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The Cuban Yandy Díaz hit his eleventh home run of the 2026 season this Saturday, the third in his last two games, although he could not prevent the 14-3 defeat of the Tampa Bay Rays against the Los Angeles Angels.
In the game, the starter batted 4-2 with the mentioned home run, two runs scored, one RBI, one walk, and one strikeout, a notable performance despite the lopsided score against him, according to the site Pelota Cubana.
The home run came in the first inning on a slider pitched at 83.9 MPH. The ball left the bat at 103.6 MPH and traveled 396 feet to left field, marking one of the player's most solid hits of the season so far.
With this hit, Díaz raised his RBI total to 37 for the 2026 season, a figure that places him among the most productive hitters on his team.
It was also the 111th career home run of Díaz in the Major Leagues, the 66th he has hit in the first inning throughout his career, and the fifth against the Los Angeles Angels.
The day before, Díaz had hit two home runs in the Rays' 8-5 victory over the same opponent, marking a streak of three homers in two consecutive games that highlights the impressive offensive moment the player from Sagua la Grande is experiencing.
The 2026 season has been one of the most explosive for the Cuban player since the start: he recorded an average of .429 in his first six games, with two home runs and eight RBIs. By April 27, he had accumulated a .337 average, four home runs, and 20 RBIs in 27 games, and by May 6, he had already added five home runs and 22 RBIs with an average of .320.
Díaz's remarkable performance in 2026 has direct precedents in the second half of 2025. In September of that year, the player from Villa Clara reached 100 career home runs in MLB and was recognized as American League Player of the Week, concluding his best home run season up to that point.
The organization's trust in the player was reflected in the contract numbers: the Rays exercised their option of $12 million for 2026 and agreed to a extension with a clause for 2027 of up to $13 million if Díaz achieves 500 at-bats this season, or $10 million if he does not.
With an OPS of .934 at the close of this Sunday, "the Cuban first baseman continues to be one of the most consistent pieces of Tampa Bay's offense and is going through one of his best offensive stretches of the season."
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