Player Data: Age: 28 (3/22/94), B/T: R/R
Primary Stats: 6 G, 62 IP, 32 SV, 1.31 ERA, 0.839 WHIP, 118 SO, 34 H, 18 BB, 9 ER
Advanced Stats: 3.2 bWAR, 297 ERA+, 0.90 FIP, .330 BABIP, 50.2 SO%, .160/.230/.216
2022 Salary: $10.2 million
Grade: A+
2022 Review
Edwin Díaz‘s 2022 season was by far the best he’s had in a Mets uniform since being acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the winter of 2018. He became something of a legend to Mets fans very quickly this season, striking out over half of the batters he faced in 2022. He undoubtedly had one of the greatest seasons by a relief pitcher in the live-ball era. Even after a great 2021 campaign, there had still been some doubt if Díaz was the same player the Mets had traded for four years prior. That question was answered with a dominant season and a high chance of earning himself his first Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award. Nobody struck out opposing hitters at a higher clip than Díaz in 2022.
He recorded 4 or more outs in six different games when manager Buck Showalter called upon him to do so, including a six-out save against divisional-rival Atlanta Braves on August 4. He was never used more than two days in a row all season, perhaps one of the reasons he was able to stay at the top of his game from game 1 to game 162.
His control separated this season from any other he’s had since his last season in Seattle in 2018. His 118 strikeouts were the second-highest of his career. His highest was 124 strikeouts in 2018, but in 2022 he had only six less K’s in 11 1/3 fewer innings pitched, putting him on pace to surpass that mark if his number had been called a few more times.
Díaz won the NL Reliever of the Month in three consecutive months: June, July, and August. He also earned his second stint on an All-Star Game roster, although he did not pitch in the game this year. Sugar was one of four Mets players to make the roster, joining Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, and Starling Marte.
Díaz’s production was unmatched by any other reliever this year. You could certainly make the case it was the best season by a relief pitcher in Mets history, possibly going as far as to say he had a top-three season by any Mets pitcher in team history.
2023 Outlook
Díaz will become a free agent at the season’s end. Steve Cohen and Billy Eppler will have a decision to make with their closer. He could possibly become the highest-paid relief pitcher in MLB history after a historic season by him. With a large chunk of players on the Mets 2022 roster set to become free agents, some tough decisions will have to be made to set this team up for a deep playoff run in 2023.
The largest contract in MLB history belongs to Aroldis Chapman, who signed a 5-year, $86 million contract in the 2016 season (set to expire this offseason). Díaz could very well become the first relief pitcher to sign a $100 million contract, whether it be with the Mets or another team. Mets fans will hope to hear “Narco” blasting out of the speakers at Citi Field in 2023 and beyond, but that remains to be seen.
If the Mets are unable to re-sign Díaz to a multi-year contract, they will be looking elsewhere to attempt to replace that production. This a task that may be unreasonable, given how great Díaz has been over the last few seasons, especially the 2022 season.
