Wilmer Difo #16

Full name is Wilmer Francisco Difo (Dee-foh)…often practiced without a glove growing up…was eventually given one by one of his mother’s clients at her salon…caught the eye of Nationals scout Modesto Ulloa after Difo volunteered to catch bullpen sessions following the workout.

2022

Appeared in just three games for the Diamondbacks (0-for-6)…spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Reno, hitting .269 (75-for-279) with 33 R, 15 doubles, seven HR, 43 RBI, 20 BB and four SB in 72 games…played in two rehab games with Rookie-level ACL Diamondbacks (1-for-4, 2BB)……was designated for assignment on 9/12… following the season, played for the Aguilas Cibaeñas in the Dominican Winter League.

2021

Hit .269 (59-for-219) with seven doubles, three triples, four home runs and 24 RBI in 116 games in his first season with the Pirates…also played 12 games for Triple-A Indianapolis...Appeared in 65 games as a pinch-hitter, hitting .286 (16-for-56)...Played in 28 games at second base, 18 at third, eight in right field, four at shortstop and four in center...Tied for the Major League lead with 16 pinch hits (also: Ehire Adrianza/ATL)...His 12 pinch-hit RBI were tied for second (also: Adrianza), one behind Austin Slater/SF (13)...Made his first two career pitching appearances: May 21 @ Braves (8 ER in 1.0 IP) and Aug. 28 vs. Cardinals (0 ER in 1.0 IP).

2020

Spent 11th and final season in the Washington organization...Made four appearances at second base, four at shortstop and two at third base for the Nationals...Made two starts; at second base on 8/16 at Baltimore and at third base on 9/4 at Atlanta...Collected his lone hit on 8/14 at Baltimore...Was designated for assignment on 9/5 and outrighted to the minors on 9/7. 

2019

Opened the season with the Nationals before being optioned to Triple-A Fresno on May 17...Returned to Washington when rosters expanded in September...Hit .300 with 14 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 30 RBI, 25 walks, 13 stolen bases and 48 runs scored in 61 games with Triple-A Fresno...Hit .422/.500/.689 in his last 10 games with the Grizzlies...Clubbed his first MLB HR on of the season, a two-run go ahead homer, April 6 at New York (Familia)...Went 9-for-28 (.321) with a .345 on-base percentage and a .429 slugging percentage as a right-handed batter...Hit .304 (7-for-23) with one homer and seven RBI with runners in scoring position.

2018

Appeared in a career-high 148 games and was called upon to be Washington's everday second baseman in late Aug...Recorded career-highs in nearly every offensive category...Appeared at second base (112 G), third base (20 G), shortstop (9 G) and center field (1 G)... Following the trade of Daniel Murphy, posted a .571 slugging percentage (3 2B, 3B 4 HR) from Aug. 21-Sept. 5...Ranked tied for eighth in the National League with eight triples in 2018...Posted his best splits at home (.289/.351/.488, 9 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 22 RBI) and as a left-handed batter (.252/.319/.385, 10 2B, 7 3B, 6 HR, 38 RBI)...Recorded his first walk-off hit on May 6 vs. Philadelphia... Posted a nine-game hitting streak from April 28-May 6, the second-longest streak of his career...Ranked fourth among National League middle infielders (7th in MLB) with a .988 fielding percentage.

2017

Made his first Opening Day roster... Appeared at shortstop (57 G/52 GS), second base (24 G/13 GS), third base (6 G/6 GS) and OF (6 G/4 GS)...Was thrust into everyday duty when Trea Turner went down with a fractured wrist at the end of June...Hit .339 (56-for-165) with six doubles, three triples, three homers, 14 RBI, seven stolen bases and 31 runs scored in 43 starts in the absence of Turner...Posted a .381 OBP and a .467 SLG during that stretch...Recorded a career-best 11-game hitting streak from Aug. 5 to Aug. 16...Hit .286/.331/.401 in 74 starts...Hit safely in 29 of 37 starts since Aug. 5...Among shortstops with at least 450.0 innings played, ranked first in the NL (third in MLB) in FanGraphs.com UZR/150 (9.9)...On July 7 vs. MIL...He joined Brian Goodwin, Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper in clubbing back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs -- tying a Major League record for consecutive home runs (joining seven other clubs) and marking the first time in franchise history a Nationals or Expos team had accomplished that feat...Hit .310/.348/.500 as a righty and .258/.310/.327 as a lefty...Following the season, hit .317 (32-for-101) with five doubles, a triple, two homers, 10 RBI four stolen bases and 15 runs scored in 26 games for Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican Winter League.

