Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Edwin Diaz finished ninth in the National League Cy Young Award voting, the highest finish of any relief pitcher this season. Diaz, who compiled 32 saves with a 1.31 ERA, 297 ERA+ and a staggering 50.2 strikeout percentage in 2022, received one second-place vote (from MLB.com Cardinals beat writer John Denton) and two fifth-place votes. No other Mets pitchers received a vote.
The Marlins Sandy Alcantara was a unanimous winner on the NL side for his first-career Cy Young Award. Atlanta’s Max Fried finished second, and Julio Urias of the Dodgers finished third.
Diaz re-signed with the Mets early this offseason on a five-year, $102 million contract, ensuring the team will have the back end of their bullpen locked up for years to come. If Diaz receives more Cy Young votes in 2023 and beyond, the Mets will be more than happy with the deal.
In the American League, Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros won his third-career Cy Young in unanimous fashion. Verlander, who has been linked to the Mets in free agency is allegedly seeking a Scherzer-type deal this offseason. White Sox ace Dylan Cease was the runner-up in the AL, while Alek Manoah of the Blue Jays came in third, and Angels megastar Shohei Ohtani finished fourth.
