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Miami Marlins UPDATED top 10 prospects for 2019

By Benjamin Chase

Billy the Marlin waves a marlins flag after the team beats the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at Marlins Park in Miami, Fla. (Sam Navarro/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images)
Billy the Marlin waves a marlins flag after the team beats the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at Marlins Park in Miami, Fla. (Sam Navarro/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images) /
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Miami Marlins
JUPITER, FL – MARCH 10: Isan Diaz #91 of the Miami Marlins in action against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on March 10, 2018 in Jupiter, Florida. The Marlins defeated the Cardinals 7-3. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

5. Isan Diaz, IF

Birthday: 5/27/1996 (22)
Acquired: Trade with Milwaukee, January 2018
Level(s): AA Jacksonville, AAA New Orleans
Statistics: .232/.340/.399, 119 G, 511 PA, 23 2B, 5 3B, 13 HR, 14 SB, 13.3% BB, 27.4% K

Typically, a player on his third organization since being drafted would be a guy who was a fringe prospect with fringe tools, but that’s the farthest from the case for Isan Diaz, who has now been at the center of two significant trades in his short time as a professional.

Diaz was originally drafted out of high school in Massachusetts as a raw player from a cold-weather state by the Arizona Diamondbacks. After a big season in the Pioneer League, Diaz had a lot of underground swell about his prospect ranking before he was included in the trade that sent Jean Segura to the Diamondbacks from Milwaukee.

In his first season in the Brewers system, Diaz hit 20 home runs in low-A as a middle infielder and was a consensus top 100 prospect across the board, ranking highest by Baseball Prospectus at #59. Though he struggled in 2017, he still flashed that power/speed combination and was an attractive prospect.

The Brewers used that to their advantage in acquiring Christian Yelich last offseason as Diaz was a key piece of the deal. Diaz struggled with injury early on and at the end of the season, but in June and July, Diaz hit .289/.403/.503 with 6 home runs and 8 steals over 51 games in those two months.

After reaching AAA in 2018, Diaz will likely open there in 2019, and he has the power and speed combo along with excellent defense at second base that could push him up to the major leagues, especially if the Miami Marlins move Starlin Castro.

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