2018 in Review: Edwin Díaz

Edwin Díaz recorded more saves in 2018 than all but one pitcher in a single season in Major League history. At the same time, Díaz recorded more strikeouts than all but 4 American League relievers over the last 19 seasons.

The Mariners hard-throwing right-hander earned 57 saves this season; tied with the White Sox Bobby Thigpen in 1990, and trailing only the Angels Francisco Rodriguez in 2008 (62), for the most saves in a season.

While piling up a historic number of saves, Díaz also struck out opposing batters at a significant clip. With a devastating mix of upper-90s fastballs and hard-biting sliders, Díaz finished 2nd among Major League relievers this season with 124 strikeouts. He fanned 44.3 percent of all batters he faced, the 7th-highest strikeout rate by a reliever in Major League history.

His 57 saves paired with his 124 strikeouts made Díaz 1 of 2 pitchers ever with at least 50 saves and 100 strikeouts in a season, joining Eric Gagne, who accomplished this feat in back-to-back years for the Dodgers, including in 2003 when he won the National League Cy Young Award.

“It’s been phenomenal,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Díaz’s 2018 campaign. “When you look back at the season, you don’t realize how good he was going until you step away from it…It was really special. All the one-run saves and coming through many, many times when we really needed to lock it down, it just became second nature.”

An Even 50

Díaz joined rare company with his 50th save of the season on Aug. 25 at Arizona. He became the 14th pitcher in Major League history with at least 50 saves in a season. At 24 years of age, Díaz is the youngest pitcher ever to reach 50 saves, surpassing Craig Kimbrel (25) in 2013 with Atlanta. Díaz’s 50th save came in the Mariners 130th game of 2018, as he became the 2nd-fastest pitcher to reach the milestone, trailing only Francisco Rodriguez, who tallied his 50th save in the Angels 129th game of 2008.

“My goal was 40 saves before the season started,” Díaz told MLB.com’s Greg Johns at the end of the season. “…I worked hard to get ready for this season, and I feel like I helped the team win a lot of games.”

No pitcher has been a part of more team wins than Díaz with Seattle in 2018. He appeared in 69 Mariners wins this season. Since 1908, only two other pitchers have appeared in 69 of their club’s wins in a season: Atlanta’s John Smoltz in 2002 and Pittsburgh’s Mark Melancon in 2015.

And Díaz was nearly automatic when it came to protecting a Mariners lead this season. When Servais handed Díaz the ball with a lead, the club went 66–0. When the Mariners skipper gave Díaz a one-run lead, Seattle was 30–0. When №39 took over with the Mariners hanging onto a 1–0 advantage, the club went 5–0 with Díaz striking out 14 of 15 batters faced.

His final save of the season — №57 — helped cement his place among the most dominant seasons by a closer in baseball history.

“It’s an unbelievable number, Servais said after Díaz notched his 57th save on Sept. 29 vs. Texas. “I was thinking that as I watched. He gets the first out in the 9th inning and I start looking around, ‘Wow, it’s some kind of season.’ It’s so hard to do that. I don’t think people realize all the one-run saves, the workload, staying focused all year long. It’s just a special talent. Really fun to watch him mature and see where he’s come. I’m very thankful to have him at the back end of that bullpen.”

The 24-year-old went 27-for-30 (90.0%) in one-run save opportunities with a 0.89 ERA (3 ER, 30.1 IP) while striking out 55 and walking only 5. According to STATS LLC, Díaz’s 27 saves when entering with a one-run lead are a single-season Major League record, surpassing Gagne’s 24 saves when entering with a one-run lead in 2003 with the Dodgers.

From June 2 — Aug. 15, he successfully converted 28 consecutive save opportunities, the longest streak in the Majors this season and the 2nd-longest in Mariners history. During this stretch, Díaz earned 12 one-run saves.

With 124 strikeouts and only 17 walks, Díaz became only the 18th reliever ever with at least 100 more strikeouts than walks. He is the 8th American League reliever to accomplish this feat and only the 5th to do so since 1987.

Among American League relievers this season, Díaz ranked 1st in WHIP (0.79), 2nd in opponents on-base percentage (.229), 3rd in K/9.0 IP (15.22) and 3rd in ERA (1.96). In 69 appearances of exactly 1.0 inning, he retired all 3 batters 33 times (47.8%). He allowed consecutive batters to reach base via hit, walk or hit by pitch only 13 times.

Awards and Accolades

Díaz was named to his 1st career All-Star Game this season and became 1 of 5 Mariners pitcher to earn a trip to the Midsummer Classic in his age-24 season or younger.

“It’s an honor for me to be selected and represent Seattle,” Diaz told Johns. “It’s a dream because as a little kid, I watched those guys play in the All-Star Game and now I’m there. I worked hard to be there.”

He was also named American League Reliever of the Month 4 times in 2018, taking home the honors in April, June, July and September. Díaz is the first non-rookie to win 4 monthly awards in a single season since Pedro Martinez earned 4 AL Pitcher of the Month honors in 1999.

Milestones and Career Ranks

Díaz achieved a couple of milestones in 2018: his 100th career save and his 300th career strikeout. He tallied his 100th career save on Aug. 20 vs. Houston, and at 24 years, 151 days of age, became the 2nd-youngest pitcher to reach that marker since the save became an official stat in 1969. He notched his 300th career strikeout on Sept. 29 vs. Texas in only 190.2 innings pitched, becoming the 4th-fastest by innings to 300 career strikeouts in Major League history.

Opposing clubs have been well-aware of Díaz’s impact at the end of a ballgame since he made his Major League debut on Aug. 2, 2016. During that span, he leads all of baseball with 109 saves, ranking ahead of Kenley Jansen (95) and Kimbrel (90). Since his debut, Díaz has earned the save in 54.2% (109x201) of the Mariners wins.

He has successfully converted 90.1% (109x121) of his career save opportunities. His 90.1% save percentage is 4th-best in the Majors over the last 10 seasons, trailing only Zach Britton (91.6), Kimbrel (90.7%) and Huston Street (90.2%). Among the Mariners all-time career leaders for saves, Díaz ranks 2nd with 109, only 20 saves of equaling Kazuhiro Sasaki’s club record of 129 career saves.