Aledmys Díaz
Posted a .300 average and .879 OPS as a rookie in 2016, a Cuban defector who seized an unexpected shortstop vacancy to become an All-Star.
Born 1990 (age 36)·Cuban baseball player·Birthday: August 1·Millennials
Biography
The St. Louis Cardinals signed Aledmys Díaz as a free agent on March 30, 2014, after he established residency in Mexico. He debuted on April 5, 2016, replacing the injured Jhonny Peralta. Díaz batted .300 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs in 111 games that season, earning a National League All-Star selection and a fifth-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting. The Cuban infielder defected in August 2012 during a tournament in the Netherlands, leaving behind the Serie Nacional’s Industriales. He played 84 games at shortstop in 2016, committing 15 errors but generating 2.3 offensive WAR. The Cardinals traded Díaz to the Toronto Blue Jays on December 1, 2017, for minor leaguer J.B. Woodman. His career includes a 2019 World Series appearance with the Washington Nationals and a 2023 stint with the Oakland A’s. Díaz owns a career .265 average over 658 major league games, a testament to sustained contact hitting.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Aledmys was born in 1990, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aledmys Was Born
The biggest hits of 1990
#1 Movie
Home Alone
Best Picture
Dances with Wolves
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Aledmys's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1990Born
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1995Started school
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2003Became a teenager
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2006Could drive
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2008Could vote
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2011Turned 21
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2020Turned 30
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 36 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected as a National League All-Star in his rookie season (2016) with the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Finished fifth in the 2016 National League Rookie of the Year voting.
- Appeared in the 2019 World Series as a member of the Washington Nationals, though the team did not activate him.
Did You Know?
Diaz’s first major league hit was a home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Ryan Vogelsong on April 8, 2016.
He played for Team Cuba in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, returning to international play after his defection.
His brother, Yariel Díaz, is also a professional baseball player who defected from Cuba.
“You have to be ready for your opportunity, because you never know when it will come.”
