New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz was called upon to hold a one-run lead against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. The right-hander had no issues as he tossed a scoreless ninth inning to record his second save of the season. Diaz needed only 10 pitches to finish off three batters as he allowed zero baserunners. It's nice to see Diaz settling down after he struggled with his command during spring training. Fantasy managers can continue safely plugging Diaz into their lineups on a daily basis.
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz's velocity has been down during spring training games. The stadium radar gun had Diaz's four-seam fastball sitting between 93-95 mph during his Grapefruit League outing on Wednesday, while StatCast has him averaging 95.7 mph with his four-seamer this spring. That would be the 30-year-old right-hander's lowest velocity since 2020. However, manager Carlos Mendoza thinks Diaz's velocity will continue to increase as he approaches real games next week. Two years ago before Diaz injured his knee, he was averaging 99 mph in spring games. A rival scout watching Diaz on Wednesday said he doesn't look like "the same guy." He hasn't allowed a run in his last three spring outings, but his outings haven't been clean, either. It's possible that Diaz won't be throwing as hard as he used to, but it doesn't mean he still won't be an elite fantasy closer.
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz told club officials that this is the best he's ever felt, according to The Athletic's Will Sammon and Tim Britton. "I made sure my arm was ready to go," D az said. "And I feel great." Diaz wasn't able to have a normal offseason last year after missing the entire 2023 campaign due to a knee injury, and his arm wasn't exactly ready in 2024. Heading into his age-31 season, he can opt out of his contract with the Mets after this year. Beyond 2025, Diaz is guaranteed two years and $38 million. Diaz didn't exactly look like his pre-injury self last year and also missed time with a shoulder injury, but he did have a 38.9 percent strikeout rate, which was slightly down from his 40.1 percent career mark. Another year removed from his knee injury and while closing games for one of the best teams in baseball on paper, Diaz is an elite fantasy closer.
Edwin Diaz Strikes Out Three, Earns Save On Monday
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz earned a four-out save in Monday's 7-3 victory over the Dodgers, his second save of this postseason. The 30-year-old squashed a potential Dodgers rally in the eighth, coming on with two outs and two baserunners on, getting a flyout to end the threat. The ninth inning had its usual uneasiness for Diaz though, with the first two hitters reaching base, one via hit and one via walk, but Diaz settled down and struck out the next three hitters to close the door on Los Angeles. The veteran closer will want to clean up the 1.93 WHIP through four 2024 postseason appearances to better the Mets' chances of moving on, but 10 strikeouts in four-and-two-thirds IP certainly helps limit potential damage.
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz picked up his first win of the postseason on Thursday, tossing 1 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of their Wild Card series. Diaz came in after Jose Butto gave up back-to-back homers and put the Mets down 2-0. He got the next five outs and set the stage for a big comeback in the top of the ninth. Diaz did end up throwing 39 pitches in this one, so his availability for Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies could be up in the air. It is the postseason though, so if Diaz is needed, he will probably be ready to go.
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz picked up his 13th save of the season in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Twins. Diaz came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning up by two with two outs and runners on first and second. He struck out Byron Buxton to end the frame and stayed on to pitch the ninth, delivering a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. The 30-year-old has been disappointing by his standards for fantasy, but he has been much better from June onward. This has started to reflect in his season numbers, as he has now converted 13 of 18 save opportunities with a 3.77 ERA, a 12.48 K/9 rate, and a 3.48 BB/9 rate in 31 innings pitched. He has been one of fantasy's top closers throughout his career, and he is starting to show those skills again.
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz picked up his 12th save of the season in Monday's 6-4 win over the Marlins. Diaz came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a strikeout, loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, got the second out on an RBI groundout, and ended the game with a pop-out. The 30-year-old has been disappointing by his standards this season, blowing five save opportunities with a 4.08 ERA, a 12.24 K/9 rate, and a 3.45 BB/9 rate. However, he has been much better since returning from the injured list in mid-June, allowing one run in 10 appearances while converting seven save opportunities.
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Friday's 7-6 win over the Rockies, although it wasn't without drama. The 30-year-old walked two batters in the inning before recording the final out on his way to earning his 10th save of the season. While it has been a rollercoaster of a season for the righty, he's been relatively solid over the last month despite the suspension, collecting five saves and allowing just three hits and three walks while striking out seven in six-and-two-thirds innings of work since June 13 (seven appearances).
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz picked up his ninth save of the season in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Nationals. Diaz came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three with two outs and a runner on first. The runner advanced to second on defensive indifference and scored on a wild pitch. However, Diaz then shut the door by striking out CJ Abrams. The 30-year-old was considered one of fantasy's top closers for this season, but he has dealt with a banned-substance suspension and a shoulder injury earlier in the season. He has only converted nine of 14 save opportunities with a 4.21 ERA, a 12.62 K/9 rate, and a 2.81 BB/9 rate. While he has disappointed overall, Diaz has been a top-tier fantasy closer throughout his career and has not allowed a run since returning from his suspension in the middle of June.
Edwin Diaz Tallies Eighth Save Of The Season On Saturday
New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz was activated from his suspension on Saturday and was tasked to hold on to a three-run lead in the final inning. Diaz hit the first batter, Oneil Cruz. Then he struck out Rowdy Tellez to earn the first out. He then got Andrew McCutchen to ground into a double play to seal the victory. This was a great outing for the 30-year-old as he has been sidelined over the past two weeks due to suspension protocols and has dealt with a shoulder injury in May. Across 24 innings, Diaz sits with a disappointing 4.50 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. However, he has tossed four straight shutout frames and has only allowed two hits in this span, which suggests the elite closer may be rounding into form.
Edwin Díaz
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Mets
