Kyle Finnegan

Finnegan was surprisingly non-tendered by the Nationals last offseason, but ended up re-signing with them during spring training. He posted a pedestrian 4.38 ERA in 39 innings for Washington, but pitched much better after getting traded to Detroit at the trade deadline, recording a 1.50 ERA with 23 strikeouts against four walks in 18 innings. Overall, Finnegan saved 24 games and posted a 3.47 ERA on the season, but his 3.16 xERA and 3.12 FIP indicate he got a bit unlucky. He’s entering his age-34 season, so it’s hard to envision him getting more than a one or two-year contract.

Devin Williams

Yes, Devin Williams had the worst year of his career in 2025. However, his 3.07 xERA, 2.68 FIP, and 2.95 xFIP make him look like an obvious bounce-back candidate. Williams still had a strong 34.7% strikeout rate, and his walk rate dropped below 10% for the first time since 2020. He looked more like his old self in the playoffs, tossing four scoreless innings with a 100% strand rate. Williams and David Stearns are familiar with each other from their time in Milwaukee, and perhaps Stearns gives his former closer a prove-it deal to try to get him back on track.

Brad Keller

Keller enjoyed a breakout season in his first full year as a reliever. He posted a 2.07 ERA with 75 strikeouts against 22 walks and allowed just four home runs in 69 2/3 innings. He also assumed the Cubs’ closer’s role when Daniel Palencia got injured late in the season. His average fastball velocity skyrocketed from 93.8 mph to 97.2, and his underlying metrics suggest that his performance wasn’t a fluke. Keller’s strong performance continued into the postseason, in which he allowed just one earned run and recorded two saves in 5 2/3 innings. Heading into his age-30 season, Keller will likely receive a multi-year contract to be a high-leverage reliever.

Kenley Jansen

In his age-37 season, Jansen showed few signs of age, posting a 2.59 ERA in 59 innings and going 29-for-30 in save opportunities. He was particularly great in the second half, boasting a 1.48 ERA and just a 0.616 WHIP over 24 1/3 innings. Jansen is MLB’s active saves leader at 476 and is just two saves behind Hall of Famer Lee Smith for third on the all-time saves list. Jansen’s biggest weakness was the home run ball, but he allowed just two in the second half of the season. He’s said his goal is to reach 500 career saves, and he could hit that milestone in 2026. Jansen also brings an impressive postseason résumé, ranking second behind Mariano Rivera with 20 saves and owning a 2.20 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings. Given his age, Jansen will likely get just a one-year contract, but he’s shown he can still be effective.

Michael Kopech

This is the riskiest option, as Kopech missed most of 2025 with injuries and struggled with his control in his limited sample size on the field. However, he showed off how dominant he can be down the stretch in 2024, posting a 1.13 ERA with 29 strikeouts over 24 innings and going 6-for-6 in save opportunities. Kopech was also a workhorse for Dave Roberts in the playoffs, appearing in 10 games and allowing three earned runs over nine innings. The flamethrowing righty seems like a candidate for a one-year deal to see if he can right himself, but he’s shown in the past that he has a high ceiling as a reliever.

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The Washington Nationals are re-signing reliever Kyle Finnegan to a one-year deal, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Finnegan, 33, earned an All-Star selection last season but struggled significantly in the second half. He’ll return to Washington on a $6 million guarantee.

Despite his struggles, the Nats could still opt to have him close. A National since 2020, he has been a reliable late-inning reliever each season since. With Washington unlikely to contend, he also profiles as a potential trade candidate.

Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets fell 8-5 to the Houston Astros on Tuesday in a game that featured home runs from both Jose Siri and Brett Baty. Baty’s homer comes at a crucial time for him — he’s competing for the final spot on the New York bench.

As of now, Kodai Senga is not scheduled to pitch in any Grapefruit League games. Instead, he will continue making simulated outings in live BP. Senga’s buildup and health for the upcoming season are still progressing well, according to Tim Healey of Newsday.

