O's top prospect Diaz homers in first game

SARASOTA, Fla. -- For more than a week now, Yusniel Diaz has introduced himself to the Orioles’ new set of evaluators by putting on shows in batting practice, sending pitch after pitch into the parking lot beyond the backfield fence at the club’s Spring Training complex.

It didn’t take long for Baltimore's No. 1 prospect to bring those types of swings onto the main stage at Ed Smith Stadium.

Color it an emphatic first impression for Diaz, who crushed a two-run home run in his Grapefruit League debut in Saturday's 7-2 win against the Twins. By taking Minnesota lefty Gabriel Moya deep to left-center field in his second at-bat, Diaz gave O’s brass the first in-game glimmer of the skill set that ranks him Baltimore’s best prospect, per MLB Pipeline.

“Just to be able to see his presence at the plate and not be jumpy, I was really, really impressed,” manager Brandon Hyde said.

Diaz’s third-inning blast highlighted a banner day for the Orioles’ outfield, which has questions at the dawn of spring. Nominal center fielder Cedric Mullins scored twice, stole a base and reached in three plate appearances. Joey Rickard walked, scored and added an outfield assist to boot. Anthony Santander added a pinch-hit opposite-field double, and Christopher Bostick, an infielder by trade, showed off some versatility by manning four innings in center field. All involved could play their way into the mix for the club’s three open outfield spots.

“We were aggressive on the bases and that’s what I’m looking for: guys who set the tone,” Hyde said. “We went first to third twice. I think we did a lot of good things.”

But the headliner was Diaz, who made his intentions of cracking the Opening Day roster clear when he arrived in camp last weekend. One swing won’t undo the unlikeness of that happening, and the reality is, the 22-year-old is probably earmarked for Triple-A no matter what he does during Grapefruit League play. Bringing Diaz north to Baltimore would start his service clock early during in a season in which they are rebuilding toward the future.

“The whole purpose of me being here is to make the team from the very beginning,” Diaz said last week, though he was unavailable for comment after Saturday’s game.

Making the team is what he’ll spend the next few weeks attempting, whatever the odds. For the Orioles, that time will be used more to gauge whether Diaz is merely a good prospect or a great one -- a supplemental piece or someone to plan their rebuild around. Though he was considered the prize of last summer’s Manny Machado trade, Diaz remained largely a mystery to Hyde and O’s new executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias, who came on months after Diaz joined the organization.

That makes him one of a slew of youngsters for whom this spring qualifies as a showcase, even if he's the most decorated of that group.

“I don’t want them to want to impress me,” Hyde said. “What I want them to do is really be comfortable, be aggressive and showcase their skills. I want them to take good at-bats and play hard. Whether that comes with impressing me or not, I’m not concerned. I told them that. I don’t want them to do something they’re not capable of doing. They’re here for a reason, and let your ability take over. Let your ability take care of itself.”