moving forward into the homestretch. If those pieces fall into place, he could start racking up shots to the stands from the moment he sees a plate appearance.