Edwin Diaz puts a 1-2-3 capper on Mets' first victory 

 HOUSTON

Evidently, the reports of Edwin Diaz’s spring training demise were somewhat premature. At least the ones that pertained to his slipping velocity, which while factually correct were not indicative of any underlying issues with the most valuable member of the Mets’ relief corps.

Someday a radar gun will reveal the irreversible deterioration in Diaz, a time that arrives for nearly every elite closer. But after listening to the Mets’ assurances over the past six weeks that Diaz would be fine when the bullpen phone rang for real, he backed up those words Friday night to efficiently seal a 3-1 victory over the Astros with a perfect ninth, nailing down win No. 1 of the 2025 season.

So how significant was the concern? The spring training numbers were unsettling to a degree. As recently as two weeks ago, Diaz had averaged less than 96 mph during his three Grapefruit League appearances, maxing out at 97.4 mph. By comparison, his average last season was 97.5, so a few ticks down from that could be labeled as worrisome.

Then again, we tend to look for red flags during spring training, only because there’s not much else meaningful going on during practice games. And Diaz being a $102 million closer, two years removed from a freak World Baseball Classic knee injury that erased his entire 2023 season — not to mention having the chance to opt out this November — that puts him under a microscope.

In other words, there’s plenty of additional scrutiny on Diaz this season, further multiplied by the tremendous expectations attached to the $325 million Mets. So when Diaz trotted out of the bullpen Friday night at Daikin Park — the trumpets will have to wait for next weekend’s opening series at Citi Field — everyone’s eyes repeatedly darted from the plate to the radar gun, then back again.

The results were encouraging. Diaz came out firing fastballs that routinely rounded up to 98 mph — mostly in the 97.7 range — with a wicked bending slider he used to whiff Yainer Diaz leading off the ninth. All told, he threw eight four-seam fastballs, averaging 97.6 mph with a max of 98, and seven sliders that averaged 89.2.

How did that translate? In addition to that opening K, Diaz got Jeremy Pena to fly out to leftfield on a slider and Cam Smith lined to right on another slider. Of his 15 pitches, 12 were strikes. There was no messing around by Diaz, no flirting with disaster. Just a cool, lethally effective performance that the Mets couldn’t wait to see, even if manager Carlos Mendoza did his best to downplay any previous murmurs about Diaz.

“We weren’t worried about the velo,” Mendoza said afterward. “We knew that once the light does on, we’re going to see typical Sugar [Diaz]. The thing that impressed me the most was how easily he attacked. He came in and attacked hitters right away. He was 98 mph, but he was attacking in the strike zone and just challenging those guys. That was good to see.”

For Diaz, there was never a doubt. He insisted all camp that he was fine, but until that first save opportunity comes, does anyone truly know? Now Diaz has the persuasive evidence he supplied Friday night.

“The last couple of days, I’ve been feeling great,” he said. “As soon as I started warming up [Friday], I knew my pitches were really good — the fastball-slider combo. And I just came out to compete.”

And the noticeable dip in velocity before leaving Port St. Lucie?

“It’s just spring training,” Diaz said. “I just go out there to work. I don’t care much about velo in spring training, because when the intensity comes in the regular season, I knew my velo would be there. I was just trying to throw strikes, trying to get better.”

A year ago, coming off knee surgery, Diaz’s first appearance — March 30 against the Brewers at Citi Field — featured a fastball that was a tick slower, averaging 96.5 mph. By the end of the season, it finished at 97.5, or almost exactly what it was Friday night.

That’s not premium Diaz, whose peak was 99.1 mph in 2022, but it seems to be as much heat as he can generate now. With maybe the possibility of turning up the burner as this season progresses.

There is extra motivation, too. It’s certainly possible, though we’d say unlikely, that Diaz could choose to opt out of his final two years despite being guaranteed $38 million by the Mets over that stretch. He just turned 31 last week, and if Diaz can conjure up some vintage 40-save Sugar, maybe he could find a three-year extension somewhere.

Diaz hasn’t ruled it out, telling Newsday’s Tim Healey in mid-February that he’ll have to talk it over with his agent at season’s end, as his attention is solely on the Mets right now.

But that’s looking too far ahead, and closers tend to live in the moment. Best to have short memories and big velos, or whatever works, as Diaz showed Friday night. He capped a brilliant performance by the bullpen (four pitchers, four scoreless innings), and that will need to continue with a rotation that’s very much in flux until more starters get healthy.

One of the most crucial takeaways from Win No. 1, however, is that Diaz appears to be fine. Just as he told us all along.

By David Lennon

dave.lennon@newsday.comDPLennon

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.