6 years agoTampa Bay Rays third baseman Yandy Diaz will bat fifth on Opening Day against the Houston Astros. The 27-year-old put together a respectable spring, posting a .286 average to go along with two home runs and nine RBI. Diaz is a versatile infielder that can play all over the diamond and with Matt Duffy (hamstring) hurt, Diaz has a clear path to playing time to start the season. The biggest issue following Diaz as a major-league hitter is his exorbitantly high ground-ball rate of 53.5%. He had a fantastic exit velocity in 2018 at 92.1 mph, so if he can improve his launch angle, there is tantalizing sleeper potential in the big Cuban. He likely went undrafted in a majority of leagues so monitor his early-season progress.--Raymond Harrison - RotoBaller
Source: Tampa Bay Rays