Edwin Díaz makes a mesmerizing return and highlights 2024 importance

The offense disappears as the Mets lose 1-0 to the Marlins, despite Díaz's fifth inning spectacle

Andrew Steele

Mar 12, 2024

What’s up with the Mets? 🍎

The Mets fell to the Marlins 1-0 on Monday (box)
There was a power outage at Clover Park, which caused SNY to go off air just after first pitch
RHP Edwin Díaz made a stunning return, striking out the side and reaching 98 mph on his fastball in his spring training debut
RHP Tylor Megill gave up the only run of the game, but struckout two in four innings of work
LHP Brooks Raley, RHP Drew Smith, RHP Michael Tonkin and RHP Phil Bickford all pitched scoreless innings in relief
CF Harrison Bader recorded his first hit of spring training for the Mets
3B Brett Baty reached base for the fourth time in his last five games

Injury Updates 🏥

2B Jeff McNeil (bicep soreness) had “another positive day” on the backfields, and “is moving in the right direction,” according to manager Carlos Mendoza.

Today’s Game 🗓️

Match-up: Mets (8-7) at Nationals (8-8)

Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches — West Palm Beach, FL

Starters: LHP José Quintana (0-1, 3.86 ERA) vs. TBD

When: 1:05 PM EST

Where To Watch: N/A

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Edwin Díaz will be the deciding X-Factor for the Mets in 2024 ✍️

You couldn’t help but smile as soon as the first sound of those beautiful trumpets began to pump out. You didn’t want to do anything else but punch the air as soon as Edwin Díaz began his march towards the mound.

And you couldn’t help but get caught up in the sheer excitement of Díaz striking the side out in order in his first game back in a year.

As Steve Gelbs put it on the SNY broadcast, you just got goosebumps from watching the breathtaking, magical show that is the Edwin Díaz experience again.

Seeing the two-time All-Star back on the mound a year after tearing his patellar tendon at the World Baseball Classic, an injury that ruled him out for the entire 2023 season, was like medicine for Mets fans. It had been a long time coming after all, and Díaz’s first outing on the mound since the 2022 postseason was well worth the wait. The righty hit 98 mph on his fastball, a pitch he threw six times, and he also threw eight sliders to elicit seven whiffs.

Talk about pure showmanship.

Jesus Sanchez, Avisail Garcia and Jon Berti never stood a chance.

Díaz was greeted onto the field with a standing ovation, and he earned another one after an outing that couldn’t have been scripted any better. Just being back on the mound would have been enough, but the 2022 NL Reliever of the Year wanted to remind everyone what they had been missing.

And, in doing so, Díaz underlined the fact that he will be crucial to any hopes the Mets have of having even an above-average season in 2024.

Díaz is the straw that stirs the drink for the bullpen, and if he can get back to his scintillating heroics of 2022, then the Mets will have a much better chance of being competitive.

He earned 32 saves with a stellar 1.31 ERA that year as the Amazins’ made the postseason under Buck Showalter. He also struck out 118 batters across 61 appearances with an 0.83 WHIP. That’s exactly why he was given a five-year, $102 million contract. But, after going down hurt in the most bizzare of circumstances at the WBC, Díaz’s absence was greatly felt by the Mets in 2023. The bullpen was a hot, stinking dumpster fire at times, going 25-36 with a 4.48 ERA and 34 saves in 52 opportunities (that’s only a 65.3 successful save percentage).

Granted, there are still a slew of question marks hovering over this bullpen heading into 2024, but having Díaz back in the picture raises the ceiling of that group tremendously. You could make a strong argument that Díaz will be the biggest X-Factor for the Mets in 2024. When at the very peak of his powers, the right-handed flamethrower is one of the best shutdown closers in the game.

The Mets just weren’t the same team without Díaz in 2023. That’s just fact.

But if they hope to be competitive in 2024, then a fully healthy, dialed in and locked and loaded Díaz will be key to those hopes. Maybe more so than any other player on the roster.

Simply put, if Díaz is lights out this season, then there’s a very good chance the Mets are at least in the hunt for a Wild Card spot. If this team is going to have a magical summer and surprise absolutely everybody, then he will be at the very heart of it.

And, if an electric and scintillating 14-pitch inning in spring training is anything to go by, then the odds of both of those things happening may look a little bit better today.

Around The League 🚩

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that RHP Gerrit Cole will undergo an MRI on his pitching elbow (MLB.com)
Boone also revealed that OF Aaron Judge is in “mid-spring beat up.” Judge will be held out of the lineup until Wednesday
The starters for both games of the Seoul Series have been announced. RHP Tyler Glasnow will start Game 1 for the Dodgers, while RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will make his debut for the team in Game 2. For the Padres, RHP Yu Darvish will be on the mound in Game 1, and RHP Joe Musgrove will get the start in Game 2.
The Giants released 3B/DH JD Davis on Monday after the former Met wasn’t claimed on waivers (NBC)
Marlins RHP Edward Cabrera will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder after experiencing tightness in his latest start (MLB.com)
Red Sox RHP Lucas Giolito will undergo right elbow surgery on Tuesday. The full extent of the injury to the UCL is not yet known (Boston Globe)
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Board of Directors announced that they had elected Joe Torre as the organization’s new vice-chairman