Born: May 30, 1924 in Marianao, Cuba
Died: November 20, 1994 in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
Position: 2b/SS/3b/of
Bats: Right Throws: Right
HT: 5-11 WT: 180 lb.
| Season | Team | AB | H | D | T | HR | AVE. | RBI | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-46 | Ponce | 95 | 35 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0.368 | 18 | 27 |
| 1946-47 | Ponce | 256 | 89 | 12 | 0.348 | 35 | 35 | ||
| 1947-48 | Ponce | 238 | 86 | 11 | 3 | 13 | 0.361 | 58 | 53 |
| 1948-49 | Ponce | 169 | 45 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 0.266 | 23 | 41 |
| 1949-50 | San Juan | 258 | 73 | 18 | 4 | 0.283 | 41 | 36 | |
| 5 | Gran Total | 1016 | 328 | 48 | 11 | 39 | 0.323 | 175 | 192 |
A hitter with exceptional contact and speed, Fernando Díaz Pedroso led the league in batting average (.368) and home runs (3) during the 1945–46 season, becoming the first Cuban and the first second baseman to win a batting title in Puerto Rico. He is also one of only four players to win a batting championship at age 21; the others are Aldemar Burgos, Orlando Cepeda, and Wilfredo Cordero.
In 1946–47, he led the league in stolen bases (19), and on November 30, 1947, he drove in 11 runs in a doubleheader – eight in the first game and three in the second – against Mayagüez, a record that still stands.
In 1947–48, Pedroso and Bob Thurman became the first players to both drive in and score at least 50 runs in a season.
Recognized among the league’s 75 greatest players in 2013, his talent and consistency established him as one of the most outstanding figures of his generation. Inducted into the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.
Photo Colorization: Joe Torres