PHOENIX — Elias Diaz ran through the streets of the bustling capital city he calls home, up and down vast beaches that straddle the Gulf of Venezuela, and frequented a local baseball field to try to correct what went wrong months earlier. The offseason routine, Diaz said, had one explicit purpose: to help him become one of the best catchers in the major leagues.
Diaz, the Pirates' backup catcher, turned 27 this past November, yet he had never appeared on a major league opening day roster. Injuries delayed his arrival in the majors, and it wasn't until Francisco Cervelli missed the final month last season that Diaz received his first audition as the Pirates' starter.
Diaz's command of the pitching staff and game-calling behind home plate were the subject of Clint Hurdle's admiration. However, Diaz wanted so much more. He wanted his offense, a strength during his time in the minors, to return. After a tumultuous offseason at home, Diaz has experienced a breakthrough that he hopes is only the beginning.
"In my mind, catchers have to hit," Diaz told DKPittsburghSports.com Tuesday at Chase Field. "In baseball in the past, if a catcher didn’t hit, that was OK. They can still play. Now, the catcher has to hit. You have Salvador Perez, Yadier Molina, Buster Posey. Those kind of guys can hit. That’s why I’ve been trying hard to get better and hit."
Diaz has batted .324 with an .897 OPS in 74 at-bats over 20 starts. He's hit four home runs with 14 RBIs and has crushed left-handed pitching to the tune of a 1.192 OPS. The resurgence came after Diaz batted only .239 in 44 starts last season, and it's reminiscent of his success in the minor leagues.
Diaz batted .312 with a .786 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A in 2014. He made his major league debut the following season, but an elbow injury and leg infection limited him to only 25 games with Indianapolis in 2016. With Cervelli and Chris Stewart both missing time because of injury, Diaz was called up last May and started 18 of the Pirates' final 20 games.
He helped Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl and Trevor Williams achieve a combined 2.96 ERA in 73 innings over the final five weeks. Although Diaz batted .220, Hurdle told reporters this winter that Diaz was ready to be an everyday catcher and expressed frustration that some doubted Diaz's ability to hit major-league pitching.
"I think he’s maturing, I think his game awareness is picking up, which has put him in a position to compartmentalize his game a little bit more," Hurdle said. "The experience he’s gaining with the staff, his own conviction level behind the plate now, the separation of the two, I think there’s more freedom to do it in his own mind."
Diaz had a similar self-evaluation. However, for as much as he was lauded for his improvement behind the plate, Diaz said the bigger adjustment was learning how to hit major-league pitching. He'd ask teammates how they'd approach certain pitchers or situations. He studied game video to see how he was being pitched.
Diaz, though, could not maintain balance and rhythm at the plate. He was pleased with doing enough to prove he belonged, yet he didn't want to only have success for one month. Diaz wants to stay in the major leagues and, eventually, play every day and become one of the best in the major leagues.
"It’s the business," Diaz said. "Every day it’s getting more tough. We have to get better every day. That’s why if you want to be one of the best you have to do everything. You have to catch, you have to hit. You have to do everything."
To generate more power, Diaz began using a leg kick in 2015, but he shelved the adjustment because he feared it would disrupt his timing. After all, any slump could prevent him from reaching the majors. After watching hitters around the majors this past offseason, Diaz chose to bring the leg kick back.
Although he doesn't use it in every at-bat, he credits the change with his production at the plate. In addition to his running and lifting, Diaz would hit fast-pitch softballs to simulate the spin he was seeing more of in the majors. Diaz still isn't satisfied. He's working with Pirates bench coach Tom Prince on improving his throws to second base, continues to work on his game-calling and spends additional time in the cage to keep his bat ready for when Cervelli is given a day off.
Much of Diaz's family remains in Venezuela, where children are suffering from malnutrition and infant mortality rates continue to rise, according to a recent report by the New York Times. Hospitals are short on supplies, including formula for infants, and food prices continue to rise in the country. Riots and protests have intensified because of the lack of affordable food.
And Diaz was directly impacted by the horror. Diaz’s mother, Ana Soto, was talking to a neighbor outsider her home in Maracaibo on Feb. 8, when four men abducted her and demanded money in exchange for her being returned safely. Diaz’s family contacted the police and four days later, she was rescued by CICPC, the nation’s police agency.
That, Diaz said, has served as motivation. He wants to get his family out of the country. It's why he ran through the city's streets and up and down the Caribbean coastline. Anything to ensure he and his family leave Venezuela for good.
"I'm going to get my family here," he said. "I do everything for my family because I’m the guy who supports my family. That’s why I try to get better every day, to be one of the best in this business."