Edwin Diaz has been a solid closer for the New York Mets since arriving from Seattle in a December 2018 trade.
Diaz notched 96 saves between 2019 and 2022, the fourth-highest total for any reliever over that four-year span. But an injury he suffered in this spring’s World Baseball Classic — a torn patellar tendon — has kept him on the sidelines during the Mets’ disappointing 2023 season. He might not pitch all year.
No matter. Diaz still ranks as the best right-handed relief pitcher in baseball today, according to my analysis of statistics from the past three seasons.
A total of 148 righty relievers qualified for today’s rankings by making at least 70 appearances from 2020 through 2022. Nobody in that group notched more strikeouts than Diaz’s three-year total of 257. Nor did anyone exceed his ratio of 15.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
My formula compared all 148 right-handed relievers in 10 statistical categories, encompassing all of their appearances, even the rare starts made by a few. (Follow this link to learn more about the calculations.) The top performer (Diaz) was assigned a score of 1,000 points and the tailender was pegged at zero. The scores for the other pitchers were determined by their relative performances.
Right behind Diaz among right-handed relievers are Liam Hendriks of the Chicago White Sox at 960 points, Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers (942), Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians (928), and Jordan Romano of the Toronto Blue Jays (894).
Today’s rankings wrap up my position-by-position rundown of the best players in baseball today. Here’s a list of the leaders. (If you click any position, you’ll go back to its full rankings. If you click any player, you’ll see his career record.)
Relief pitchers (right): Edwin Diaz
Baseball’s top 15 right-handed relief pitchers are shown below, with statistical breakdowns for the top five.
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1. Edwin Diaz (2020-2022)
Score: 1,000 points
WAR: 5.6 total, 2.24 per 60 IP
Averages: 2.27 ERA, .180 BA, .258 SLG, .506 BPO
Strikeouts: 257 total, 15.4 per 9 IP
Totals: 150 GR, 70 SV
Notes: Diaz enjoyed the greatest season of his career prior to this study’s three-year window. He racked up an awe-inspiring total of 57 saves for the Mariners in 2018. His best year for the Mets was his most recent. Diaz registered 118 strikeouts in just 62 innings in 2022.
2. Liam Hendriks (2020-2022)
Score: 960 points
WAR: 5.8 total, 2.26 per 60 IP
Averages: 2.51 ERA, .186 BA, .315 SLG, .491 BPO
Strikeouts: 235 total, 13.7 per 9 IP
Totals: 151 GR, 89 SV
Notes: Hendriks led the American League with 38 saves in 2021, then followed up with 37 last year. His three-year total of 89 topped all righty relievers except Kenley Jansen (90). But of greater importance to Hendriks was his recent comeback after treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
3. Devin Williams (2020-2022)
Score: 942 points
WAR: 4.9 total, 2.08 per 60 IP
Averages: 1.84 ERA, .154 BA, .232 SLG, .465 BPO
Strikeouts: 236 total, 15.0 per 9 IP
Totals: 145 GR, 18 SV
Notes: No right-handed reliever held opposing batters to a smaller slugging average (.232) between 2020 and 2022 than Williams, who was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year in ‘20. Only Diaz surpassed Williams’s three-year ratio of 15.0 strikeouts per nine innings.
4. Emmanuel Clase (2021-2022)
Score: 928 points
WAR: 5.6 total, 2.36 per 60 IP
Averages: 1.33 ERA, .181 BA, .233 SLG, .358 BPO
Strikeouts: 151 total, 9.5 per 9 IP
Totals: 148 GR, 66 SV
Notes: Clase finished fifth in the American League’s Rookie of the Year balloting after racking up 24 saves in 2021. He was almost twice as good a year later, leading the majors with 42 saves. He allowed only .358 bases per out (BPO) during the study period, easily the lowest ratio for any righty reliever.
5. Jordan Romano (2020-2022)
Score: 894 points
WAR: 6.4 total, 2.71 per 60 IP
Averages: 2.03 ERA, .182 BA, .286 SLG, .515 BPO
Strikeouts: 179 total, 11.4 per 9 IP
Totals: 140 GR, 61 SV
Notes: Romano is a marketing dream for the Blue Jays, a Canadian native who has established himself as one of Toronto’s stars. He notched 36 saves a year ago, qualifying for his first American League All-Star team.
Next 10
6. Kenley Jansen
8. Scott Barlow
9. Ryan Pressly
10. Craig Kimbrel
11. James Karinchak
12. (tie) Giovanny Gallegos
12. (tie) Paul Sewald
14. Evan Phillips
15. Daniel Bard