“He’s just a strikeout machine,” said Vogelbach, who has never faced Diaz in a real game. That job is not an easy one, but if anyone can make closing games look like a walk in the park, it’s 2022 Edwin Diaz. “They asked me for four outs tonight, I came and did my job.” “Whatever they ask me to do,” Diaz said after notching his 22nd save on Tuesday. If the Mets find themselves in a similar situation this postseason, expect Diaz and his trumpets to be playing whenever he’s needed. Just ask Showalter, who lost the 2016 AL Wild Card Game after keeping Zack Britton in the bullpen during a tie game on the road. Rigid bullpen usage can often be a death sentence for managers. Diaz has come into a game five times in the eighth inning as Showalter plays the matchup rather than the inning. The dominance hasn’t been limited to just the ninth inning, though. He’s striking everybody out, making it look really easy. I’ve played with a lot of great relief pitchers, but the run he’s on right now, it’s different. “When he’s coming in, you feel pretty good about it,” said Adam Ottavino, who’s been Diaz’s primary setup man this year. Diaz has also recorded 68 strikeouts in the ninth inning the next closest person is Josh Hader at 56. By Wins Above Replacement, Diaz is in fact the best reliever in the game. It’s been an honor to watch him pitch this year.” I don’t know if there’s a better guy at the end of games this year than him. “I don’t think he’s gotta show us anything,” Buck Showalter said on Tuesday. Three years later, he’s been arguably the most important pitcher on the team. His seven blown saves in 2019 were tied for third-most in the league, and a 5.59 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 15 home runs in 58 innings had many fans calling for his head. Then came the trade to the Mets, and his first year with his new team was a tragedy wrapped in a fiasco. He has one of the highest career strikeout numbers in major league baseball history. Like many young relievers, Diaz dealt with bouts of home run- and walk-itis in his early days with the M’s before reaching his third year and turning in one of the best seasons a reliever has ever had. Edwin Diaz is an amazing pitcher for the New York Mets. Even as Vogelbach, Walker and others watched him take the bull by the horns as a flamethrowing rookie, improvements needed to be made. It took a while for Diaz to reach his final form. “I’m thinking I’m the best on the mound.” “I’m prepared to face anyone,” Diaz said after vanquishing the Yankees on Tuesday. His slider is really good and he throws his fastball when he needs to.”īut what does the man himself think about the season he’s having, which has probably made a few hitters consider a career change. “I feel like this year, instead of a thrower he’s a pitcher now,” Walker summarized. If not for Arizona’s Daulton Varsho, who took Diaz deep in his seventh outing of the year, there would be no extra base hits off the slider in 2022. Chapman’s 52.5% from 2014 is also the record for a pitcher that threw at least 50 innings. The slider has been the finishing move on 62 of his 81 strikeouts and is the main reason for his 51.6% strikeout percentage.
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