Matt Diaz #23

He and his wife Leslee have two sons, Nathan and Jake and a daughter, Anna Grace...They reside in Lakeland, FL and established the Diaz Family Foundation in 2010...As a two-year starter at Florida State, helped lead the Seminoles to two College World Series appearances, including the 1999 title game vs. Miami...Was named Sporting News Freshman of the Year in 1998...Was the NCAA Regional MVP...Was a First Team All-American (ABCA, NBCWA) in 1999...Finished his career with a .384 average and 43 home runs...Last name is pronounced DYE-az...Signed by Mark McKnight (Tampa Bay).

2011

In his ninth season in the Majors, split the season between Pittsburgh and Atlanta, playing in a combined 116 games, hitting .263 (66-for-251) with 13 doubles, one home run and 20 RBI between the two Clubs...Traded to the Braves from the Pirates on 8/31/11 in exchange for RHP Eliecer Cardenas. Started in right field that evening and went 2-for-3 vs. WSH...Over his final 95 games, since 5/2, hit .277 (56-for-202) with 11 doubles and 16 RBI...Combined to hit .295 (39-for-132) vs. left-handed pitchers vs. .227 (27-for-119) off of righties. As a Brave, hit .296 (8-for-27) vs. left-handed hurlers...Went 10-for-35 (.286) in 16 games for Atlanta...In 100 games for the Pirates, hit .259 (56-for-216) with 12 doubles and 19 RBI...Since the start of the 2005 season, ranks tied for sixth in the majors (minimum 125 at-bats) in pinch-hit average at .267 (52-for-195)...His 39 career pinch hits with the Braves ranks fourth on Atlanta's all-time pinch-hit list.

2010

Spent fifth and final season with Atlanta...Hit .178 (13-for-73) with five RBI in his first 26 games thru 5/14...Was placed on disabled list on 5/15 with a right thumb infection; underwent successful surgery on his right thumb on 5/20 (performed by Dr. Gary Lourie in Atlanta)...Had a three-game rehab stint with Triple-A Gwinnett from 6/26-28...Was reinstated from the D.L. on 6/29 and batted .285 (43-for-151) with 14 doubles, seven home runs and 26 RBI in his final 58 games...Homered in three straight games and tallied eight RBI from 7/17-20...Hit .340 (18-for-53) with five homers and 14 RBI in 21 games during the month of July...Homered in back-toback games on 8/28-29...Connected off Florida's Leo Nunez for first career pinch-hit homer on 8/29...Made all 63 defensive appearances in left field...Hit .365 (31-for-85) in 31 day games, compared to .180 (25-for-139) in 53 night games.

2009

Set career highs in at-bats (371), runs (56), home runs (13), RBI (58), SH (5), HBP (13), BB (35), K (90), SB (12) and tied his career high in triples (4). Played a career-high 109 games in the field...His .412 batting average vs. LHP ranked second in the Majors to NYM's David Wright (.416)...His 12 stolen bases tied Nate McLouth for the team lead...His .298 (34-for-114) pinch-hit average since start of 2006 leads the Majors (min. 110 AB)...Was hit by a career-high 13 pitches, including nine times from 8/17-9/17...Hit .350 (48-for-137) with 7 2B, 6 HR and 26 RBI in his last 38 contests of the season (dating to 8/18). Hit leadoff in 10 of those games, going 18-for-41 (.439)...Shined with two outs, hitting .319 (36-for-112). With two outs/RISP he hit .357 (15-for-42)...Was a .312 hitter at Turner Field and hit .313 away from home...Had a career-best eight-game hitting streak from 9/12-21, batting .333 (9-for-27) with 2 HR and 7 RBI...All seven games of his hitting streak from 8/22-29 were multi-hit games (three 2-hit, three 3-hit, one 4-hit) and he hit .633 (19-for-30) in that span. He had 18 multi-hit games in his final 47 contests...Had 32 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI games, including six game-winning RBI...Hit .359 (65-for-181) vs. NL East opponents, including 10 of his 13 home runs. He hit .478 (22-for-46) with five home runs, six doubles and 13 RBI vs. PHI...He has the highest career batting average (.390, 60-for-154) of any player with at least 140 career AB vs. FLA. His .405 (34-for-84) average at FLA is the highest of any player with at least 75 plate appearances...Hit .439 (18-for-41) with a .531 OBP and .585 SLG in 10 games in the leadoff spot. He hit .388 in the 7th spot (33-for-85) and .354 in the 6th spot (29-for-82), the two spots he appeared the most...Had a two-run single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th inning on 4/28 vs. STL to provide the only runs in a 2-1 win...On 5/20, scored a career-high four runs to go with his second three-hit game of the year...Made first career appearance in CF in the ninth inning on 5/21 vs. COL...Had a season-high four hits on 8/23 and had a hit in six straight PA 8/22-23...Had his first career three-double game on 8/28 at PHI.

