Edwin Diaz Speaks Out About Poor Start With Mets

Mets closer Edwin Diaz got honest about his shaky first season in New York.

Jul 12, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) celebrates after defeating the Colorado Rockies 7-6 at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz has been one of baseball's best relievers for nearly a decade.

Diaz's 219 saves since 2016 are the second-most in MLB over that span, and the 57 saves he recorded for the Seattle Mariners in 2018 is the second-highest single-season saves mark in MLB history.

Amid the 30-year-old's impressive track record of success, he struggled immensely during his first year with the Mets.

Diaz and Robinson Cano were traded to New York in December 2018 in a deal that sent Jarred Kelenic, Jay Bruce, Anthony Swarzak, Justin Dunn, and Gerson Bautista to the Mariners. 

Given that Diaz was fresh off his extraordinary 2018 campaign, expectations were high for his New York tenure.

But he went 2-7 with a 5.59 ERA and blew 7 saves in 33 opportunities in 2019.

The Mets' arrival in Seattle for a three-game series against the Mariners this weekend marked the first time Diaz had returned to Seattle since the 2018 trade. This must have had him feeling nostalgic, as he spoke out about his shaky first season with New York on Friday.

“My time with the Mets didn’t start the way I wanted to,” Diaz said, per SNY. “But after that year I went home and realized I needed to work harder. After that season everything went well and I’ve been able to perform the way I’ve wanted to in New York.”

Diaz definitely rebounded from that poor 2019 season. Despite missing the entire 2023 season due to a patellar tendon tear, he has still amassed 84 saves and a 2.55 ERA since 2020.

Diaz has converted 14 saves in 19 opportunities for New York this season. And he'll look to add to that save total when the Mets play the Mariners on Saturday.