WBN’s International Player of the Week is Leones de Ponce shortstop Edwin Diaz in Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente.
Diaz started the season on fire with three home runs in four games. Diaz has four RBI, three walks, and an OPS of 1.378 in 15 at-bats, which is third in LBPRC.
His stand-out performance came in Leones de Ponce’s first win of the season against Criollos de Caguas at the Yldefonso Solá Morales Stadium in Turabo Valley on November 13. He went 3-for-3 with two home runs, three runs, and two walks.
The Oakland Athletics drafted him in the 2013 MLB Draft. Diaz was with the Athletics organization from 2013-2020. He made it as high as their Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators. Diaz, 29, signed a MiLB deal with the Houston Astros before the 2021 season and signed the same deal with the Boston Red Sox before the 2023 season.
The right-handed Diaz didn’t play in the minor leagues in the 2024 season. His career MiLB numbers are 72 home runs, 306 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and a slash line of .213/.294/.364 in 2,481 at-bats.
He has played in LBPRC for 10 seasons, and this is his second season with Leones de Ponce. His career numbers in LBPRC are 46 home runs, 155 RBI, nine stolen bases, and a slash line of .220/.325/.406 in 1,097 at-bats.
Diaz made his LBPRC debut with Senadores de San Juan in the 2014-2015 season and also played for Tiburones de Aguadilla, Gigantes de Carolina, and Criollos de Caguas.
Diaz played for Team Puerto in the 2023 World Baseball Classic but didn’t record an at-bat. Puerto Rico went 3-1 in Pool D at loanDepot Park in Miami and was eliminated in a 5-4 loss to Team Mexico in the quarterfinals in Miami.
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