Edwin Diaz’s ninth inning home run to Jesse Winker on Monday night may have delivered the closer his first loss of the season, but it’s a small mark on what has otherwise been a superlative first month in the right-hander’s Mets career.
After posting an ERA under two and striking out more than 15 batters per nine innings for the Mariners in 2018, Diaz was arguably the most exciting piece of the blockbuster trade the Mets made for Robinson Cano. Just 25 years old and one of the most dynamic young arms in the game, expectations were sky-high, and despite the team’s general pitching woes, Diaz is meeting, if not exceeding, those expectations.