Milwaukee Brewers’ Prospects: #27 Miguel Diaz

Miguel Diaz hasn’t pitched above Rookie Ball. He doesn’t get mentioned among the top Milwaukee Brewers’ pitching prospects very often, but his wicked stuff makes him a very intriguing prospect heading into the future for Milwaukee. Here is why Diaz is ranked 27th on our list of the team’s top prospects.

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The biggest part of Diaz’s game is his strikeout stuff. In 141 career innings pitched, Diaz has 131 strikeouts. Though he is listed at only 6’1”, 175 pounds, MLB.com speaks of his above average fastball that he can bring in the mid to upper 90’s as the key to his success.

Unlike Jorge Ortega, (who we ranked right below Diaz at number 28) Diaz needs to focus on his control on the mound as he continues to develop. He has averaged nearly a strikeout per inning in his minor league career, but he also has averaged nearly four walks per nine innings as well.

A disappointing elbow fracture stunted his development a bit this season as he was only able to get on the mound for 20.1 innings of work, but when he was able to pitch he was fantastic. Playing for the Arizona Rookie League Brewers, Diaz went 0-3, but he had just a 2.21 ERA. He was also able to strikeout 23 batters and put together his best walk rate of his four minor league seasons.

Considering the injury and limited innings from 2015, I expect to see the 20-year-old Diaz pitching in Helena at least for part of the season in 2016. Though he has yet to pitch a game above rookie league, his fastball and stuff makes him on to watch over the next few years. He at least has the makings of a future bullpen arm and if he can improve command, he could even project as a mid-rotation starter in the future.

Next: Milwaukee Brewers' Prospects: #29 Kyle Wren