Hey, Nineteen, Edwin Díaz

[Edgy MD]

https://www.stats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/EdwinDiaz_Banner1500x630-1030x433.jpg>



I'm a scary Puerto Rican save guy coming off the second-saviest season in history. The first-saviest belonged (and belongs still) to Francisco Rodriguez, and then he went to the Mets and ... well, his ERA went up by a run and a half and his save total was reduced by 43%. So, are we learning? Or is my presence an indication that Omar Minaya is part of the braintrust again.



They even re-signed Jeurys Familia to back me up. That's a total Omar move!



Wait a minute ... did somebody say Carlos Gomez was back? Omar is totally running the show now, isn't he? Brodie Van Halen or whatever his name is — he's just an avatar being operated by Minaya, right? Is Tony Bernazard back in the system? Maybe not, but Rafael Landestoy is! CLOSE ENOUGH!



Anyhow, while what'shisname listed me as one of the top 100 players in the bigs, history has shown that the great closer seasons have almost invariably been followed by a large regression. Will that happen to me? I don't know that 57 saves is in the bag, but my peripherals last year were trailblazing: 15.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. That leaves a lot of room for some regression while still being excellent.



You know who never touched those numbers? Francisco Rodriguez, that's who. K-Rod, my ass, right?



So that's how it lays out. But now the games have to be played. How's it going to shake out?

[seawolf17]

One of a record eleven Mets in the midsummer classic, after recording 30 saves with a 1.13 ERA in the first half. But he blows up in two key August games and we never trust him EVER AGAIN.

[smg58]

I'm worried that he needs to pitch four seasons like last year just to make that trade break-even for us.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Yeah, a real potential for a disaster of a trade. I don't exactly expect him to suck and think he'll probably be pretty good but this idea of a guy being some kind of otherworldly closer when his most similar by age is Netfali Feliz who'd pretty much accumulated all his career WAR by 24.



One thing I'll say about Diaz? He has "the good face" That gets him 33 saves and a 2.57 ERA, 85 Ks in 60 innings

Anthony DiComo (@anthonydicomo) • Instagram photos and videos

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502 likes, 4 comments - anthonydicomo on February 15, 2019: "New Mets closer Edwin Diaz getting some work in at Port St. Lucie.".

[kcmets]

Put me down for 22 saves, 6 blown saves and at least 8 IGT lynchings.

[Edgy MD]

One appearance for 12 pitches in the last 11 days.



What gives?

[seawolf17]

Edgy MD wrote: One appearance for 12 pitches in the last 11 days. What gives?

We haven't had a ninth-inning lead since, oh, I don't know, 1972?

[Edgy MD]

We might have had one or two if the manager didn't wait for such a situation in order to put him in?

[seawolf17]

Ah, there's the rub.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

This game is on Alonso for going down way too easy with a cookie on third base.



Also Cano because he sucks



Good job Diaz

[Edgy MD]

And pulled after 12 more pitches.



He's not a pitcher. He's Brigadoon.

[Edgy MD]

I'm thinking Diaz needs an offspeed pitch. It's all fastballs and hard sliders, and while the movement on both is impressive, it would help more if he had a slop pitch to throw batters timing off. It doesn't have to even be a good one. Just something to toss out of the strike zone to keep people from getting their timing down on him.



It was similar with Billy Wagner, who was pounding it in on batters' hands but it would take 10 or 11 pitches to put batters away, with the advantage slipping away with every pitch.