Last year, Mets reliever Tyler Zuber rediscovered his love for baseball with the Long Island Ducks. Ironically, Zuber and his wife have adopted a duck before. Now, back in affiliated ball, he says that he appreciates the journey from professional baseball to independent ball and back again. With a fresh perspective and a nasty sweeper, he’ll look to carve out a spot in the Mets’ bullpen. Read Tim Healey’s column here.

Latest MLB News

Chinese Taipei defeated Spain 6-3 on Tuesday, securing a spot in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Former Cleveland Guardian Yu Chang recorded four total bases and an RBI in the victory.

Latest on MMO

Alexis Farinacci recaps spring training action from Tuesday’s game.

Metsmerized’s writers share their thoughts on what they’re watching most closely during this year’s spring training.

Elliot Teichman breaks down what to expect from non-roster invitee Kevin Parada.

On This Date in Mets History

2016: Major League Baseball and the MLBPA agree on a rule protecting infielders from baserunners. The rule requires runners to attempt to reach the base and stay on it while sliding. Notably, this decision comes just months after Chase Utley broke Mets shortstop Rubén Tejada‘s leg.

2008: Newly acquired New York Met Johan Santana lands on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Born on This Date: Kevin Plawecki (1991).

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Position: RP B/T: R/R

Age: 33 (09/04/1991)

2024 Traditional Stats: 65 G, 63 2/3 IP, 3.68 ERA, 1.335 WHIP, 3-8, 38 SV, 60 K, 24 BB

2024 Advanced Stats: 110 ERA+, 22.1% K%, 8.9% BB%, 4.31 xERA, 4.25 FIP, 3.81 xFIP, 0.0 fWAR, 0.9 bWAR

Rundown

Kyle Finnegan has spent much of the last four seasons as the Nationals’ closer, and he’s done a solid job each year. In 2024, he made his first All-Star Game, racking up a career-high 38 saves – good for second in the National League behind Ryan Helsley. It surprised many when the Nationals opted to non-tender Finnegan ahead of his final year of arbitration, in which he was projected to be owed $8.6 million.

There are some red flags about Finnegan. He had a sparkling 2.45 ERA in the first half of the season but got hit hard to the tune of a 5.79 ERA in the second half, with his opponents batting .337/.404/.490 against him. Mostly a two-pitch pitcher, Finnegan’s whiff rate dipped on both his four-seam fastball and his splitter. His four-seamer registered a disappointing negative-1 run value, down from the 6 it registered in 2023. He occasionally mixes in a slider, which generated a strong .098 xBA and 33.3% whiff rate. Opponents frequently made loud contact against Finnegan, with his 48.1% hard-hit rate ranking in the majors’ second percentile and his average exit velocity of 91.3 miles per hour ranking in the first percentile. Finnegan also saw his fly ball rate jump from 17.5% to a career-high 24.6% and his walk rate increase from 8.3% to 8.9%.

Finnegan was able to maintain his velocity though, averaging 97.2 MPH on his fastball, just .1 below his 2023 average. Additionally, his strikeout rate increased, his barrel rate decreased by 1.5%, and all of his expected stats improved by a healthy margin. Home runs have always been an issue for Finnegan, but 3.3% HR% was his lowest mark since 2021. Finnegan’s numbers are also inflated by his struggles in non-save situations – he had a 7.08 ERA in those situations compared to a 2.08 ERA in save situations. He also blew just five of his 43 save opportunities, compared to the eight he blew in 36 chances in 2023. Overall, it’s fair to say 2024 was a step forward for Finnegan.

Contract

As mentioned previously, Finnegan was projected to receive $8.6 million in arbitration in 2025. He isn’t listed on MLB Trade Rumors’ Top 50 Free Agents. Spotrac sees him receiving a two-year contract worth $24.9 million.

