Yilber Diaz fully embraced the Arizona Diamondbacks’ recent news of their signing ace pitcher Corbin Burnes. Diaz realized immediately that they had added one of the best pitchers in the game to an already solid and established starting rotation. Not for an instant did he feel that his spot on the 40-man roster was in jeopardy. He knows his staff will play and shine at the Major League level.
Whether or not Yilber Diaz’s role will shift from starting pitcher to high-leverage relief or even closer will ultimately be the decision of manager Torey Lovullo; one thing seems inevitable, though, and Yilber Diaz is fully aware of it. Barring injury, his spot on the D-Backs pitching staff is entirely secure.
Yilber Diaz’s confidence surrounding this fact has been a work of art that has undergone many crash courses before becoming iron-clad. First, he was cast away from a D-Backs International prospect camp in the Dominican Republic. Then, Diaz broke his wrist (non-throwing), rendering MLB clubs as being temporarily disinterested.
Yilber Diaz kept plowing through. At times, he had to sell ice cream on the streets and wash car windows at treacherous intersections to survive and finance his dream. He pitched with some level of efficiency in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Finally, it garnered enough attention for the D-backs to take a chance on Diaz again, with a 10,000 International signing bonus.
Then came “The Yips”. The most debilitating of psychological conditions that, more commonly than we wish to reveal, affects baseball players and golfers of all abilities and levels. Diaz underwent a severe bout of the yips when pitching in the Rookie Development League in the DR.
Throughout the game’s long history, many pitchers and position players fade into obscurity and out of the public eye once the yips take form. Careers end, and dreams shatter in all too many instances. Jason Kuhn, a Former D1 pitcher and current owner/director of Stonewall Solutions, has developed a program to strategize against and overcome the yips. Mr. Kuhn has helped players, such as 2021 World Series Champion Tyler Matzek, overcome the condition and reclaim their former abilities.
While it is unknown whether or not Diaz sought out and benefitted from a professional service, it is clear that he found peace. Diaz opened up to coaches and friends whom he trusted. Venting over and over until the volume of his traumatic experiences was revealed and the noise was turned down.
His 98-100mph fastball had never gone away. The more exposed he allowed himself to be, the more emotionally controlled he became on the mound. Diaz went from commonly spiking balls and hitting the backstop to striking out 13 and allowing no runs or hits in his final start with Triple-A Reno of the Pacific Coast League (PCL).
Yilber Diaz’s MLB debut against a stacked Atlanta Braves lineup proved almost equally impressive as his final Triple-A start. He got the call to start on July 8th of last season at Chase Field, with his Mom and several other family members traveling from his native Venezuela to watch him perform.
There was no evidence that the yips negatively influenced his rise to the Show. Diaz performed exceptionally well, limiting the Braves to four hits and one run through six innings. Showing excellent control, Diaz struck out five and walked just one, with his only hiccup being a solo blast from Austin Riley. Diaz’s stat line was impressive, but his control metrics hinted at the high ceiling and potential he will continue to bring to the D-Backs pitching staff.
It might be easy to discard Yilber Diaz as the odd man out when penciling in the D-Backs starting rotation for 2025. Torey Lovullo and the GM Mike Hazen might be viewing the scenario differently. There isn’t a projected starter with Diaz’s repertoire arriving at the D-Backs camp in Scottsdale next week.
His combination of a plus fastball that peaks at 98-99mph, an effective slider, and a changeup will all but guarantee that he will fill a roster spot. If any hurdles stand in Yilber Diaz’s way, whether mental or physical, you can bet that he will aim to leap clearly, right over them.
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