Back in December 2018, when the Cleveland Indians were still figuring out their lineup, they made a three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners that sent Yandy Diaz packing. At the time, Diaz had played 88 games over two seasons for Cleveland, showing solid bat-to-ball skills with a .283 average, but his power was almost nonexistent—just one home run and a .366 slugging percentage. The Indians, who’ve never been great at developing hitters, figured Diaz was who he was: a singles guy who hit too many ground balls to ever become a power threat. So, they swapped him for Jake Bauers and Carlos Santana, thinking they were upgrading at first base.
But Diaz? He’s been proving them wrong ever since. With the Rays, he’s turned into a muscular leadoff hitter who packs a punch, hitting 14 homers in his first season and since then, he’s gone deep at least 22 times in three of the last four years. He’s also batted over .300 three times, including a league-leading .330 in 2023, and he’s never whiffed more than 99 times in a season—showing just how naturally gifted he is at the plate. Now, here we are in 2026, and Diaz is set to face Cleveland in the ALCS, making that old trade look pretty silly. The Guardians have to contend with the player they gave up on, who’s become one of the best hitters in the game.