Recommendation

The Mets have seen plenty of Finnegan over the last few years, and he’s proven he can be an effective reliever. Giving him a multi-year contract is a tough sell, but if he’s willing to take a one-year deal, the Mets should consider him. The bullpen was the Mets’ biggest weakness in 2024 and they have yet to do much to improve it so far. They could use any arms they can get, and Finnegan could slot in as another high-leverage reliever.

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From a pitching standpoint, many bullpen arms were let go, some with success in 2024 and others with success in recent seasons.

Below are the non-tendered bullpen arms highlighted that could help the Mets in 2025. Click here to read the entire list of players non-tendered Friday.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Jordan Romano

Jordan Romano‘s 2024 was forgettable. The righty struggled to a 6.59 ERA in 13 2/3 innings and then was shut down for the remainder of the season after receiving surgery to repair an impingement in his throwing elbow.

Still, the 31-year-old is only one season removed from back-to-back All-Star appearances and could be worth a flier. From 2020-2024, Romano struck out 251 batters in 200 2/3 innings, pitching to a 2.24 ERA. He was estimated to make $7.75 million by MLBTrade Rumors.

Kyle Finnegan

Kyle Finnegan‘s non-tender was shocking. The Nationals held onto the closer at the deadline in a year where the price to buy was high, then after a poor second half released the righty.

But was the second half poor enough to justify a non-tender? Yes, it really was. In 23 1/3 innings, Finnegan pitched to a 5.79 ERA, walked 11 batters, allowed three homers, and 33 hits. This came after a first half where he pitched to a 2.45 ERA and struck out 42 batters in 40 1/3 innings.

Now, Finnegan hits the open market and is available to all teams. His 1.886 second half WHIP is glaring, but would be an absolute bargain if he lands somewhere in the middle of his All-Star performance and second-half blunders, where his career 3.56 ERA and 1.319 WHIP tend to be.

Colin Poche

Another year, another arm non-tendered by the Rays. Colin Poche has become the latest victim of this cycle.

The lefty was solid in 2024, pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 37 1/3 innings. His name was rumored in trade discussions in 2024, especially among Mets fans, but he was ultimately held onto and then released.

Poche will be an interesting name of the market. He’s past age 30, but has now had consecutive successful seasons as a lefty and comes from the valuable pitching lab of Tampa. The predictive statistics weren’t good (4.88 FIP and 91 mile-per-hour average exit velocity), but the Mets are short on left-hand relievers and Poche would be a cheaper option.

Tanner Rainey

There was a time where Tanner Rainey looked like a star in the making. He threw triple digits, won a World Series in 2019, and had amassed 148 strikeouts in 100 1/3 innings.

But Tommy John hit Rainey in 2022, and it’s been lost years since. The righty missed all of 2023, and then in 51 innings in 2024, Rainey pitched to a 4.76 ERA and 1.490 WHIP.

So, an easy no. Right? Well, not so fast. Rainey had an impressive August and September, pitching to month ERAs of 2.25 and 2.00, while keeping the WHIP at 1.000 in both.

The slider was also impressive, earning a 46.3 Whiff percentage and 2295 RPM. Rainey will be an interesting flier, and could be a smart pick-up by organizations. It might not be 100 miles per hour anymore, but Rainey still has stuff that plays.

JT Chargois

JT Chargois was another premium name that was non-tendered Friday. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the Mariners DFA’d the bullpen arm on Nov. 19 before the deadline.

The move cleared some money from their payroll for the next season, and with an abundance of arms on the roster, the team could afford to lose Chargois. But for all the others, another reliable arm hit the market.

Chargois pitched to a combined 2.23 ERA between the Marlins and Mariners but had concerning FIPs of 5.53 and 4.54. The 46.2 and 36.7 hard-hit percentages weren’t good either, but still wasn’t enough to hurt the LA native in season.

