Around the Curve | Curve in the Majors - Vol. 6

CURVE, PA. – Altoona has been a pipeline to the Major Leagues for nearly 26 years, with the current alumni count at 215 players achieving their dreams of becoming a big leaguer. This season, we want to look at some of the exciting accomplishments our alumni are achieving at the Major League level. Every week, we will spotlight a handful of players who are succeeding at the next level and reflect on their time with the Curve, here on the Around the Curve Blog! Here is the sixth edition of: “Curve in the Majors.”

1. OF - Bryan Reynolds - Pittsburgh Pirates

Season Stats: .279, 80 games, 13 HRs, 46 RBIs, 23-game hitting streak

What are two things that are constant in June? The heat and Bryan Reynolds getting a hit in each of his last 23 games. That’s right, you read that correctly. In the month of June, he has reached base safely 42 times! If that somehow didn't draw your attention, in June, Reynolds is currently leading the team in categories such as hits (33), total bases (60), RBI (16), SLG (.638), doubles (7) and home runs (6). Thanks in part to his clutch hitting and others around him rallying their bats, the Pirates currently find themselves just two games out of a wild card spot.

After being acquired in the Andrew McCutchen trade in 2017, Reynolds quickly made his way to the Curve roster. He went on to play 88 games with Altoona, dropping an impressive .302 average with seven home runs and 46 RBIs.

2. C - Jason Delay - Pittsburgh Pirates

Season Stats: .200, 7 games, 3 2B, 6 RBI

Jason Delay has once again found himself in the big leagues for a third straight year. While the catching situation has been an ever-moving player carousel, Delay looks to hold down the spot. Since being recently recalled just a few weeks ago, he’s found himself in the lineup for a total of seven games. Within the seven games, he’s appeared in, he’s slashed a total of six hits giving himself a crisp batting average of .200. On Tuesday, he knocked two doubles in a big win over the Reds.

While he wasn't in Altoona for an entire season, Delay was still involved a great deal with the Curve throughout the 2019,2021, and 2022 seasons. Throughout his 86-game appearances delay was able to knock 62 hits for a batting average of.208. Outside of that, he was able to compile 40 RBIs and eight home runs.

3. RHP - Luis Ortiz - Pittsburgh Pirates

Season Stats: 4-2 3.23 ERA, 22 Games ( 1 Start) 53 IP, 18 BB, 43 K

Luis Ortiz is coming off his best outing of the year with a season-long six-inning start on Wednesday, June 26. During the start versus the Cincinnati Reds, he was able to strike out seven batters along with allowing one run on four hits. Outside of that start, Ortiz has become a solid pitcher for the Pirates. This season he's appeared in 22 games, repping a 3.23 ERA with 43 strikeouts.

Ortiz was one of many big arms on Altoona’s pitching staff in 2022, along with Mike Borrows and Quinn Priester. That season, Ortiz was able to collect five wins and struck out 126 batters in 114.1 innings pitched, the most by a Curve arm that year.

4. C - Elias Díaz- Colorado Rockies

Season Stats: .303 AVG, 55 games, 5 HRs, 28 RBIs, .352 OBP

Former Pirates prospect and Curve catcher Elias Díaz has been on fire lately, especially in June. While he hasn't been in a Pirate uniform for quite some time, he’s still gone on to make a solid career for himself. Being signed as a free agent in 2009, he went on to bounce around the Pirates organization until leaving in 2019 for free agency. Quickly after leaving Pittsburgh, he signed with the Colorado Rockies to a minor league deal. Diaz has since become the starting catcher in Colorado and made his first All-Star game in 2023.

This season Díaz has been swinging a career-high .303 batting average. As previously mentioned in June, he’s hitting .357 with a .419 OBP and a .536 SLG making it the best month of his long baseball career. Outside of the month of June, Díaz has been rocking a credible .303 batting average with 12 doubles and 28 RBIs.

Díaz spent the better part of the 2014 season in Altoona, along with a brief rehab assistant in 2016. During his time with the Curve, he made sure to make a dent in the record books. During his ‘16 campaign, he was able to string along a .328 batting average, which is good for third all-time in Curve franchise history (minimum 300 plate appearances.) Outside of a record-setting average, he was able to collect 52 RBIs his entire Curve career.

Other Notes:

• Mike Burrows has begun a rehab assignment with Low-A Bradenton. The right-hander is looking to return from Tommy John Surgery that ended his 2023 season prematurely.
• Nick Dombkowski is staying consistent a month after being called up from Double-A Altoona. Within that month, Dombkowski was able to collect two wins with a 3.96 ERA and 21 strikeouts.
• Former Curve Pitcher Omar Cruz has become a reliable bullpen pitcher for Double-A San Antonio Missions, an Affiliate of the San Diego Padres. This season he’s found himself with three wins and 60 strikeouts in 18 appearances.
• Drew Maggi's baseball story starts a new chapter! As of this week, he and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a minor league deal. Previously with the Staten Island Ferry Hawks in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, Maggi suited up just 29 times with the team, earning 24 hits with three home runs.

Stay tuned all season long for more exciting content on the Around the Curve Blog!