Jordan Diaz, who helped Colombia win a bronze medal at the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2020, became the third rookie in the history of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Oakland A's franchise to hit three home runs in a game and the first since Mark McGwire accomplished the feat on 27 June 1987.
Despite Diaz's three-home run night, the A's lost to the New York Yankees, 10-5 on Tuesday.
"It's very special for me," Diaz said in Spanish to MLB.com. "As a kid, I would sit in my house with my grandpa, and we would always watch Yankee Stadium on TV and talk about the Yankees. For me, it's a special day. Playing here in Yankee Stadium, it's a dream come true."
Diaz entered the game with one home run in 89 plate appearances.
"He can drive the baseball," commented A's manager Mark Kotsay. "He showed that through the Minor Leagues. He hasn’t been able to do that here yet, but that’s in a limited number of at-bats. We talk about trying to get Jordan in this lineup more. The performance tonight is a good sign that he’s in the right direction."
Born in 2000 in Monteria, Diaz signed as a 16-year-old with the Oakland A's. He is the organization's No. 4 prospect.
He made his professional debut in 2017 and has appeared in 390 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) games, including 38 at Triple-A, since. He combined 43 home runs.
Diaz made his MLB debut on 18 September 2022. He appeared in 15 games (12 at second base, one at first and two at DH) during the 2022 season and has played 15 (all at second base) in 2023 after being promoted from Triple-A on 19 April.
He has represented Colombia at the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup twice.
Having featured in all nine Colombian games including the bronze medal against Cuba as third base in the 2020 edition, which was staged in 2021 due to the pandemic, Diaz went 6-for-28, with a .214 batting average, two home runs and seven RBIs.
In the 2018 edition, Diaz appeared in seven games, two as a pinch-hitter, as Colombia finished in seventh-place.
Diaz also represented Colombia at the WBSC Americas Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Qualifier and at the World Baseball Classic 2023.
