Around a couple of weeks ago, the Dodgers decided to agree to a deal with Edwin Diaz. Without a doubt, the Dodgers would like to enhance its bullpen. With this signing, I’m just thinking if Diaz would be a good fit for the Dodgers.
To solve my doubts, I chose to check on the great baseball reference website.
Firstly, let’s look at Diaz’s performance against the NL West teams. Pitching against NL West opponents isn’t new to Diaz. In particular, he has faced the Giants and the Rockies 16 times each. And he did pitch very well against the Rockies with 13 saves in 16 appearances. Diaz has a 1.13 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP against the Rockies so far in his career. At the same time, he has a 1.62 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP against the Giants.
Moreover, Diaz has collected 6 saves in 12 games against the D-backs and the Padres each. Well, his ERA is over 3 against the D-backs and the Padres hit .256 against Diaz. Nonetheless, with a WHIP below 1.30. It seems that Diaz should be able to handle the D-backs and the Padres.
In addition, let’s take a look at something interesting. Well, he didn’t pitch well at Dodger stadium. So far in his career, Diaz made 6 relief appearances at Dodger stadium. However, his ERA is 9 and he owns a WHIP over 2. And the Dodgers did hit well against Diaz with a batting average over .380. Diaz must be happy that he wouldn’t have to face the Dodgers hitters again.
Finally, Edwin Diaz made 62 relief appearances for the Mets in 2025, posting a 1.63 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP over 66.1 innings. Also, he collected 28 saves for the Mets this year. Opponents only hit .164 against him. Looking at the Dodgers bullpen, only 3 relievers threw at least 60 innings in 2025. They are Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer and Anthony Banda. Among them, only Jack Dreyer owned an ERA below 3. In the meantime, 4 Dodgers relievers each made more than 60 appearances in 2025. They are Banda, Dreyer, Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott. Among them, only Alex Vesia finished the season with a WHIP below 1. Among the Dodgers relief pitchers who made at least 60 relief appearances in 2025, Banda, Vesia and Dreyer each owned a BAA below .200. Nonetheless, their BAA isn’t below .170.
Looking at the signing with Diaz, the Dodgers certainly would like to have a trustworthy closer in 2026. Edwin Diaz is a top closer in the majors. He did pitch well against NL West opponents. Additionally, he pitched well in 2025 and his stats are more impressive than the pitchers from the Dodgers bullpen. Nonetheless, for me, I’m just thinking about another thing. The Dodgers have won 3 World Series titles since 2020. Of these 3 champions, Julio Urias got the final out of the 2020 WS. In 2024, Walker Buehler was the pitcher who got the final out. In 2025, Yoshinobu Yamamoto got a double play to end the World Series. Looking at the pitchers who threw the last pitch of these 3 World Series, they are all starting pitchers. Of course, the Dodgers have to clinch the playoffs first. But will Diaz be the one to record the final of the 2026 season?
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