Elías David Díaz Soto Bio
Elías David Díaz Soto (born November 17, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers. A right-handed hitting catcher with international experience, Díaz earned an MLB All-Star selection and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 All-Star Game. He has also represented the Colombia national baseball team in international competition.
Early Life and Background
Elías David Díaz Soto was born on November 17, 1990, in Venezuela. He is the son of Porfirio Díaz and Ana Soto, and grew up in a household with ties to both Venezuela and Colombia. His father, Porfirio, was from Colombia, a background that later allowed Elías to represent the Colombia national team in international play. Díaz’s father died when Elías was six years old, leaving his mother to raise the family.
Díaz’s older brother, Emison Soto, played in the Boston Red Sox minor league system from 1990 to 1994 and continued his career in Mexican and American independent baseball through 2004, giving Elías an early model of a professional baseball path. The family endured further hardship in 2022, when his mother Ana Soto was kidnapped in Venezuela, an incident that drew attention to the security challenges faced by ballplayers’ families in the country.
Path to Major League Baseball
Díaz signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international free agent in 2008 and made his professional debut the following year with the Venezuelan Summer League Pirates. From 2010 through 2013, he moved steadily through the Pirates’ minor league system, playing for the Gulf Coast Pirates, the West Virginia Power, and the Bradenton Marauders while refining his skills as a catcher.
He opened 2014 with the Double-A Altoona Curve and batted .328 before earning a promotion in August to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. On November 20, 2014, Pittsburgh added Díaz to its 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, signaling that he was part of the organization’s catching future. In 2015, he was named an International League All-Star, earned a spot in the All-Star Futures Game, and was recognized as the best minor league catcher by Baseball America, setting the stage for his major league debut later that September.
Elías David Díaz Soto Career
Early Career with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Díaz made his major league debut on September 12, 2015, as a pinch hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates and went 0-for-2 that season without playing defensively. Limited by injuries, including right elbow surgery in May 2016 and a left leg infection in September 2016, he appeared in only one game for the Pirates in 2016, though he recorded his first career MLB RBI and picked off Carlos Ruiz at second base.
He became Pittsburgh’s primary backup to Francisco Cervelli in 2017, batting .223 with one home run in 200 plate appearances. In 2018, his offensive production improved to a .283/.339/.452 slash line with 10 home runs in 277 plate appearances. Díaz served as the Pirates’ primary catcher in 2019, batting .241 with two home runs in 332 plate appearances before being non-tendered on December 2, 2019, and becoming a free agent.
Colorado Rockies Breakthrough
Díaz signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies on January 6, 2020, and made the Opening Day roster for the pandemic-shortened season, batting .235 with two home runs in 73 plate appearances. He took a major step forward in 2021, hitting .246/.310/.464 with 18 home runs and 44 RBI in 106 games, and on November 18, 2021, he signed a three-year, $14.5 million extension with the club.
On September 10, 2022, Díaz went 4-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBI, including a three-run walk-off home run, in a 13-10 win for the Rockies. His most memorable season came in 2023, when he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, hit the game-winning home run for the National League in the eighth inning, and was selected as the game’s Most Valuable Player. In 141 games that year, he slashed .267/.316/.409 with 14 home runs and a career-high 72 RBI. He played 84 games for Colorado in 2024 before being released on August 16 as the team promoted catcher Drew Romo.
San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers
On August 26, 2024, Díaz signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres and had his contract selected on September 1, appearing in 12 games and batting .190 with one home run. He made his postseason debut in Game 2 of the National League Division Series. On January 28, 2025, Díaz re-signed with the Padres on a one-year, $3.5 million contract and appeared in 106 games during the regular season, slashing .204/.270/.337 with nine home runs and 29 RBI before San Diego declined his option on November 4.
On February 20, 2026, Díaz signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals, opened the year with Triple-A Omaha, and was added to the major league roster on April 19. He went 5-for-22 (.227) with two home runs and five RBI in 10 appearances before being designated for assignment on May 22, clearing waivers, and electing free agency on June 3. On June 6, 2026, Díaz signed a major league contract with the Texas Rangers, giving him a new platform for the remainder of the season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Díaz’s signature moment came at the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, when his eighth-inning home run delivered the win for the National League and earned him the game’s Most Valuable Player award. Earlier, on September 10, 2022, his three-run walk-off homer capped a 4-for-5, seven-RBI performance that highlighted his run-production potential. He also debuted in the postseason with the Padres in 2024, an important step for a catcher whose career had spanned multiple organizations.
Elías David Díaz Soto International Career
Thanks to his Colombian heritage through his father, Díaz has represented the Colombia national baseball team in international play. He was named to the Colombian roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where he shared catching duties with Meibrys Viloria and hit .250/.250/.375 in eight at-bats. He delivered an RBI double in Colombia’s 10-inning win over Mexico during the tournament.
Elías David Díaz Soto Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Díaz is the son of Porfirio Díaz and Ana Soto, and his Colombian roots through his father shaped his international eligibility. His older brother Emison Soto played professionally from 1990 through 2004, including time in the Boston Red Sox minor league system, providing an early example of a baseball career in the family. The family faced tragedy when Elías’s father died while he was young and again in 2022, when his mother Ana Soto was kidnapped in Venezuela.
Personal Life
Elías David Díaz Soto is married to Katherine Delgado. The couple has two daughters, Eliana and Elanie, who are part of Díaz’s family life alongside his ongoing professional baseball career.
2025 Season Performance
In 2025, Elías David Díaz Soto returned to the San Diego Padres on a one-year, $3.5 million contract signed January 28, looking to build on his 2023 All-Star campaign. He appeared in 106 regular-season games for San Diego, posting a .204/.270/.337 slash line with nine home runs and 29 RBI while sharing catching responsibilities and providing veteran leadership behind the plate. His postseason experience from 2024 carried into the new year as the Padres leaned on his familiarity with National League pitching staffs.
San Diego declined Díaz’s option on November 4, 2025, returning him to free agency and setting up his move to the Kansas City Royals on a minor league deal in February 2026. Across 2025, his power output and on-base skills offered teams a dependable backup catcher profile entering the next chapter of his career. Looking ahead, his 2026 major league contract with the Texas Rangers positions him to compete for a roster role as a switch-hitting defender with All-Star credentials.