Standout Starter Yilber Diaz Set to Begin Season with Reno

The 2025 Opening Day roster is starting to take shape. The Diamondbacks optioned electric righty Yilber Diaz, promising starter Cristian Mena, and slugger Tim Tawa to Reno on Monday. Diaz’s return in particular is a significant development for the early outlook of the club.

Diaz is one of the best stories in professional baseball as an extremely delayed international signing from Venezuela. He quit baseball altogether and left his home country at a very early age, traveling to Colombia and then Ecuador, where he landed a temporary job selling energy drinks. He later took a gig washing windows at traffic lights, and another selling strawberries and cream in the streets.

It wasn’t until he met a fellow Venezuelan trainer that he considered playing baseball again. Impressing in his bullpens, Diamondbacks scout Ronald Salazar pushed for the club to sign the determined youngster for $10,000 in 2021. He’s improved at an unbelievable pace every year since, culminating in his MLB debut for the Diamondbacks last July.

Diaz, 24, is completely nasty on the bump with a 95-97 mph fastball, a filthy slider, and a knee-buckling curveball. He obliterated the PCL last season, highlighted by an absurd six inning, 13 strikeout no-hit masterpiece against the Sacramento River Cats on July 1st. The DBacks had seen enough and made the call just days after arguably the most dominant performance in Reno’s history.

Yilber Diaz (@Dbacks No. 16) was on another level tonight!

🔥 Career-high 13 strikeouts across 6 hitless innings
🔥 Tied the Triple-A @Aces single-game K record
🔥 Fanned 7 batters in a row pic.twitter.com/gu3jsbglUm

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 2, 2024

He allowed just two earned runs in his first two starts in the majors, but had a rougher outing in KC before a good start at Chase Field and then a demotion. He took it in stride and posted a 2.82 ERA with 29 strikeouts and just four walks in his next four starts and 22 ⅓ innings for Reno. Altogether, Diaz struck out a staggering 30% of hitters at the Triple-A level.

In addition to his electric stuff, he’s always smiling with positive energy on and off the field and brings palpable buzz to the mound and clubhouse. He’s also an intense competitor and tireless worker. Standing at 6-foot-nothing, Diaz is a remarkable example of how hard work, sacrifice, and commitment can lead you to your dreams, no matter the obstacles.

Dynamic Duo 💪

Adrian Del Castillo and Yilber Diaz have been named the @Dbacks Organizational Player and Pitcher of the Year!

Both had stellar seasons which included making their respective MLB debuts, and we can't wait to see what's in store next for our two superstars 🤩 pic.twitter.com/FBOEie3csA

— Reno Aces (@Aces) October 3, 2024

He’s pushed himself to the point of being a mainstay in Arizona’s rotation for years to come. With an influx of outstanding starting pitching, the Snakes are opting to start him at Triple-A, but it may be a brief stay depending on injuries and needs in the big league rotation. For now, he’s on the short list of game-changing, league-altering pitchers at the highest level of the minors.

Mena, 22, saw his 2024 season end early due to a right forearm strain, but is back to 100% in spring training and will presumably join Diaz at the top of Reno’s rotation. That duo, with mid-to-upper 90s heaters and stellar sliders, promises to excite. Tawa hit 31 home runs last year and was one of the better hitters in the PCL down the stretch. He’s returning to Reno on the 40-man roster with an opportunity to make his major league debut this summer.

The Reno Aces will open the 2025 season on the road in Las Vegas on Friday, March 28. They will make their home debut at Greater Nevada Field on Tuesday, April 1, hosting the Tacoma Rainiers, the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, at 2:05 p.m. PDT.

Season memberships for the 2025 season are available via RenoAces.com by texting "MEMBER" to 21003 or calling (775) 334-7000.