Mets pitching coach addresses Edwin Diaz's rough start

New York Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner spoke about Edwin Diaz's early struggles.

Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) reacts after striking out Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, not pictured during the eighth inning during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Mets' bullpen has been a big reason for the team's solid 9-5 start to the season. Entering their April 13 game against the Athletics, their collective 2.03 ERA is third-best in baseball right now and has helped the team shut the door in several close games.

However, this doesn't mean that every Mets reliever is throwing well. Closer Edwin Diaz hasn't been at his best, which is shown through his 7.94 ERA through 6 appearances (5.2 innings pitched) this season. All five of his earned runs have come in his past two appearances, although it's worth noting that he still hasn't blown a save to this point.

"He got the job done. That's the bottom line."

Carlos Mendoza discussed Edwin Díaz's outing tonight for the save vs. the Athletics pic.twitter.com/kCEMaHJQm0

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 12, 2025

Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner was interviewed for an April 13 article from the New York Post. And at one point, he got honest about what he has seen from Diaz thus far.

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“Overall, the stuff and the spin rates and all those things are pretty normal,” Hefner said. “There might be some stuff with his delivery that is slightly different, that’s causing a few more misses in — a two-ball count or three-ball count that makes it seem worse than it actually is.

“We’ll work on that," he added.

Why Mets aren’t worried about Edwin Diaz’s shaky start https://t.co/chWQJAtwhN pic.twitter.com/JzGp3y40fC

— New York Post (@nypost) April 13, 2025

Given that the Mets didn't make many changes to their bullpen from last season (aside from adding A.J. Minter in free agency), they'll surely need Diaz to return to his normal form if they're to make another postseason run.

The good news is that Diaz's stuff is still electric, which bodes well for New York.