Edwin Diaz Continues to Make Great Strides
Coming into this season, it was clear that Edwin Diaz was going to have a short leash as the Mets closer. After a disappointing first campaign in Queens, and with a 60-game schedule, the Mets could not afford to wait and see if Diaz could figure things out.
That is why Diaz was quickly demoted from the closer role after his first three appearances, as he yielded two runs in his first 2 1/3 innings pitched. Those early struggles left the right-hander with a 7.71 ERA, but a change of the calendar has brought nothing but success for Diaz.
Following another scoreless appearance on Tuesday, Diaz suddenly has his season ERA down to 2.45. He has pitched five clean frames this month and has done so in dominate fashion. On August 2nd, Diaz walked the first batter he faced, but he has not issued a free pass since. The flamethrower has also racked up 10 strikeouts, taking his K/9 rate for the season up to an absurd 18.4 mark.
Diaz continues to earn trust with each passing outing, as Luis Rojas has slowly placed him in higher leverage situations.
His first outing of the month came in a game the Mets were trailing 3-0 and Diaz was brought in for the seventh inning. Two days later, Diaz pitched the eighth inning of a game the Mets were losing 5-3. Diaz then pitched a scoreless ninth inning on August 7th, keeping the Mets within a run of the Miami Marlins.
Diaz’s performance on Sunday was maybe the most encouraging, as he worked around some traffic in the eighth inning, holding a 4-2 lead. After striking out the first two batters he faced, Diaz gave up two consecutive hits, putting the tying runners in scoring position and bringing the winning run to the plate. Diaz was able to calmly end the threat, as Monte Harrison swung through three scorching fastballs.
This brings us to last night, when Diaz once again kept the opposition off the board, this time in the ninth inning of a 2-1 game. He has yet to get a save opportunity this month, but the next time Seth Lugo is unavailable, there is a good chance Diaz’s number will be called.
So what has been the difference with Diaz this month?
The short answer is that Diaz has rediscovered his slider. Through his five appearances, Diaz has thrown his slider 42% of the time and to great success. Of the 33 sliders he has thrown, Diaz has generated 13 swings-and-misses. Diaz’s slider has produced a whiff percentage of 53.3 this year, making it one of the most unhittable pitches in the game.
When Diaz can locate his 98 mph fastball and pair it with his outstanding slider, there is no reason for him to struggle. All the metrics and indicators tell us that this is one of the best relievers in baseball. If he continues to execute his pitches, Diaz may regain his closer role in the near future.
