Edwin Diaz gives the New York Mets confidence that he will handle the ninth inning, no matter how harrowing the task may seem. Saturday night against the San Francisco Giants proved no different. He walked a tightrope, as he sometimes does, but he found a way to get the job done. Diaz closed the Mets’ 2-1 victory and illustrated further why he gives New York a distinctive advantage over its key National League opponents.

Diaz Came To The Mets In A Highly Controversial Trade

Diaz’s arrival in the Big Apple wasn’t applauded by many.  The Mets acquired him in a blockbuster deal that also brought Robinson Cano to New York while shipping out Jay Bruce and prized prospect Jarred Kelenic to the Seattle Mariners.

Cano had $120 million still owed to him over five years, and the Mariners only chipped in $20 million. The Mets took on the brunt of the burdensome contract and gave away an elite prospect in Kelenic. New York had the leverage because Seattle was desperate to deal

The Mets should have either taken on the cash and dealt mediocre prospects or traded upper-level young talent and insisted that the Mariners pay the brunt of Cano’s contract. Instead, they traded away an elite prospect and paid most of the money for a washed-up player. The trade understandably received intense scrutiny.

Diaz Struggles Initially

Diaz didn’t lessen fans’ ire as he struggled mightily in his New York debut season. He imploded in 2019, going 2-7 with a 5.59 earned run average. He responded by putting in extensive offseason work with pitching great and former Met Pedro Martinez.

Diaz began his turnaround with an effective performance during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, going 2-1 with six saves and a 1.75 ERA. He followed up with a steady 2021 campaign, finishing 3-1 with 32 saves and a 3.45 ERA. He became a quality closer, and the trade didn’t look so bad.

Becomes A Fan Favorite

Diaz instilled a connection with Mets fans in 2022 that endures. For the first time, he looked like the dominant 2018 closer when he amassed 57 saves for Seattle. He made hitters look ridiculous throughout New York’s run to the playoffs, finishing with 32 saves and a 1.31 ERA while coming out to Timmy Trumpet’s “Narco”, making Diaz a fan favorite. It also earned him a hefty deal to stay with the Mets.

Since 2022, the health and performance of Diaz have had a tremendous impact on New York’s success. He excelled throughout the 2022 campaign, and the Mets made the playoffs for the first time since 2016. He suffered a devastating torn ACL while celebrating a win for his native Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in 2023. He missed the entire season; New York became one of the game’s biggest disappointments, prompting a tradeoff of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

Bounces Back

Diaz, as expected, had numerous ups and downs adjusting to his return in 2024. He struggled often with command and couldn’t put away hitters as effortlessly as he did in 2022. His earned run average rose to 3.52, and his saves dropped to 20.

Diaz became a rock for the Mets down the stretch, though, pitching seemingly every day. After Francisco Lindor and Sean Manaea, he played the biggest role in New York’s storybook run to the playoffs. Once again, he proved that a prominent Diaz correlates prominently with the Mets’ success.

Dominance Returns

Diaz started 2025 with a rocky April, dealing with injury and inconsistency. He struggled mightily with control, walking seven in 11 innings and finishing with an unsightly 4.91 ERA. He also endured right knee inflammation, which forced him from a critical game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Following the slow start, Diaz became unhittable, staking a strong claim to the best closer in the game. Over the last three months, he gave up one earned run, one! He pitched 29 2/3 innings during that span, allowing 14 hits, walking seven, and striking out 42.

New York knows that if it gets to the ninth inning with a lead, it can expect to win. Bullpen management in getting to Diaz has become an adventure over the last month due to injuries to key arms. Closing out games, though, hasn’t been an issue.

Shuts The Door Again

Saturday night in a huge game against the Giants proved another example of Diaz’s supremacy. The Mets remain locked in an intense divisional struggle with the Phillies and need every victory. Winning in San Francisco has proved a tremendous challenge over the years; New York started the series in epic style, smashing the Giants 8-1 on Friday.

Saturday’s matchup didn’t prove so easy for the Mets. David Peterson and Robbie Ray tangled in an epic pitching battle. Peterson allowed one run in six innings, Ray shut New York out until Mark Vientos hit a clutch two-run double in the sixth inning. It clung to a 2-1 lead through the seventh and then the eighth. The Giants held the Mets scoreless in the top of the ninth, meaning Diaz would enter to close it out.

Diaz wasn’t at his absolute filthiest; the Giants smacked several scorching line drives. Only one of them turned into a hit, a double by Jung Hoo Lee with one out. Diaz has shown a knack for raising his game during the few recent occasions when opponents have put runners on. He did so again, striking out Mike Yastrzemski and then getting a magnificent leaping grab by Pete Alonso to retire Patrick Bailey to secure the win.

End Of My Edwin Diaz Rant

Diaz’s 22nd save locked down New York’s sixth win in a row, maintaining their half-game divisional lead over the Phillies. The Mets’ 61-44 record is closely bunched with three other NL teams, the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, only one game separating all of them.

Diaz provides New York with its most unique edge over the NL competition. The Phillies and Dodgers are in full-blown scramble mode for bullpen help; their relief corps has experienced several meltdowns that have cost them games. Neither team has confidence in a closer. Philadelphia lost its top arm, Jose Alvarado, to an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use. Los Angeles has recently lost Tanner Scott to injury, and he struggled beforehand to a 7.04 ERA over the previous month.

Chicago’s closer, Daniel Palencia, has performed well. He has a 1.49 ERA with 13 saves, but has little big-game experience. The Cubs figure to push for bullpen help with someone who can pitch the ninth before Thursday’s trade deadline. Milwaukee’s ninth-inning arm, Trevor Megill, has picked up the baton from the offseason trade of Devin Williams. Megill has 23 saves and a 2.27 ERA, excellent numbers. This season, though, will be the first time he will close games down the stretch. It is unknown how he will handle the intensifying stress.

Diaz, on the other hand, has pitched in all games in all situations. He is an elite closer who expects to dominate; he elevates the performance of his teammates. He wants the ball and the highest-pressure stakes, because he has closed those games out throughout his time in the Big Apple. Even if the other top NL teams make deals for potential closers, there will be an adjustment period. They will not be able to create the same level of chemistry and uplifting performance that Diaz has developed in seven seasons with the Mets.