This is the best the Mets have felt about their closer situation, both internally and by comparison.
Edwin Díaz is throwing strikes these days — notably Strike 1 — and feeling (and pitching) like 2022, when he was arguably the most dominant reliever in the game. The morning after Díaz overpowered the Yankees 1-2-3 on Saturday for the NL East first-place Mets, MLB announced that the co-closer of the second-place Phillies, José Alvarado, was suspended 80 games for violating the league’s performance enhancing drug policy.
If the NL East is a three-team race, then the Mets are currently in the best situation in the end game. Philadelphia already had pen concerns before losing its most overpowering reliever in Alvarado — by rule for the playoffs, too, if the Phillies get there. Braves closer Raisel Iglesias was tied for the worst Wins Above Replacement (Fangraphs) among relievers at -0.6, mainly due to surrendering six homers in 18 ¹/₃ innings.
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