WHY EDWIN DIAZ HASN’T QUITE BEEN THE SAME AND WHY THE METS AREN’T WORRIED

Edwin Diaz’s four-seam fastball this season is averaging 96.6 mph, a number that most pitchers would celebrate.

But Diaz isn’t most pitchers.

The Mets closer was averaging 99.1 mph with that same pitch in his historic 2022 season — before missing all of last year rehabbing from surgery to repair the torn patellar tendon in his right knee — and now Diaz and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner want to find that missing velocity.

In his last appearance, against the Pirates on Monday, the right-hander had a variance between 94.9 mph and 97.7 mph with the four-seamer. The low end of that spectrum is where the questions arise.

“The 95s are a little strange,” Hefner told Sports+ this week. “If he were pitching at 96, 97, I don’t think you would say anything, but when he’s pitching at 95 that’s a little, maybe there is something going on here.”

By all accounts, Diaz is fine physically following his rehab, and his statistics back that notion: He has pitched to a 1.29 ERA in seven appearances with four saves in as many chances this season. Diaz has also struck out 10 batters in seven innings with two walks.

But the Mets, rightfully, would love to have the 2022 version of Diaz who struck out nearly two batters per inning.

“I think that because of missing a year, my arm is getting in shape,” Diaz said. “I’ve been up to 99 this year, sometimes I’m throwing 95, 96, and I’m working on my arm strength. I’m doing really well and I’m happy. I think the velo will come back.”

Diaz has been working on mechanical adjustments that may improve his velocity. As compared to two years ago, he has been starting with his arm “too high” and pulling away to the third-base side.

A byproduct has been reduced command with the pitch, with his fastball running arm side on batters.

“I think the velo will come once we fix the mechanics,” Hefner said.

Diaz’s slider velocity also has dropped, from an average of 90.8 mph in 2022 to 89 mph this season, but Hefner said that is to be expected when there is a decrease in the fastball speed.

The slider is still Diaz’s primary weapon, utilized 59 percent of the time this season, with the four-seamer his other pitch.

“We’re very confident he’s going to get back to the average velo from 2022, and the slider, when it’s on, is still one of the best pitches in baseball,” Hefner said, adding that he’s confident Diaz doesn’t need a third pitch.

Diaz said he has no reason for worry.

“I’m really happy if I’m getting outs with 95-98 [mph] right now,” Diaz said. “My goal is when I am 97-100, keep getting outs.”

A Sterling voice

Howie Rose called his longtime friend John Sterling this week to wish him happiness in retirement. Sterling spent 36 years in the Yankees radio booth, bridging one generation to the next.

Nobody understands that dynamic better than Rose, the voice of the Mets on radio for the past two decades following a stretch in the team’s television booth.

“When you put that many years in, you become more than familiar; you become familially,” Rose said. “You really do feel like family.”

Sterling, 85, was the favorite uncle known for his unique home run calls — “it’s an A-bomb from A-Rod” — and his punctuating “Yankeeees win! Theeeee Yankeeeees win!”

It was a style that didn’t fit all listeners, especially in Sterling’s later seasons when he was prone to missing plays on the field.

But Sterling also got to call the final out for five Yankees World Series titles. There have been few team broadcasters in the game’s history to receive such a privilege.

“I’m envious,” the 70-year-old Rose said. “I’m hanging on trying to get one. I’m no spring chicken either. I can tell you one thing: I’m not doing this when I’m 85. You can put that in the books. God willing I live that long. That is what makes John unique. I can’t even imagine anyone doing it anywhere near the age he did. Because he did every inning on radio, and people have no idea who aren’t in the business how demanding and taxing that is.

“That’s what’s left on my bucket list: to be in position to make the call, ‘The Mets are the world champions.’ I might just retire before the players get off the field at that point, because there’s nothing left — although there would be Opening Day the next year, and I would want to be there for that.”

Sterling’s roots in New York sports date to the 1970s, when he was a voice of the Nets and Islanders. But Sterling also hosted a talk show on WMCA radio from which he rose to prominence.

“He had a voice that every one of us in this business would kill for, which made him easy to listen to,” Rose said. “The sound of his voice, the timbre, the depth of it, the way he inflects, he was very appealing to the ear. And whether you liked what he said or agreed with the way he said it or not, he was a broadcaster in the truest sense.”

Want to catch a game? The Mets schedule with links to buy tickets can be found here.

Doctor’s helper

Dwight Gooden had quite a supporting cast for his number retirement ceremony on Sunday. It was a group that included his large family (nephew Gary Sheffield was there) and noted teammates from the 1986 World Series-winning team.

But it was also nice that lesser-remembered Mets such as Mike Torrez were present for Gooden’s special day. Torrez (who is most known for serving up Bucky Dent’s famous home run at Fenway Park while with the Yankes) was in the Mets’ starting rotation during Gooden’s rookie 1984 season.

Torrez, a veteran, knew he would be a goner from the team once Gooden started emerging. But that didn’t stop Torrez from trying to help the rookie.

“After I made the team, Mike would go out with me on the road, and in the dugout, we would just talk about setting up hitters, reading bat speeds and what to look for in hitters,” Gooden said. “I have a lot of respect for Mike, and we developed a great relationship. Unfortunately, they did release him in June of that year, but we always stayed in contact.”

Gooden also recalled that clubhouse manager Charlie Samuels at first wouldn’t give him No. 16 because it had belonged to Lee Mazzilli, who was traded two years earlier. Gooden asked general manager Frank Cashen to intercede and received the number.

Mazzilli returned to the Mets during the ’86 season, and Gooden offered him No. 16. Mazzilli declined the offer.

2024-04-19T13:04:07Z dg43tfdfdgfd