Michigan State University Athletics
MSU Baseball Alum Indigo Diaz Tabbed To MLB Pipeline Prospect Team Of The Year
10/1/2021 12:32:00 PM | Baseball
Relief pitcher posted a 47.4 percent strikeout rate, ranking tops among all Minor Leaguers with at least 40 innings pitched.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball alum Indigo Diaz was tabbed to the Major League Baseball Pipeline's Prospect Team of the Year.
Diaz, a right-handed relief pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization, posted a 6-2 record with a 1.20 ERA in 45 IP with the High-A Rome Braves and the Double-A Mississippi Braves, helping Mississippi to the Double-A South Championship. Diaz logged 83 strikeouts, with a 47.4 percent strikeout rate, that ranked tops among all Minor Leaguers with at least 40 innings pitched, as was his 1.42 FIP, while his 1.20 ERA ranked seventh. He yielded just 16 walks and held the opposition to just a .135 average against him, registering a 0.82 WHIP. Diaz didn't allow an earned run in 27 of his 32 regular-season appearances between the two levels.
Ranked as the No. 21 prospect in the Braves' organization, Diaz was the lone Braves' representative on the 12-player first-team list. Full MLB Pipeline Prospect Team of the Year
A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Diaz was selected in the 27th-round of the 2019 draft by the Atlanta Braves. Diaz led MSU and ranked tied for eighth in the Big Ten regular-season statistics with seven saves. The seven saves is also tied for ninth on the Spartans' single-season saves list. He recorded 51 strikeouts in 44.0 IP, after converting to MSU's closer part-way through the season after making four starts. Diaz finished with 25 appearances, ranking tied for 13th in the B1G during the season. He also ranked tied for 11th in B1G only action with two league saves.
In his last 20 appearances, Diaz fired 31 strikeouts, including four that ended games and sealed victories for MSU, highlighted by the third of striking out the side in the ninth on April 9 at Notre Dame.
Diaz collected his seven saves in a span of 16 appearances, along with earning two wins and was part of two combined shutouts. Diaz did not allow a run of any kind in 16 of his 21 total relief appearances, including a stretch of 13 in a row.
Michigan State baseball has had 35 draft selections under head coach Jake Boss Jr., most recently with Mason Erla being selected in the 17th round (pick number 501) by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2021 MLB Draft.
The Spartans had four players drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft: Mitchell Tyranski was selected in the 12th round (pick number 371 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Indigo Diaz was selected in the 27th round (pick number 871 overall) by the Atlanta Braves and Marty Bechina was selected in the 32nd round (pick number 974 overall) by the Oakland Athletics.
In 2018, Riley McCauley was selected in the 14th round (pick number 428 overall) by the Chicago Cubs. In 2017, three former MSU players were selected MLB Draft: Alex Troop (Washington, ninth round, 283 overall), Brandon Hughes (Chicago Cubs, 16th round, 495 overall), Nathan Witt (Los Angeles Dodgers, 17th round, 520 overall) and Joe Mockbee (Chicago White Sox, 29th round, 867 overall).
MSU had four juniors selected in the 2016 draft: Cam Vieaux (sixth round, Pittsburgh), Jordan Zimmerman (seventh round, Los Angeles Angles), Dakota Mekkes (10th round, Chicago Cubs) and Matt Byars (24th round, Minnesota). The year prior, a school-record eight players were taken in 2015: Cam Gibson (fifth round, Detroit), Ryan Krill (ninth round, New York Yankees), Anthony Misiewicz (18th round, Seattle), Cam Vieaux (19th round, Detroit), Jeff Kinley (28th round, Miami), Mick VanVossen (28th round, Washington), Blaise Salter (31st round, Detroit) and Mark Weist (37th round, San Francisco).
Diaz, a right-handed relief pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization, posted a 6-2 record with a 1.20 ERA in 45 IP with the High-A Rome Braves and the Double-A Mississippi Braves, helping Mississippi to the Double-A South Championship. Diaz logged 83 strikeouts, with a 47.4 percent strikeout rate, that ranked tops among all Minor Leaguers with at least 40 innings pitched, as was his 1.42 FIP, while his 1.20 ERA ranked seventh. He yielded just 16 walks and held the opposition to just a .135 average against him, registering a 0.82 WHIP. Diaz didn't allow an earned run in 27 of his 32 regular-season appearances between the two levels.
Ranked as the No. 21 prospect in the Braves' organization, Diaz was the lone Braves' representative on the 12-player first-team list. Full MLB Pipeline Prospect Team of the Year
A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Diaz was selected in the 27th-round of the 2019 draft by the Atlanta Braves. Diaz led MSU and ranked tied for eighth in the Big Ten regular-season statistics with seven saves. The seven saves is also tied for ninth on the Spartans' single-season saves list. He recorded 51 strikeouts in 44.0 IP, after converting to MSU's closer part-way through the season after making four starts. Diaz finished with 25 appearances, ranking tied for 13th in the B1G during the season. He also ranked tied for 11th in B1G only action with two league saves.
In his last 20 appearances, Diaz fired 31 strikeouts, including four that ended games and sealed victories for MSU, highlighted by the third of striking out the side in the ninth on April 9 at Notre Dame.
Diaz collected his seven saves in a span of 16 appearances, along with earning two wins and was part of two combined shutouts. Diaz did not allow a run of any kind in 16 of his 21 total relief appearances, including a stretch of 13 in a row.
Michigan State baseball has had 35 draft selections under head coach Jake Boss Jr., most recently with Mason Erla being selected in the 17th round (pick number 501) by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2021 MLB Draft.
The Spartans had four players drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft: Mitchell Tyranski was selected in the 12th round (pick number 371 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Indigo Diaz was selected in the 27th round (pick number 871 overall) by the Atlanta Braves and Marty Bechina was selected in the 32nd round (pick number 974 overall) by the Oakland Athletics.
In 2018, Riley McCauley was selected in the 14th round (pick number 428 overall) by the Chicago Cubs. In 2017, three former MSU players were selected MLB Draft: Alex Troop (Washington, ninth round, 283 overall), Brandon Hughes (Chicago Cubs, 16th round, 495 overall), Nathan Witt (Los Angeles Dodgers, 17th round, 520 overall) and Joe Mockbee (Chicago White Sox, 29th round, 867 overall).
MSU had four juniors selected in the 2016 draft: Cam Vieaux (sixth round, Pittsburgh), Jordan Zimmerman (seventh round, Los Angeles Angles), Dakota Mekkes (10th round, Chicago Cubs) and Matt Byars (24th round, Minnesota). The year prior, a school-record eight players were taken in 2015: Cam Gibson (fifth round, Detroit), Ryan Krill (ninth round, New York Yankees), Anthony Misiewicz (18th round, Seattle), Cam Vieaux (19th round, Detroit), Jeff Kinley (28th round, Miami), Mick VanVossen (28th round, Washington), Blaise Salter (31st round, Detroit) and Mark Weist (37th round, San Francisco).
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