Five Mets players who should have “silencing their haters” on the 2021 agenda

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Mar 9, 2021; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) delivers a pitch during the third inning of a spring training game between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports /

Edwin Diaz needs to show Mets fans he can be a stud again

Nobody has been criticized more on the Mets during the last two seasons than Edwin Diaz. Rightfully so. His 2019 season was one of the most disappointing in recent years.

Diaz came to the Mets after one of the best years a closer has ever had. Expectations were through the roof. He couldn’t have been worse.

Almost single-handedly, the Mets missed the 2019 postseason because of how poorly Diaz pitched. He went from a star closer with the Seattle Mariners with a 1.96 ERA and 57 saves to a guy with a 5.59 ERA and only 26 saves for the Mets. He lost his job in the ninth and fans feared every time he stepped on the mound.

A year later, Diaz looked like the stud reliever he was meant to be. His 2020 season included a 1.75 ERA and six saves in far fewer games because of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the results were far more promising.

There are plenty of questions about Diaz still lingering. Can he perform this well with fans in the stands? Would a longer season have affected his numbers more negatively? Plus a whole lot more.

Diaz has the stuff to become a dominant closer yet again. With things progressing back to normalcy this year (fingers crossed) he’ll need to overcome the hate he’ll surely still get. The good news for him is that Mets fans are generally forgiving and if he pitches well, he’ll be a fan favorite.

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