Isan Xavier Díaz (born May 27, 1996) is a Puerto Rican professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

second baseman In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the Infielder, infield, between Baseball field#Second base, second and Baseball field#First base, first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and f ...

in the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

organization. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

, and

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

. The

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

selected Díaz in the second round of the

2014 MLB draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

. He made his MLB debut with the Marlins in 2019 and played for them until 2021.

Early life

Díaz is originally from

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, but his family moved to

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...

, when he was four years old. His father, Raul, played college baseball and instructed Isan as a child. Díaz attended

Springfield Central High School Springfield Central High School is a public high school located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. The high school is for students in grades 9–12. With an enrollment of more than 2,000 students, Springfield Central High School describ ...

in Springfield. He committed to attend

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

Vanderbilt Commodores The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 10 women's teams), 14 of which compete at the National ...

Professional career

Arizona Diamondbacks

The

selected Díaz in the second round, with the 70th overall selection, of the

2014 Major League Baseball draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

. Díaz signed with the Diamondbacks for a signing bonus of $750,000, rather than enroll at Vanderbilt. They assigned him to the

Arizona League Diamondbacks The Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team competing as a Rookie-level affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Salt River Fields a ...

in the

Rookie-level Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it fo ...

, where he posted a .187 average with three home runs and 21 RBI in 49 games. In 2015, Díaz played for the

Missoula Osprey The Missoula PaddleHeads are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Missoula, Montana, and play their home games at Ogren Pa ...

of the Rookie-level Pioneer League. He was named the Diamondbacks' Minor League Player of the Month for July, a mid-season and post-season Pioneer League All Star, and

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

of the Pioneer League at the end of the season after leading the league with 25 doubles and batting .360(8th in the league)/.436(7th)/.640(2nd) in 272 at bats with 58 runs (2nd), 6 triple (5th), 13 home runs (2nd), 51 RBI (3rd), 12 stolen bases, 34 walks (7th), and a 1.076 OPS (2nd) in 68 games. MiLB.com named Diaz the Diamondbacks' Organization All-Star at shortstop, and ''

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'' named him a Rookie All Star.

Milwaukee Brewers

On January 30, 2016, the Diamondbacks traded Díaz to the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

along with Chase Anderson, Aaron Hill, and cash considerations for

Jean Segura Jean Carlos Enrique Segura ( ; born March 17, 1990) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks ...

and

Tyler Wagner Tyler Joseph Wagner (born January 24, 1991) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks. College career Wagner played college baseball at the Un ...

. Díaz spent the 2016 season with the

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, a town on the outskirts of Appleton in the Fox Cities, and are nam ...

of the Single–A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

, where he hit .264 with a career high 20 home runs and 75 RBI in 135 games. He won the Brewers' organization's Minor League Player of the Year Award. He was also selected to play in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

. Díaz spent the 2017 season playing for the

Carolina Mudcats The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh, and play their home games ...

of the High–A

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

where he struggled, batting only .222 with 13 home runs and 54 RBI in 110 games.

Miami Marlins

On January 25, 2018, the Brewers traded Díaz to the

, along with Lewis Brinson, Monte Harrison and Jordan Yamamoto in exchange for

Christian Yelich Christian Stephen Yelich (born December 5, 1991) is an American professional baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Miami Marlins. Internationally, Yelich represen ...

. MLB.com ranked him as Miami's eighth best prospect going into the 2018 season. Diaz began the season with

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in th ...

of the Double–A Southern League and was promoted to the

New Orleans Baby Cakes The New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the New Orleans Zephyrs) were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They were located in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, ...

of the Triple–A

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

in July. In 119 games between the two teams, he slashed .232/.340/.399 with 13 home runs, 56 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. On November 20, 2018, the Marlins added Díaz to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

to protect him from the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. He opened the 2019 season back with New Orleans. He set a franchise record by hitting home runs in five consecutive games in May 2019. Díaz was named to the 2019

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...

. Over 102 games with New Orleans, he batted .305/.395/.578 with 89 runs (8th in the PCL), 26 home runs and 70 RBI, while playing second base. Isan Diaz

The Marlins promoted Díaz to the major leagues on August 5, 2019. He made his major league debut and recorded his first major league hit and RBI that same day when he hit a home run off

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

pitcher

Jacob deGrom Jacob Anthony deGrom (born June 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets. DeGrom began playing baseball as a shortstop ...

. In 49 games with Miami, he batted .173 with five home runs and 23 RBI. After playing two games in the 2020 season, Díaz opted out of the remainder of the season due to the Marlins'

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

outbreak. However, Díaz reversed his decision to opt-out of the season in September and was cleared to rejoin the Marlins. After five games in the month of September, Díaz suffered a left groin strain and was placed on the 60-day injured list. Díaz began the

2021 MLB season The 2021 Major League Baseball season began on April 1, while the regular season ended on October 3. The postseason began on October 5. The World Series then began on October 26 and ended on November 2 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the Houst ...

at the Marlins alternative training site after losing the starting second baseman role to Jazz Chisholm. On April 28, 2021, Díaz was recalled from the alternate training site. Díaz hit his first career grand slam on May 8, 2021, off

reliever Patrick Weigel. Díaz was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

on March 22, 2022. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple–A Jacksonville on March 29.

San Francisco Giants

On April 30, 2022, the Marlins traded Díaz to the

for a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

or cash considerations. In 2022, with the Triple-A

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland ...

, he batted .275/.377/.574 in 284 at bats, with 23 home runs (9th in the

) and 61 RBI. He played 57 games at second base, 14 at shortstop, 10 at third base, and six at DH. On November 9, 2022, the Giants added Díaz to their

. Díaz was optioned to Sacramento to begin the 2023 season. The Giants promoted Díaz to the major leagues on June 23.

Detroit Tigers

On August 7, 2023, Díaz was claimed off waivers by the

and optioned to the Triple–A

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A baseball team nicknamed the ...

. On August 13, the Tigers recalled Díaz to replace

Javier Báez Ednel Javier "Javy" Báez (born December 1, 1992), nicknamed "El Mago" (Spanish for "the Magician"), is a Puerto Rican professional baseball Utility player (baseball), utility player for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has ...

, who was placed on the bereavement list. He appeared in two games for Detroit, going hitless in 5 at–bats. On August 27, Díaz was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Toledo. The next day, Díaz elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment.

Lancaster Stormers

On April 8, 2024, Díaz signed with the Lancaster Stormers of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. In 73 games for Lancaster, he batted .304/.381/.571 with 17 home runs, 64 RBI, and nine stolen bases. Díaz became a free agent following the season.

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna

On January 5, 2025, Díaz signed with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. In 56 appearances for Unión Laguna, Díaz slashed .267/.372/.530 with 13 home runs, 49 RBI, and four stolen bases.

Kansas City Royals

On July 4, 2025, Díaz signed a minor league contract with the

.https://www.milb.com/transactions/2025-07-04

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Diaz, Isan 1996 births Living people Algodoneros de Unión Laguna players Arizona League Diamondbacks players Baseball players from Bayamón, Puerto Rico Cangrejeros de Santurce (baseball) players Carolina Mudcats players Detroit Tigers players Gigantes de Carolina (baseball) players Indios de Mayagüez players Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp players Jupiter Hammerheads players Lancaster Barnstormers players Major League Baseball infielders Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico Miami Marlins players Missoula Osprey players New Orleans Baby Cakes players Puerto Rican expatriate baseball players in Mexico Sacramento River Cats players Salt River Rafters players San Francisco Giants players San Jose Giants players Toledo Mud Hens players Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players