2016

Enjoyed two stints with Washington...Was recalled on July 27 and appeared in 18 games before being optioned to Triple-A Syracuse...Was recalled on Sept. 6 and remained with the club through the end of the 2016 season... Clubbed his first MLB home run, Sept. 29 vs. ARI (Ray)...Recorded his first MLB RBI, Aug. 1 at ARI...Reached safely in nine of the last 10 games of the 2016 season...Recorded six hits, five walks and seven runs in that stretch (.423 on-base percentage)... Collected two hits and four walks in 14 pinch hit appearances (.429 OBP)...Appeared at second base (9 G), shortstop (5 G) and third base (3 G)...Was on Washington's Postseason roster...Hit .258 with 15 doubles, three triples, six homers, 41 RBI, 28 stolen bases and 59 runs scored in 105 games between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse...Ranked fourth among Nationals farmhands and ninth in the Eastern League with 28 stolen bases...Following the season, was rated by Baseball America as having the "Best Infield Arm" in the Eastern League...Following the season, hit .333 with three doubles, one home run, 11 RBI, three stolen bases and nine runs scored in 14 games with Gigantes del Cibao of the Dominican Winter League.

2015

Began the season with Single-A Potomac before being promoted to Double-A Harrisburg on April 30...Was recalled from Double-A Harrisburg on May 19 and Made his MLB debut, notched first MLB hit, a sharply-hit pinch-hit single, that night vs. NYY...Hit .286 with 28 doubles, six triples, five homers, 53 RBI, 20 walks, 30 stolen bases and 61 runs in 106 games between Potomac and Harrisburg...Ranked tied for second among Nationals farmhands in stolen bases (30) and seventh in batting average (.286)...Hit .318 (7-for-22) with one double, one triple and four RBI in 13 Grapefruit League games in 2015.

2014

Named the South Atlantic League's Most Valuable Player after leading the league with 176 hits while ranking second in total bases (263), second in stolen bases (49), fourth in RBI (90) and fourth in runs scored (91)...90 RBI were the most among Nationals farmhands, while his .315 average was good for second...Set career marks in nearly every offensive category...Improved his plate appearances/strikeout rate to 9.38 (6.53 in 2013)... As a right-handed batter, hit .324/.370/.568 with 11 doubles, two triples, seven homers and 32 RBI in 159 plate appearances...As a left-handed batter, hit .311/.357/.436 with 20 doubles, five triples, seven homers and 58 RBI in 437 plate appearances...Recipient of the "Bob Boone Award," which is granted annually to the Nationals minor leaguer who best demonstrates the professionalism, leadership, loyalty, passion, selflessness, durability, determination and work ethic required to play the game the 'Washington Nationals Way.'...Named an Organizational All-Star by MiLB.com.

2013

Hit a combined .217 with seven doubles, four triples, four home runs 21 RBI, 21 walks and 30 runs scored in 61 games between four levels.

2012

In his first full domestic season, led the Gulf Coast League with 34 walks and ranked among hitters with 19 stolen bases (2nd) and 33 runs scored (3rd).

2011

Began the season with the DSL Nationals before being promoted to the Gulf Coast League in mid-July...His 31 stolen bases were tied for third among Nationals farmhands and were good for sixth in the DSL.

2010

Signed with the Nationals on June 3, 2010 and reported to the DSL Nationals shortly thereafter...Tied for the team lead with four triples.