Regardless of predictive stats, Chargois will still be a sought-after name. The slider remains glitchy with its 2600 RPM and 33.3% whiff rate, and the 40% groundball rate will play with a solid defense behind him.

Jacob Webb

Jacob Webb was another odd non-tender. He was only projected to receive a contract worth $1.7 million and was a key bullpen arm for the Orioles.

In 2024, the righty pitched to a 3.02 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings. Webb also put up a respectable 1.182 WHIP and 3.52 FIP.

Webb is certainly a name the Mets should inquire about this offseason. His arsenal features a 94-mile-per-hour fastball that rides up in the zone, with a changeup and sweeper to get batters out. His changeup particularly was special, with batters hitting only .125 and slugging .219 on the pitch.

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Jacob Barnes (4-2, 3.82 ERA) got the win for the Nationals, while Jake Diekman (2-3, 4.73 ERA) was credited with the loss. Kyle Finnegan earned his 23^rd save of the year for the Nationals.

Christian Scott (0-2, 4.32) got the start for the Mets after being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse prior to the game on Wednesday. He was opposed by Mitchell Parker (5-4, 3.61 ERA) for the Nationals.

Jul 1, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Jake Diekman (30) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

Scott threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits and two walks, striking out two and giving up one home run. Scott pitched well through five and just couldn’t finish the sixth, running into the most trouble he faced on the night in the sixth as the Nationals struck for three to tie it up.

The Mets offense had just five hits against the Nationals’ pitching staff, all coming on extra-base hits, including home runs in three straight innings.

Tyrone Taylor launched his fifth home run of the season in the third to give the Mets the early lead on a solo home run that made it a 1-0 Mets lead. Mark Vientos then hit a two-run home run in the fourth to make it 3-0 Mets. Francisco Lindor rounded out the home run parade with a two-run home run in the fifth to make it 5-0 Mets lead.

The Nationals offense got one run back in the fifth inning, but the Mets were still hanging on to a 5-1 lead. The game was in the Mets driver’s seat. Unfortunately, Scott faltered and the Mets bullpen blundered again.

Luis García Jr. brought the Nats back to life in the sixth. He hit his first homer of the night, a three-run shot to cut the Mets lead to 5-4. Then, in the seventh, the Nationals went on to take the lead in the seventh on an RBI double by Lane Thomas and an RBI single by the rookie James Wood.

Scott was in line for the win after the sixth, but Jake Diekman allowed two runs in the seventh to put the Nats in front. It negated a relatively solid outing for Scott excluding the sixth when he ran into his most trouble.

The Nationals then extended their lead in the bottom of the eighth to 7-5 on García’s second homer of the game. From there, Hunter Harvey and Kyle Finnegan shut out the Mets on both their third consecutive outings in this series.

Player of the Game

Mark Vientos continued his breakout 2024 with a homer off Parker in the fourth. It went to deep center field and gave extended the Mets’ lead to 3-0 at the time.

On Deck

It will be a quick turnaround for the Mets and Nationals as they conclude their series on Thursday in an early morning matchup at 11:05 am EDT at Nationals’ Park. Jose Quintana (3-5, 4.57 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets and will be opposed by righty Jake Irvin (6-6, 3.03 ERA). The game will televised on SNY and broadcast on WCBS 880.

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Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5: Washington Nationals

The Nationals ended the 2023 season with the worst bullpen ERA in baseball, finishing the year with a 5.02 ERA in 599 innings of relief work. The bullpen mustered 42 saves and a combined 0.6 fWAR while producing the worst K/9 rate in the league at 7.86 and HR/9 rate at 1.41. Suffice it to say, the Nats’ bullpen leaves much to be desired. However, the backend of the bullpen is their secret weapon. Hunter Harvey by far, has been their most reliable arm, posting a 2.82 ERA in 60 innings. Harvey’s fastball velocity ranked in the 97th percentile, averaging at around 98.3 mph, and his walk rate was one of the best in the game at 5.5%.

