Osprey Feature : Pioneer POW

Mick Tidrow
Jul 10, 2017 · 2 min read

Congrats, buddy! You’re the Player of the Week in the Pioneer League.

On Monday morning, the first of what could be a handful of honors for Osprey players in 2017 was delivered to outfielder Eduardo Diaz.

Diaz became the first Osprey player since Paxton De La Garza (August 22–28) in 2016 to be named the Pioneer League Player of the Week. While batting first or second in the order in each of the six games he play for Missoula, Diaz swung the bat at a .481 clip (13-for-27) with two doubles, two homers, and nine RBI. The week happens to coincide with a six-game streak in which Diaz has both recorded at least one hit and one RBI. His six-game RBI streak is the longest by any O’s player in 2017 and remains active entering their Monday night game against Helena.

What might be the most remarkable piece of Diaz’s performance through the first 21 games of the season is the consistency with which he’s functioned as a run producer, despite batting at the top of the order. Of the 17 games Diaz has started, 13 have come as the leadoff batter and four as the second man in the order. You don’t have to dig too deep, though to figure out why Diaz has been able to lead Missoula with 19 RBI (fifth in the PL). In addition to showing surprising power — his three homers are tied for the most on the team — the outfielder has hit a robust .478 (11-for-23) with runners in scoring position. Couple that with his .459 (17-for-37) mark with runners on base and the case becomes pretty clear. Diaz might be a top of the order hitter, but he comes through when the opportunity arises.

There is a secondary item resting beneath the surface, however that suggests Diaz may be benefitting from an odd quirk in the O’s lineup. If you look through the situational breakdown of every Osprey hitter, Diaz’s name shows up first in at-bats both with runners in scoring position and runners on base…despite being the leadoff hitter in 76% of the games that he’s played. Convention would point to the middle third of the order (3–4–5) likely enjoying the heaviest portions of those chances. So far in 2017, the Osprey buck convention. For whatever reason, the bottom of their order has consistently set the table for the top…some pretty serious turnover.

Because the sample size is still pretty small — only 21 games — our guess is as good as yours as to whether or not this trend will persist throughout the year. We’ll have to wait and see whether or not Diaz can continue his eye-popping production from the top of the order.

For now, soak it in, Eddy!

Bird Droppings

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