The Pirates Prospects 2017 Prospect Guide is now available for pre-sales. The book will be released the week before Spring Training, and we are currently in the process of making the final changes with editing and formatting.
The book features prospect reports on everyone in the system, the 2017 top 50 prospects, and the most comprehensive coverage of the Pirates’ farm system that you can find. Subscribers to the site get discounted books, with Top Prospect subscribers getting $10 off, and Annual subscribers getting $5 off. The eBook will be released when the book is released, and will also come with discounts. Details on the promotions can be found on the products page, and you can subscribe to the site or upgrade your current plan on the subscriptions page.
While the top 50 prospects are exclusive to the book, we will be releasing the top 20 prospects over the next few weeks as a countdown to the start of Spring Training, and to give a preview of the release of the book. We will be wrapping up on Monday, February 13th. The reports will only be available to site subscribers, including those with a monthly plan. You can subscribe here, and if you like these reports, be sure to purchase your copy of the book on the products page of the site to get much more analysis on every player in the system.
To recap the countdown so far:
20. Alen Hanson, 2B
We continue the countdown with the number 17 prospect, Elias Diaz.
17. Elias Diaz, C
Prior to the 2016 season, Diaz was the picture of health for the catching position. He had a few small injuries, but no major issues, and saw consistent playing time. That all changed in 2016. He missed half the year with an elbow issue which required cleanup surgery. He then missed time in the final two months with a leg infection due to a cut. He returned for winter ball, but had his season cut short with an oblique injury. None of the injuries have long-term concerns, with his elbow strength returning.
The injuries came at the worst time. The Pirates saw Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart go down, and Diaz would have been getting a large role in the majors in their place if he was healthy. Now that both catchers have been extended, Diaz finds himself stuck in Triple-A, waiting for an injury to get a shot at the majors. He will probably move to at least a backup role in 2018, and is currently the starter of the future, but that will only happen after Cervelli leaves.
Diaz excels defensively, and prior to his 2016 season, he was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in the minors, with a plus arm, a strong frame, excellent pitch framing, and good agility. His bat shows promise, with good strike zone control and some power potential. At the least, he will be a strong backup, but Diaz has the skills to possibly be a defense-first starter, very similar to Cervelli.
Click Here to Purchase the Pirates Prospects 2017 Prospect Guide