Kyle Finnegan appeared in 67 games for the Nationals in 2023, the most of any member. Washington is in the midst of a rebuild, and the process will continue in 2024.

Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4: Miami Marlins

If there were one word to describe the Marlins’ 2023 bullpen, it would probably be forgettable. Of course, while forgettable is suitable in some places, the last place you want to be forgettable is on a baseball diamond. The Marlins fell in the middle of the pack in nearly all stat categories, but disaster struck when they traded for David Robertson. The ace they thought they scored to be their new closer floundered in the south, and the bullpen struggled in the back half.

While they earned their first full-season playoff ticket in twenty years, the 2024 outlook looks average at best. Their backend, however, is solid, anchored by Tanner Scott, A.J. Puk and Andrew Nardi. The 5.9 fWAR the 2023 bullpen generated in 2023 is due to this trio of hard throwers, but the rest of the bullpen is murky at best. However, ZiPS does project the bullpen to be in the top third in the league.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

No. 3: New York Mets

The bullpen might be one of the most glaring question marks for the 2024 Mets. With the return of Edwin Díaz and the additions of Jake Diekman, Shintaro Fujinami and Jorge López among others, the Mets are at a fork in the road. With plenty of potential and upside in their signings and acquisitions, there’s also room to be cautious. López and Fujinami have had successes before but struggled with their control in recent years.

However, David Stearns made sure depth was the name of the game this offseason. The Mets often found themselves thin on pitching, unsure where to turn, and Stearns now constructed a roster where the “next man up mentality” can prove effective. The 2023 bullpen had a slightly worse fWAR than the Nationals’ bullpen at 0.5 but still fell fourth in the division in K/9 with 9.20.

New York’s bullpen may very well be better than they look on paper right now. One thing for certain is their pen will certainly give Atlanta and Philadelphia’s bullpens a run for their money.

Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2: Atlanta Braves

In 2023, the Braves led NL East relievers in K/9 (9.83), games saved (52) and BB/9 (3.23). Anchored by closer Raisel Iglesias, who led the NL East with 33 saves, the Braves bolstered their bullpen in the offseason when they signed Reynaldo López to a three-year deal. López bounced around in 2023 but pitched to an impressive 3.27 ERA and a career-high 83 strikeouts (as a relief pitcher). Pierce Johnson returns to the Braves bullpen after posting a 0.76 ERA in 23 2/3 innings for them last year. A.J. Minter (31.5 K%) and Joe Jiménez (30.7 K%) give them two big strikeout pitchers as well. 

The Braves’ bullpen remains otherwise the same entering the new season. Two notable losses include Kirby Yates, who signed with the Rangers, and Michael Tonkin, who inked a deal with the division rival Mets.

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1: Philadelphia Phillies

What was once a sore spot for the Phillies has become one of their strengths. Even with closer José Alvarado sidelined for a good chunk of the year (don’t worry, when he did pitch, batters only hit .195 off him), the team led NL East relievers in ERA (3.58), FIP (3.88) and fWAR (6.8). Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm and Seranthony Dominguez have become mainstays, and the bullpen is deep from top to bottom.

Orion Kerkering debuted and became somewhat of an unsung hero, unfortunately against the Mets, but is sure to have a bright future. Lefty Gregory Soto struggled in his first year in the National League, but even with his high walk rate, he landed in the 93rd percentile in Whiff% (34%).

All in all, the Phillies don’t seem poised for a setback barring injury. If anything, the pen is only going to get better and surely will be a nuisance for all batters across the league.

Previous NL East Positional Rankings: 

• First Base
• Second Base
• Third Base
• Shortstop
• Designated Hitter
• Starting Pitcher
• Right Field
• Left Field
• Center Field

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Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

A closer can make or break a team, and heading into 2023, the NL East is loaded with talent. The Phillies spent their offseason retooling their bullpen, adding two legit arms with closing experience, the Braves will call upon a new face with the departure of Kenley Jansen, and the Mets will call upon Edwin Díaz to replicate his dominant 2022 season. The division will be tight, and the ninth-inning guys may decide the division. Before the 2023 season begins, MMO has ranked the top five closers/top bullpen men in the NL East.