2008

Activated off the 60-day disabled list on 9/24. Missed 106 team games recovering from a posterior cruciate ligament strain suffered on 5/27 at MIL when he hit the wall in foul territory in the bottom of the sixth inning. He also suffered a laceration to his left knee that required four stitches. ...Made three rehab starts, 7/20-22, and another 8/12, with Triple-A Richmond (.167, 2-for-12). ...Hit .231 (6-for-26) with 1 HR & 4 RBI in seven rehab games (7/4-11) with Mississippi (AA). ...Prior to the injury, he was hitting .319 off LHP (23-for-72) and .159 vs. RHP (10-for-63). ...Since the start of the 2006 season, his .318 batting average ranks ninth in the majors (min. 790 ABs).

2007

Since the start of the 2006 season, his .333 batting average is tied for second in the majors to Ichiro Suzuki's .336 (min. 600 ABs). Ranked tied for fourth in the majors with 14 pinch hits (14-for-48, .292). His .352 avg. (107-for-304) from 4/30 to the end of the season ranked third in the majors (min. 300 ABs). Led all National League hitters with a .484 average during interleague play. Hit .389 (27-for-70) in August with 7 HR and 13 RBI. Hit .356 (67-for-188) with 9 HR and 27 RBI vs. LHP and .318 (54-for-170) with 3 HR and 18 RBI vs. RHP. Had a .404 avg. (19-for-47) w/ 4 HR and 9 RBI vs. FLA and has a career mark of .436 with 6 HR and 17 RBI. Hit .343 at Turner Field and .333 on the road. Had a .287 avg. with runners in scoring position and .288 in "close and late" situations. Had a game-winning, three-run double in the bottom of the ninth on 9/5 vs. PHI with two outs and the Braves trailing 8-6 to cap a seven-run rally. He had a career-high tying four RBI in the game. Went 3-for-5 and posted his first career multi-homer game off Dontrelle Willis at FLA on 8/29 and hit .538 (7-13) with 3 HR at FLA, 8/27-29. Had seven-game hitting streak (10-28, .357, 4 HRs) snapped with pinch AB 8/18. Hit game-tying, two-run HR in the bottom of the 12th inning on 8/2 vs. HOU. Finished second in the majors with a .424 (25-for-59) avg. in May. Hit safely in 17 of 24 games played and in 12 of 14 starts. Hit .353 with 4 HR, 19 RBI and had a .375 on-base pct. during the first half of the season. Went 4-for-5 on 5/20 at BOS, his fourth career game with 4+ hits. Went 4-for-6 with two doubles, a homer and two RBI on 8/27 at FLA. Diaz's Career

2006

Posted an impressive season in his first year in Atlanta, compiling career highs in every category...Batted .327 with 15 doubles, seven homers and 32 RBI in 124 games (62 starts)...Posted a .328 batting average before the All-Star break and a .325 mark after the break...He batted .342 (91-for-266) from 5/4 to the end of the season...Ranked as one of the best pinch hitters in the majors, as he tied for ninth in the big leagues with 13 pinch hits (13-for-43, .302). Tied the Braves' franchise record by hitting safely in five straight pinch at-bats from 5/4 to 5/19...Batted .358 vs. RHP and .295 vs. LHP...Posted a .338 (22-for-65) batting average in "Close & Late" situations...Batted .311 at Turner Field & .339 on the road...Hit .465 (20-for-43) in May & .406 (28-for-69) in August...Went 22-for-47 (.468) in 16 games vs. FLA, including 13-for-26 (.500) at Dolphin Stadium...Went 13-for-35 (.371) in 15 games against WSH, including 9-for-23 (.391) at RFK Stadium...Put his name in the record books when he established an Atlanta Braves record and tied the NL record (first time since CIN's Bip Roberts in 1992) with hits in 10 consecutive at-bats, 8/12-14. After going 2-for-2 off the bench on 8/12 (vs. MIL), he went 4-for-4 on 8/13 (vs. MIL) and hit safely in his first four at-bats on 8/14 (at WSH) before grounding out to shortstop in the ninth inning. His streak is only the fourth in major league history that did not include extra plate appearances during the streak (walks, HBP, etc.). Boston's Walt Dropo hit safely in 12 straight PAs in 1952, while Washington's Jake Gettman (1897), Brooklyn's Ed Konetchy (1919) also did it in 10...Went 2-for-4 in Game 1 of a doubleheader on 9/3 at PHI, including a go-ahead homer in 9th inning...Homered and tripled on 5/18 vs. FLA and went 6-for-9 in the 5/15-18 FLA series...Hit first HR of the season 5/16 vs. FLA and had the game-winning single in the 11th...Went 9-for-12 (.750) on the team's 5/3-11 road trip to PHI/NYM/WSH...Had a career-best 5-for-5 night on 5/11 at FLA, with two runs and an RBI...Went 2-for-3 with two runs off the bench 4/8 at SF...Made the club out of spring training after batting .347 and leading the Braves in hits (26), at-bats (75) and home runs (3, tied)...His 25 games played ranked second on the club.

