Dave Van Horn has been busy working the transfer portal this offseason, and the Razorbacks added another arm to the mix Wednesday when right-hander Chris Diaz signed on for the 2027 roster.
Diaz brings a resume that starts at Miami and runs through two productive seasons at Florida Gulf Coast in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
He’s not a mystery arm but a proven starter with legitimate strikeout stuff and some MLB Draft buzz attached to his name heading into next month.
The Hogs have made the portal a priority this cycle, and Diaz fits the mold of what Van Horn’s been after. He’s got experience, he can eat innings and his fastball-slider combination gives him a realistic shot at competing for a weekend rotation spot.
What Diaz brings to Fayetteville
Diaz started his college career with the Hurricanes, where he made a dozen appearances including two starts.
He went 1-1 with a 5.89 ERA in 18.1 innings at Miami before heading to Fort Myers and Florida Gulf Coast.
The move paid off. As a sophomore with the Eagles, he made 12 starts in 13 appearances and went 6-2 with a 4.80 ERA. He threw 75 innings that year — leading the team — and rang up 81 strikeouts.
Diaz also tossed two complete games, one of them a shutout, and picked up ASUN Pitcher of the Week honors on May 12, 2025.
His junior season is what got scouts and Van Horn’s staff taking a closer look. Diaz made 14 starts in 2026, logged 68 innings and finished with 71 strikeouts.
Diaz held a 1.17 WHIP and earned Second Team All-ASUN recognition. He also picked up another ASUN Pitcher of the Week nod on April 20 after throwing a complete-game shutout at Queens with nine innings, three hits, seven strikeouts and a runner caught stealing.
The ceiling stuff showed up on May 9 against West Georgia, when he went eight innings and struck out 10 while posting a season-best 20 first-pitch strikes.
The pitch mix and the draft question
Diaz was the No. 360 prospect in the 2023 class per Perfect Game, ranked 53rd in Florida and 19th among right-handed pitchers nationally.
Baseball America has him listed as the No. 379 draft prospect heading into this summer’s draft.
His fastball can touch 95 mph, though he’s most comfortable sitting 91-93. The slider is the bread-and-butter pitch. It’s got two-plane depth and functions as his out pitch. He also carries a changeup with late fade and tumble that he’ll use against left-handed hitters.
Draft eligibility is a factor, but it’s not a new wrinkle for Van Horn. About half of the 12 portal commits this cycle are draft-eligible, so the staff has gotten comfortable navigating that uncertainty.
The expectation is that Diaz makes it to Fayetteville and pushes for a spot in the weekend rotation when the 2027 season begins.
Arkansas has built a reputation as a program that knows how to develop pitchers, and Diaz is exactly the type of arm that thrives in that environment.
