The Mets' superstar closer has become a significant liability as of late.
' superstar closer converted all four of his save opportunities in April, but has struggled so badly in May that some Mets fans are not only worried that he will never regain the dominant form he had in 2022, but believe he had regressed back to his infamous 2019 form.
Diaz has pitched in four save opportunities this month, but only converted one of them. On Saturday, he entered the bottom of the ninth inning with a four-run lead over the Miami Marlins - and still couldn't preserve the lead in a game the Mets went on to lose 10-9 in extra innings.Over his last 2.1 innings pitched, Diaz has given up seven runs and his ERA has ballooned to 5.50, a far cry from the unhittable master he once was.
Diaz, who is returning from a torn patellar tendon that caused him to miss the entire 2023 season, has lost a concerning amount of velocity on his fastball, which previously reached 100 mph on a regular basis. His slider has also become significantly easier to hit, as evidenced by the two game-tying homers he has given up on his slider this month.due to his still excellent strikeout rates.
The stunning regression of Diaz is the latest obstacle of a rapidly floundering Mets squad that has fallen five games below .500 and has lost seven of their last nine. They have dropped three consecutive series, each against an NL East rival; their latest opponent, the Marlins, entered the weekend with the worst record in the majors.
The Mets are only two games out of a Wild Card spot, but that number will continue to grow if they can't figure out the source of Diaz's struggles.Joe Najarian is a Rutgers University graduate from the Class of 2022. After an eight-month stint with Jersey Sporting News , covering Rutgers Football, Rutgers Basketball, and Rutgers Baseball, Najarian became a contributing writer on Inside the Pinstripes and Inside the Mets.
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