Edwin Diaz has flirted with big-league history in the past, finishing a dominant 2018 campaign with 57 saves, five shy of tying Francisco Rodriguez’s all-time record of 62 in a single season.
But if the Mets closer continues on his current course, he will wind up setting a different big-league record this season.
As noted by MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, Diaz currently holds a rate of 18.1 strikeouts per nine innings, the best in baseball this season but also the highest rate in baseball history among pitchers who have thrown at least 15 innings in a season.
If Diaz can hover around that mark for the final two months of the season, he will break the all-time record of 17.7 K/9, which Aroldis Chapman set with the Reds back in 2014.
Keeping pace shouldn’t be of much difficulty for Diaz if he continues to pitch at his current level. Over his last 23 innings of work, he has allowed just one run with three walks while striking out 50 batters.
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