No. 5 – Kyle Finnegan

While the Nationals had a season to forget in 2022, Kyle Finnegan was one of the few players who performed well. He posted a 3.51 ERA, 9.5 SO/9, and 112 ERA+ in 66 2/3 innings, locking down the eighth and ninth innings for the majority of the season.

Finnegan’s success lies in his 97 mph sinker, which he throws 78.8% of the time. The pitch is overpowering, as it ranks in the 93rd percentile for fastball velocity, leading batters to record a .217 batting average and a .394 slugging percentage against it.

Unfortunately for Finnegan, his issue is also his sinker, as he relied heavily on the pitch in 2022, leading to a lack of deception. He threw his slider and split-finger a combined 21.2% of the time, leading batters to sit on his sinker. As a result, Finnegan ranked in the 10th percentile for average exit velocity, 11% percentile for hard hit percentage, and 17th percentile for chase rate. To make matters worse, his sinker had minimal movement and ranked in the 12th percentile in fastball spin.

No. 4 – Dylan Floro

Dylan Floro had another under-the-radar year for the Marlins in 2022. He posted a 3.02 ERA, 1.174 WHIP, and 135 ERA+ in 53 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old impressively also held batters in check, holding them to four home runs and a .388 slugging percentage last season.

The advanced numbers also showed that Floro was great at inducing soft contact. He finished in the 88th percentile for hard hit percentage, 75th percentile for average exit velocity and 84th percentile for barrel percentage. The lack of hard contact can also be traced to Floro’s ability to keep the ball on the ground, as he finished the season with a 43.9% ground-ball rate and 1.8% home run rate.

The separating pitch for Floro, however, was his slider in 2022. While it only comes in at 84.1 mph and has an 1891 spin rate, batters couldn’t pick up the pitch and whiffed 40.1% of the time. Impressively, Floro held batters to a .333 slugging percentage against the slider and only gave up one extra-base in 189 tries.

No. 3 – Seranthony Domínguez/Craig Kimbrel/Gregory Soto

Picking a closer for the Phillies is no easy task. As of now, they have three closers with MLB experience and all have equally great stuff. To make matters more difficult, the Phillies haven’t awarded any of them the closer’s role.

Seranthony Domínguez could win the role out of spring training. He’s had trouble staying healthy in his young career, but had a promising 2022, posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.137 WHIP, 10.8 SO/9, and 136 ERA+ in 51 innings.

Gregory Soto and Craig Kimbrel both are threats to winning the closer role in spring training as well. The two of them joined the Phillies in the off-season and have prior experience in the ninth inning. Soto saved 30 games for the Tigers in 2022, posting a 3.28 ERA, 9 SO/9, and 116 ERA+ in 60 1/3 innings. Similarly, Kimbrel saved 22 games for the Dodgers last season, posting a 3.75 ERA, 10.8 SO/9, and 112 ERA+ in 60 innings.

However, the three of them all had similar issues last season. Kimbrel, Soto, and Domínguez all allowed consistent hard contact, with all three of them finishing in the 13th percentile or lower for hard hit percentage and 10th percentile or lower for average exit velocity. The three closers also all struggled with walks, finishing in the 13th percentile or lower for walk rate.

No matter who comes out on top, the ranking wouldn’t change. The Phillies’ closers are all elite strikeout pitchers, who give up their fair share of hard contact and walk too many batters. Based on their previous seasons, Kimbrel or Domínguez will most likely win the closer’s role. Soto struggled the most out of the three, landing in the bottom 1% of the league for exit velocity and the 2nd percentile for BB%.

