Aug 23, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Superstitious Reason Yankees Should Avoid Edwin Diaz

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Nov 9, 2025 2:30 PM ET

The New York Yankees are working to shore up their bullpen in the offseason, and they've been floated as a possible landing place for New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz. While it's always tempting to poach talent from their cross-town arch-rival, the Yankees should hesitate to sign Diaz on pure superstition.

Throughout his career, Diaz has alternated between good seasons and bad seasons with surprising regularity. His ERAs from 2016 to present illustrate the trend perfectly, a zig-zag pattern of excellence and mediocrity (to occasional meltdowns). His MLB stats show a bi-annual sub-2.00 ERA, while the rest of the time, he has struggled to get below 3.00.

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The Yankees invested in closer Devin Williams heading into 2025, and Williams didn't pan out exactly the way they expected, logging a 4.79 ERA in 67 games in his first season in pinstripes. Williams had enjoyed three consecutive seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA prior to joining the Yankees, and did manage to recover in the second half of the summer and into the fall, but the team seems to have settled on David Bednar as their go-to closer for the time being. Bednar, 31, is expected to stay with the Yankees through 2026, but could move on afterward, so the Diaz move is being floated as a longer-term solution. On the other hand, Diaz is 31.

As pointed out by Empire Sports Media's Ryan Garcia, Diaz has had some crucial consistency in other areas, and the merits of his pitching are more important than one number.

"Edwin Diaz is one of the top closers in the game, as in each of his last three seasons he’s posted a strikeout rate in the 99th Percentile or better on Baseball Savant," Garcia wrote.

"His stuff is ridiculous, sporting a high-velocity fastball from a low arm angle with deceptive movement, generating a 44% Whiff% on that pitch this past season."

"Batters had a .179 AVG and .269 SLG% against the pitch, making it one of the best fastballs any reliever in the game throws in terms of production."

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

It's worthwhile to consider, but it still stands to reason that the Yankees might catch Diaz on a predictable downswing, especially under the unique pressure Yankee fans deliver. Their money might be better spent elsewhere.

If Diaz is able to keep up his performance into 2026, the Yankees would obviously be in excellent shape. One of their primary offseason priorities is to shore up their bullpen, which had been responsible for several meltdown losses in 2025.

The bullpen contributed to an all-around weak defensive effort from the Yankees this season, and while they have secured some strong pieces, they'll need to keep working. Diaz could be part of the solution, but if he continues with his current trend, he may contribute to the problem.

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