After 'reset,' Díaz excited to rep Colombia in World Baseball Classic

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies players kidded catcher Elias Díaz when he showed up in the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick clubhouse to pick up the customized gear in blue, yellow and red that he will wear for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic.

The comments were Spanish and English versions of “have you already been eliminated?”

The teammates didn’t truly wish ill upon Colombia, which faces Mexico in the pool-play opener at Chase Field on Saturday (12:30 p.m. MT on FOX). But the way Díaz was hitting before he left, the Rockies will be happy whenever he returns.

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Díaz, a Venezuela native representing the birthplace of his father, believes the intensity of quality of opponents -- Colombia faces Dodgers lefty Julio Urías for Mexico in the opener -- will continue his accelerated preparation.

“It’s a beautiful experience,” Díaz said. “You don’t know if you’re going to get to do this one or two times in your career. It’s beautiful for me to represent Colombia, the country that gave me the opportunity to play.”

Through his first six Cactus League games with the Rockies, Díaz, 32, was batting .467 (7-for-15) with one home run, a double and five RBIs. The way the ball thundered off Díaz’s bat was reminiscent of 2021, when he overcame a slow beginning to establish career highs in home runs (18) and slugging percentage (.464). As a result, the Rockies signed him to a three-year, $14.5 million contract.

Last season, Díaz batted .228 with nine homers. But he prepared for the WBC by establishing game-speed hitting early and paid attention to a positive mental approach. With his workout partners, former Minor Leaguers in Venezuela, Díaz reduced his physical and mental strategies to simple principles.

“I’m trying to be on time, in rhythm and simple, not trying to do too much,” Díaz said. “The most important thing was to reset everything, start over.”

Manager Bud Black is happy with the reset.

“He wants to be in a good frame of mind,” Black said. “It’s controlling the strike zone, hitting good pitches and not chasing. When he puts the bat on the ball, it exits really fast.”

… But that bat

Elehuris Montero must improve his defense to nail down the starting job at third base, but it’s hard to ignore his offense, which was displayed in Friday's 8-1 victory over the Giants.

In Montero's first plate appearance, Giants starter Alex Wood varied the tempo of his delivery -- a strategy that vexed Montero during his 53-game debut last year (.233/.270/.432, 6 HR). But Montero stayed patient and walked. Two plate appearances later, Montero delivered his second home run in three days, a 428-foot, three-run shot to left.

C.J. Cron doubled and homered, and Kris Bryant’s first-inning double continued his hard-hitting spring. Having a new big bat in Montero could advance an offense that is dealing with several injury-caused absences.

“He’s capable of a day like today -- a big home run, a well-timed at-bat to get the walk, and even the ball he flied to center was well-struck,” Black said.

Special delivery

Lefty Austin Gomber fashioned his second straight strong outing with four scoreless innings (two strikeouts, one hit, two walks), as delivery adjustments he concentrated on his previous start grew familiar.

“Over more repetition, it just becomes more natural,” Gomber said. “I didn’t feel like I was thinking as much. I can feel what I’m trying to do now since we’ve been working on it all spring, and feel when something goes wrong.”

Two leadoff walks were not desirable, but Gomber was otherwise solid.

“On balance it was much better command of his fastball, impressive use of a changeup -- which is going to be a big pitch for him -- and a couple good sliders,” Black said.

Pitchers to monitor

Righty Connor Seabold, obtained from the Red Sox over the winter, yielded a Luis Matos one-out homer in the fifth but was otherwise solid for his two innings. Seabold could challenge for a rotation spot or possibly be carried in the bullpen.

“I like his pitchability -- pitches with the fastball and he’s got a good changeup that works against lefties and righties, and the slider is functional,” Black said. “There’s a lot to like.”

Non-roster veteran lefty reliever Fernando Abad gave up a hit but forced a double-play grounder in the ninth.

“He’s thrown strikes in his career and he’s got service time so you know his heartbeat is slow,” Black said.