3 months ago

In baseball, one of the hardest things to do is be consistent throughout a 162-game season, and over the past three seasons, Tampa Bay Rays corner infielder Yandy Diaz has been as consistent as they come. During this three-year stretch, Diaz has hit .302 in 1,179 plate appearances. In 2024, Diaz slashed a solid .281/.341/.414 with 14 home runs, 55 runs scored, and 65 RBI over 621 plate appearances. Although the home run numbers were down compared to the 2023 season (22), he still hit 31 doubles and is one of the more reliable bats in the Rays lineup. Where Diaz excels is he doesn't swing and miss a lot, and when he does swing, he makes excellent contact. This is evident by his whiff percentage (97th percentile), chase percentage (88th percentile), and average exit velocity (92nd percentile). He is a professional hitter who can produce great value in the average department for category leagues and consistently produces a safe floor in points leagues. Last year, the Rays ranked in the bottom 5 in average (.230) and bottom 5 in home runs (147). If the Rays can produce more offense in 2025, we should see Diaz's numbers only get better, and it would make him a solid pick for fantasy managers at his current ADP. He ranks 199.0 ADP on the NFBC, which aligns with the 205 overall ranking at RotoBaller.--Nicho Roessler - RotoBaller