LOS ANGELES -- There was a time in the not too distant past when teams would have been more inclined to exhaust every starting pitching opportunity with the young arms of Edwin Diaz and Josh Hader before "banishing" them to the bullpen. But today, the high-velocity, high-leverage impact these two 24-year-olds are capable of making in the late innings is more valued than ever, and their enormous impact on their respective clubs in 2018 was recognized Saturday.
The Mariners' Diaz and the Brewers' Hader were named the American League and National League Relievers of the Year presented by The Hartford.