Elias Díaz named 2023 All-Star MVP

Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Díaz etched his name in the history books on Tuesday night as not just the first Rockies catcher to play in the All-Star Game but also the first Rockie to be named All-Star MVP thanks to a game-deciding home run.

Trailing 2-1 in the top of the eighth inning, Díaz was called upon to pinch-hit with Nick Castellanos on-base. Facing Baltimore Orioles closer Felix Bautista, Díaz launched an 87 mph splitter out over the plate for a 360-foot home run to give the National League a 3-2 lead and their eventual victory for the first time in 11 years.

“It means a lot to me, to my family,” Diaz told FOX Sports’ Tom Verducci during the broadcast. “So proud of what I’ve been doing, what I’ve been able to accomplish. Being in the All-Star Game for me is amazing.”

You can relive the magic below.

Díaz’s home run was also notable as he became the 24th player in All-Star Game history to hit a home run in his first at-bat. It was also the first time since 1995 that the National League had hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later.

Additionally, Sarah Langs shared a few interesting stats, including the list of go-ahead home runs in the All-Star Game while trailing in the eighth inning or later. It features the legend himself, Ted Williams.

It’s also worth noting this is the seventh time a catcher has won All-Star MVP honors with Díaz being the sixth catcher to win the award, joining an exclusive and talented list of players.

Díaz becomes the fifth Rockie to hit a home run in the All-Star Game and is the first since Charlie Blackmon last hit one in the 2019 All-Star Game.

In a season that has featured plenty of disappointment for Rockies fans, this is a contender for the best moment of the season. It just goes to show that the philosophy to “dress for success” rang true for Elias Díaz today.

★★★

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