JOSE DIAZ

3/20/87; NDFA '04; Dominican Republic
R/R; 6-1, 204

Level
W-L-Sv
G
GS
IP
H
 HR
BB
K
 BB/9
K/9
WHIP
OAVG
ERA
2005 DSL
3-3-2
15
4
49.1
59
 2
14
29
 2.55
5.29
1.48
.304
3.83
2006 DSL
8-2-1
16
14
88.0
67
 2
13
71
 1.33
7.26
0.91
.206
1.23
2007 A+
3-3-0
8
6
38.0
52
 5
12
21
 2.84
4.97
1.68
.329
6.16
2007 A
0-0-0
1
1
6.0
4
 0
0
6
 0.00
9.00
0.67
.174
3.00
2007 R
1-0-0
3
3
16.0
13
 0
7
6
 3.94
3.38
1.25
.232
1.13
2008 A
1-0-0
2
2
11.0
7
0
0
8
0.00
6.55
0.64
.189
0.00

Diaz had a surprising season in 2007, moving up to the mid-level of the system seemingly out of nowhere.  After making big strides in his second DSL season, in which he finished third in the league in ERA, he made the GCL roster for 2007.  He pitched only three games there and then moved up to Hickory for one very good start.  He then moved up again, joining the Lynchburg rotation, except for two relief appearances, for the rest of the season.  His first start was outstanding and his second OK, but he struggled after that.  I saw his last start; he had a good breaking ball and a fastball that was probably in the high 80s.  He didn't always locate his pitches well and paid for it when he got them up.  He also didn't use his fastball well to set up his breaking ball.  When the Pirates promote a young player like this so suddenly, it's hard to know whether they just need bodies at the higher level or whether they really think the guy is a good enough prospect to handle it.  The issue is complicated by the fact that Lynchburg had a terrible pitching staff that needed whatever help it could get.  Diaz opened 2008 in the Hickory rotation.  He allowed no earned runs or walks in two starts, then went our for the season with an injury, so he remains a bit of a mystery.  I don't know what the nature of the injury was.  Hopefully he'll return to West Virginia in 2009.

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