Edwin Díaz Continues to Shine in the Biggest Moments

Going into their series opener against the Atlanta Braves on Monday night, there was uncertainty surrounding the availability of the Mets All-Star closer Edwin Díaz for game one. The right-handed reliever appeared in each of the last two games against the Miami Marlins over the weekend, but had only thrown a total of 18 pitches. Even with the low pitch count, asking Díaz to pitch for a third straight day if the situation presented itself was far from a guarantee.

As the game entered the top of the ninth inning, the Mets held a slim 3-1 lead. The team was in that position thanks to a dominant performance from Max Scherzer on the mound and some timely hitting in the early stages of the game. Buck Showalter had two relievers up in the bullpen as the Mets extended their lead to 4-1 in the ninth: Seth Lugo and Edwin Díaz. Showlater opted for Díaz in one of the more important games of the season thus far, and that was certainly the right decision.

Díaz came in and did exactly what he has done all season, striking out the side to earn his 19th save of the year. The Mets pitcher retired Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna all with his slider. His breaking ball has been one of the best pitches across baseball, as opponents are hitting .161 with an XBA of .151. Díaz has a whiff rate of 52.7 percent and has struck 52 hitters with his slider in 2022.

The 28-year-old leads all relievers with 18.1 SO/9 through 37 appearances. Josh Hader of the Milwaukee Brewers is the next closest to Díaz at 15.4 SO/9. His last blown save came against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 19th, nearly two months ago. Díaz has earned a save in each of his last ten opportunities.

After some bumps in the road to begin his career in New York, Edwin Díaz seems to be back to the pitcher the Mets acquired from the Seattle Mariners in 2018. The closer is well-deserving of his place in the All-Star game with his dominance through the first half of the season. His performance against the Braves is just another example of how crucial Díaz is to this current Mets team.