PORT ST. LUCIE — Edwin Diaz’s 2021 season fell someplace between his rocky first yr with the Mets and the dominance he displayed the subsequent.
The correct-hander’s electrical arsenal suggests he could be an All-Star nearer yearly. Will the Mets lastly see that type of pitcher over a full season?
“I've improved my final two years right here,” Diaz mentioned Thursday. “My first yr wasn’t type of good. However the final two years have been actually good so I'm prepared for the season.”
It’s a season during which Diaz recorded 32 of 38 saves with a 3.45 ERA in 63 appearances. He endured a tough stretch at midseason during which he blew three straight saves (together with two straight towards the Pirates) that maybe signaled the start of the crew’s decline.
Supervisor Buck Showalter continues to be attending to know Diaz, however has seen sufficient of his work to belief him with the nearer’s job. Showalter acknowledged he plans to maintain Diaz in that place, however might additionally insert him in a high-leverage spot earlier than the ninth inning if the state of affairs dictates.
“The ball jumps out of his hand,” Showalter mentioned.
Diaz’s common fastball velocity of 98.8 mph ranked in MLB’s one centesimal percentile final season, in accordance with Baseball Savant. However Diaz’s greatest pitch is perhaps his slider, towards which opponents posted a .181 slugging proportion.
“It’s all about location and command with Edwin,” pitching coach Jeremy Hefner mentioned. “He’s by no means going to have [Jacob] deGrom’s command, however a part of what makes him good is the deceptiveness and efficient wildness. It’s a part of what makes him good as a result of it makes the batter uncomfortable.”
Hefner termed final season as an excellent one for Diaz, an impending free agent after the season who turns 28 subsequent week.
“Clearly he had a few blips that type of harm us just a little bit [last season], proper across the All-Star break towards the Pirates, that wasn’t good,” Hefner mentioned. “He'll let you know that. I felt general he stored happening the momentum that we type of felt construct in ’20 and I count on that to proceed.”
Trevor Might, Seth Lugo and Miguel Castro are among the many different key returning elements of the bullpen. Aaron Loup and Jeurys Familia departed by means of free company. A kind of spots was crammed by Adam Ottavino, who arrived on a one-year contract value $4 million. The Mets haven’t but added a confirmed lefty to switch Loup, who recorded a 0.95 ERA in 65 appearances.
“We'll miss him, he was actually good for us — I believe the perfect reliever within the bullpen final yr,” Diaz mentioned. “We've to maintain wanting ahead and see if we are able to do higher this yr.”
The very fact the Mets traded prime prospect Jarred Kelenic as a part of the bundle to accumulate Diaz (together with Robinson Cano) has left one thing of a goal on Diaz’s chest. And there was thought that Diaz’s robust 2020 season, during which he pitched to a 1.75 ERA, may need been helped by the absence of followers within the stands through the pandemic.
However Diaz says any such ideas ought to have been erased final season, when followers returned to the ballpark. In his first season he was routinely booed throughout a nightmarish yr during which he was faraway from the nearer’s position within the second half. Diaz allowed 15 homers in 58 innings that season and completed with a 5.59 ERA.
“Final yr with followers I pitched rather well,” Diaz mentioned. “[The fans] handled me higher final yr. I really feel completely satisfied for that as a result of if I do my job they are going to root for me and that's what they did for me final yr.”
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