AL WILD CARD SERIES: RANGERS VS RAYS

October 3, 2023

Yandy Diaz

Tropicana Field

Tampa Bay Rays

Pregame Press Conference

Q. After last year, how excited are you guys to start a postseason series at home, with your home fans behind you?

YANDY DÍAZ: We're happy to be able to start off at home. Everyone knows we're a little bit more comfortable at home. Hopefully we can give a spectacular show to the fans.

Q. How is your hamstring situation? Are you limited at all today, or do you think you will be for this series?

YANDY DÍAZ: Everyone knows in the playoffs you've got to work with pain. You've got to play. We want to try to be out here 200 percent. I'm going to work and do whatever I need to do to stay out on the field.

Q. Given how last year's playoffs went, how motivated do you think the players are, your teammates, to get further, obviously, and score more runs and all that kind of stuff?

YANDY DÍAZ: Sometimes that's just the way the game goes; you can't score many runs. Hopefully this year we score a lot for runs. We come out with a little bit more focus, and hopefully we score a lot more runs this series.

Q. You've always been a very good hitter, but what did you emphasize in this offseason that has taken your game maybe to a higher level this year?

YANDY DÍAZ: I was just trying to stick to my same routine. In this game you've got to stick to the routine, try to just work a little bit harder on other things, and luckily this year I think the results were just a little bit better because the routine stayed the same.

Q. How much does your past experience in the postseason help you, do you think, and how much can you help the younger players who are about to have their first postseason?

YANDY DÍAZ: Just tell the guys it's the same game. Might be a little bit more fans, but other than that, it's the same game, the same baseball. Other than that, just go out there and have fun.

Q. (Question in Spanish.)

YANDY DÍAZ: We didn't win the division, which is fine win. We've got to go out here and win some series, win these playoffs and win the World Series, and that's all that really matters.

Q. This is your first playoff experience being a new father. How special is that?

YANDY DÍAZ: First off, I'm very tired, very tired. There's a lot of stuff going on in the house. But with him, it's a little bit of motivation, and with him, I'm doing everything for him because he's brightened my life.

Q. Knowing this team you haven't faced for a couple months, is there anything you take from previous matchups that you can use in today's game or this series?

YANDY DÍAZ: We all know they have a pretty good offense. They have a pretty good pitching staff, as well. Our job is just to try to attack early, try to score as many runs as we can, and the sooner the better.

Q. Have you had a chance to reflect on that you won the batting title, and who were some of the people you heard from that congratulated you that stood out or made you smile?

YANDY DÍAZ: Yeah, a lot of the people that have been with me throughout the year that have seen me in this season, they reached out. Especially my wife, she was the one that praised me the whole time. Yeah, there was quite a bit of people that reached out.

Q. I see some numbers on your tattoo there. What does that signify?

YANDY DÍAZ: The No. 2 is obviously my number, and the 11/14 is the day that my wife told me that she was pregnant.

Q. Talk about being Cuban and what would you say to other Cubans about being here.

YANDY DÍAZ: To follow your dreams. That's exactly what I tried to do. I've tried to follow my dreams. I got cut four different times, but I was able to stay focused. I knew I had a dream in mind and that's what I would recommend to all those guys. Live out your dreams. There's a lot you can do. There's a lot you can accomplish. Try to stay with it, and anything can happen.