The disappointing 2023 season for the New York Mets started before Opening Day. Edwin Diaz tore his patellar tendon in his right knee during the World Baseball Classic and missed the entire year.
Losing the best relief pitcher was a major blow for a contending team and was the start of the rough season the Mets were about to have. It was unfortunate for Diaz, the organization, and baseball fans. He's an electric type of arm who brings fans to the game.
With Spring Training coming up, Diaz is back and everyone hopes that he return to form. In the 2022 season, there wasn't an argument for who the best reliever in baseball was. Diaz was incredible and for most of the season, unhittable.
Thomas Harrigan and David Adler of MLB.com listed the one key number to watch for every team in 2024. They write that for New York, the number is Edwin Diaz's saves.
Harrigan and Adler write that if the Mets want to contend, Diaz has to do what he did in the 2022 season when he posted a 1.31 ERA and had 32 saves over 62 innings pitched.
The most impressive part was his 118 strikeouts, emphasizing how elite of a reliever he is and how good this season was.
Diaz enters his sixth year with New York and will look to post his third sub-2.00 ERA in his eighth big league season. As the Mets look to contend in 2025, allowing Diaz to return at his own pace is their best bet.
He arguably will be the biggest piece in them achieve that goal when the time comes.
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