Unofficial fan projectSteve Cohen and Lindor
Edwin Díaz
Relief pitcher · Mets 2019–2025
The part fans remember
What the numbers leave out.
Díaz went from a rocky first season to one of the most overpowering closers the Mets have ever had. The fastball, the slider, and the trumpet entrance turned the ninth inning into a Citi Field event whenever he came running in from the bullpen.
Díaz’s first Mets season was so rough that the trade bringing him to New York became a warning about the cost of expectations. Then 2022 arrived and everything changed. The fastball exploded, the slider disappeared below bats, and the first notes of ‘Narco’ became a signal that Citi Field was about to turn the ninth inning into a concert.
He saved 32 games with a 1.31 ERA in 2022 and struck out hitters at a rate that made even good lineups look helpless. The entrance mattered because it matched the performance: a closer who was not hiding from the attention, embracing the noise, and making the crowd part of the pressure. The Mets won 101 games, and Díaz was one of the main reasons late leads felt safe.
A serious knee injury during the 2023 World Baseball Classic cost him the season and created one of the most painful celebrations Mets fans can remember. He returned, rebuilt his dominance, and posted a 1.63 ERA in 2025 before signing with the Dodgers. Díaz’s Mets story is about dominance, recovery, and the rare player whose entrance became as recognizable as his pitch.
The honest version
The best stretch
Díaz’s 2022 peak is one of the most overpowering relief seasons in Mets history. His 1.31 ERA and strikeout rate made the ninth inning feel unfair, and the trumpet entrance turned a closer’s jog from the bullpen into a shared event. The performance and the presentation worked together because neither felt half-hearted.
The part that got messy
The injury in 2023 was devastating because it happened while Díaz was celebrating with Puerto Rico, not pitching for the Mets. The celebration ended with him being carried off, and the entire organization had to replace a player who had become part of the team’s sound. His return required patience, even from fans who wanted the old dominance immediately.
Why fans still care
Díaz’s Mets story includes both the best entrance in baseball and one of the scariest injury moments. That combination makes it human. He made the ninth inning joyful, lost a season, earned the crowd back pitch by pitch, then left for the Dodgers after a terrific 2025. The trumpets moved on; the Citi Field memories did not.
Signature Mets momentThe 2022 season when his entrance and his strikeouts made him the sound of the Mets.
The short list
The stuff worth remembering.
- 012022 NL Reliever of the Year
- 0232 saves with a 1.31 ERA in 2022
- 03Two-time All-Star as a Met