Now leading the majors in hitting … Aledmys Diaz?

9:30 PM ET

PHOENIX — Presuming Aledmys Diaz plays every game for the St. Louis Cardinals in this series against the Arizona Diamondbacks — and why wouldn’t he when he’s batting .480? — he will become Major League Baseball’s leading hitter. Diaz went into Monday’s game three plate appearances shy of qualifying for the batting-title chase.

Once he qualifies, he likely also will lead the majors in OPS. His is currently 1.369.

Aledmys Diaz entered Monday’s game batting .480 but needing three plate appearances to qualifying in the race for baseball’s batting title. Billy Hurst/USA TODAY Sports

It’s fair to say this production qualifies as something of a surprise. Diaz didn’t make the Cardinals’ roster until backup outfielder Tommy Pham suffered a torn oblique muscle in Pittsburgh on Opening Day. In fact, the Cardinals really didn’t know what kind of hitter they were getting when they signed Diaz for $8 million off a 2014 …

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