New York Mets: Edwin Diaz is back to form

Don’t look now, but Edwin Diaz is once again looking like the closer that the New York Mets had hoped for.

To say that Edwin Diaz had a rough first season with the New York Mets would be an understatement. He was expected to be the savior of what had been a disastrous bullpen in 2018, only to become a disaster himself. He did notch 26 saves, but also posted a 5.59 ERA and a 1.379 WHiP, hardly what anyone would have expected from the once dominant closer.

This season began in much the same manner. He recorded a save on Opening Day, but quickly struggled thereafter. In his 2.1 innings in July, Diaz allowed two runs on two hits and three walks. While he struck out five, he also hit a batter and allowed a home run.

It had been hoped that the offseason, and the subsequent long layoff due to the pandemic, would allow Diaz to get into a better mindset, allowing him to return to form. Instead, it appeared that he was the same pitcher he was in 2019.

Then the calendar flipped to August. At that point, something clicked on for Diaz, and he once again began to look like the dominant reliever he had been. Entering Tuesday, he had allowed just one run on seven hits and two walks in his 8.1 innings, striking out 19 hitters. He was charged with a blown save on the 19th, but still struck out four of the five batters he faced, issuing only a walk.

This is exactly what the Mets had imagined Diaz would be. He was to be that lights out closer, a dominant force that could make a major difference over the course of a season. With Diaz in that role, the rest of the bullpen lines up better, theoretically allowing the Mets to overcome their issues in the rotation.

Having Diaz return to form would also make a major difference in the postseason. As Mets fans learned the hard way in 2015, a dominant bullpen can win a championship. Having that type of a closer goes a long way to building a bullpen that can steal a game, or even a series.

Edwin Diaz is looking like his former self. If the New York Mets are going to reach the postseason, they need him to be.