The National League had an unlikely hero emerge in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, as Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Díaz earned the All-Star Game MVP award after coming through with the biggest play of the game.
Díaz has largely been seen as a solid, but unexceptional player over the course of his nine-year tenure in the MLB. This season has been hands down the best of his career, hitting .277 with nine home runs at the All-Star break.
This earned him his first All-Star Game appearance, and he certainly made the most of it. Díaz came through when it mattered most for the National League, hitting a two-run home run off of Orioles star reliever Felix Bautista.
Elías Díaz with a go-ahead 2-run homer off Orioles closer Félix Bautista!
#AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/8GJZVnBslL — The Comeback (@thecomeback) July 12, 2023
His home run would end up being the difference in the game, as the National League held off the American League to secure a 3-2 victory.
Shortly after the game, Díaz received his All-Star Game MVP award, which clearly made him emotional as he mentioned all of the sacrifices his mother made to get him to this point.
It was certainly a great moment for Díaz, and fans took to social media to praise him for the terrific game as he goes into baseball history forever with this award.
This marks the first time that a Colorado Rockies player has received the All-Star Game MVP award.
The Rockies as a team haven’t had much success this season, sitting at the bottom of the NL West at the All-Star break. This awesome moment for Díaz at least gives Rockies fans something aside from team results to cheer about.