No. 2 – Raisel Iglesias

Raisel Iglesias has the potential to be an X-factor for the Braves in the 2023 season. He was dominant after being traded to Atlanta and recorded a 0.34 ERA, 0.835 WHIP, and 10.3 SO/9 in 26 1/3 innings.

For 2023, he’ll have to replicate his stellar numbers in the ninth inning, since Kenley Jansen signed with the Red Sox. While Jansen wasn’t as dominant as Iglesias, he locked down the ninth for the Braves, leading the NL with 41 saves.

Iglesias has the potential to be better in the ninth, however, for the Braves. Not only were his numbers for the season great, but his advanced metrics were absurd. Iglesias finished in the 92nd percentile for strikeout percentage, 82nd percentile for walk rate, and 93rd percentile for whiff percentage.

The two pitches responsible for Iglesias’s success were his slider and change-up. Batters whiffed over 42% against both pitches, resulting in 45 of his 78 strikeouts. When batters did make contact against the two pitches, it wasn’t with authority, as Iglesias held batters to an average exit velocity of under 85 mph.

No. 1 – Edwin Díaz

Queue Timmy Trumpet everybody, Díaz is coming in as the number one closer on this list!

Díaz had a historically great season in 2022 with the Mets. He posted a 1.31 ERA, 0.90 FIP, 0.839 WHIP, and 17.1 SO/9 in 62 innings. For a consecutive season, Díaz recorded 0.4 HR/9, putting to bed his problem with the long ball.

Díaz’s return to dominance can be attributed to his slider, which was the pitch that made him great in 2018 with the Mariners. Batters hit .114 and slugged .134 against the pitch, while also whiffing 54.7% of the time. The confidence in the slider was key as well, resulting in Díaz throwing the slider 58.1% of the time and recording a 38.1 PutAway%.

With the resurgence of his slider and electric fastball, Díaz lit up his baseball-savant page up red. He finished in the 96th percentile for average exit velocity, 93rd percentile for barrel percentage, 99th percentile for fastball velocity, and 97th percentile for chase rate. If that didn’t impress, Díaz also finished in the 100th percentile K% and Whiff%.

Díaz wasn’t just the best closer in the NL East in 2022 but in the entire sport. He was awarded the NL Reliever of the Year award for 2022, while also finishing ninth in Cy Young voting and 16th in MVP voting. Heading into 2023, Díaz is indisputably the best closer in MLB.

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The Dodgers bested the Cardinals on Sunday – one of the teams vying for a coveted NL Wild Card spot – but as the calendar shrinks, the Mets can’t rely on the kindness of strangers to stay relevant in the playoff picture.

I watched a portion of today’s game on the live feed of MLB.com while multitasking, darting in and out of grabbing groceries. Clinging to a 3-2 lead, it was concerning that New York couldn’t collect the insurance runs they desperately needed before Washington’s final at-bats.

When Edwin Diaz took the mound I was pulling into my driveway. By the time I entered the house, he had walked leadoff hitter, Alcides Escobar – which provoked a bad omen by the mere fact that he was on base. (See Game 1 of the Mets 2015 World Series against Kansas City).

After Diaz erased Juan Soto on a foul fly to left, he, unlike Jesus saving, gaveth away yet another free pass to Josh Bell. With two on and one out, Andrew Stevenson pinch-hit for relief pitcher, Kyle Finnegan, and just how it’s always scripted in a Diaz dire situation, Stevenson tied it up with a single off an 0-2 pitch.

As I place my final purchase into the fridge, Carter Kieboom put the kibosh on an extra-inning, by chopping a walk-off single to center. So instead of celebrating Pete Alonso‘s 30th home run of the season, which would’ve sealed the win, we lament another disastrous moment in Mets bullpen history.

When will the Mets get the memo that Diaz is not the go-to guy with the game on the line? A golden opportunity to edge a bit closer to the idle Braves was squandered and the cliché that every game counts is now glaring.

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