2005

Was released by Tampa Bay on 2/18 and signed as a minor league free agent with the Royals on 2/24....Played in 34 games at the Major League level...Opened the season with Omaha (AAA)...Hit .364 (20-55) with 4 HRs and 16 RBI prior to his call up to KC...Had his contract purchased on 4/22 and made his Royals debut that evening vs. CWS...Optioned to Omaha on 5/3 after hitting .200 (4-for-20) with a double and two RBI in six games for the Royals...Was recalled to the Royals on 5/14...Went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored on 5/18 vs. BAL to record his first career multi-hit game...Was placed on the 15-Day D.L. with a strained left oblique on 6/11...Was reinstated from the D.L. on 7/18 and optioned to Omaha...Was recalled from Omaha on 8/30...Went 9-for-25 (.360) in 12 games after coming off the D.L.

2004

Appeared in 10 games for Tampa Bay, including seven starts (3-LF, 3-DH, RF)....Went 0-for-12 in his first six games...Rebounded to go 4-for-9 with a double, triple, homer and 3 RBI in his final four games...Belted his first Major League home run on Sept. 22 off Kansas City's Darrell May (25th career at-bat)...Was named Durham's (AAA) Player of the Year...Hit .332 (167-for-503) in 134 games with 81 runs, 47 doubles, 5 triples, 21 homers, 93 RBI and 15 SB...Led the organization in average, hits, doubles and extra-base hits (73)...Is the organization's all-time minor league leader with 190 doubles and 789 base hits...Had a 22-game hitting streak from 6/20 to 7/11, tied for the second-longest ever by a Rays farmhand...Selected as an International League All-Star...was also named to the TOPPS/ Minor League Baseball Triple-A All-Star Team...Was the Durham player of the month for June after hitting .375 (39-104).

2003

Made his Major League debut vs. Texas on 7/19...Earned his first Major League hit off Chicago's Rick White on 7/25 at CWS...Led the D-Rays organization with a .354 average, the second-best in all of minors...Posted the second-best average in the organization's minor league history...Also led the organization with 170 hits and 86 RBI...Named the Orlando Rays Player of the Year and Southern League All-Star...Earned Rays May player of the month (.409, 13 doubles, 4 homers, 26 RBI).

2002

Spent entire season with Orlando and led team in runs scored, doubles and stolen bases...Had five multi-steal games...Hit his second career grand slam 7/16 vs. Mobile.

2001

Spent season in Class-A and was voted the Bakersfield Blaze Player-of-the-Year...Led all Class-A players with 172 hits and tied for third in total bases (267)...Led Tampa Bay organization in hits, RBI and doubles...Ranked second in the organization in batting average...Ranked sixth in the minor leagues in hits and 11th in average...Ranked second in the Carolina League with 17 outfield assists.

2000

Spent entire season with St. Petersburg (Rays' A)...Went 4-for-5 with seven RBI and became the third player in franchise history to hit for the cycle when he did so on 6/14 vs. Ft. Myers (also Matt Quatraro on 7/6/97 and Jose Guillen on 4/22/00).

1999

Spent first professional season with Rookie Level Hudson Valley, where he was a teammate of Josh Hamilton and Jorge Cantu...Was selected by Tampa Bay in the 17th round of the June draft.