Mets' Edwin Diaz sticking with popular entrance music
The Mets' Edwin Diaz throws in the third inning of a spring training game against the Astros at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Saturday. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — With fans expected to return to Citi Field this year, so is Edwin Diaz’s bop of an entrance song.
The Mets’ closer revealed after his exhibition debut Saturday — a scoreless inning with a strikeout against the Astros — that he plans to continue to use "Narco," by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet. The song became trendy among a segment of Mets fans last season even though there were no fans in the ballpark.
He used the song in 2018, the best year of his career, and brought it back in 2020.
"I wanted to do everything that gave me success back in my Seattle days, so I decided to go back to that," Diaz said through an interpreter. "I’m going to stay with it because I feel comfortable with that music. It kind of motivates me and energizes me to go out there and pitch."
Diaz posted some excellent statistics last year — 1.75 ERA, 45.5% strikeout rate — but still had only six saves in 10 chances and at one point lost his job as closer. Upon arriving at spring training last month, he made it clear to manager Luis Rojas that he is not here to get ready. He is ready.
Diaz said he is treating spring training games as if they are real games.
"I’m taking this game pretty much as the start of the regular season," he said. "I’ve already had three live BPs, which I’ve used as practice."
As the rotation turns
Upcoming starting pitchers for the Mets: Marcus Stroman on Sunday against the Marlins, Jordan Yamamoto on Monday at the Nationals, Taijuan Walker on Tuesday against the Cardinals (his Mets exhibition debut).
The only rotation candidates who have yet to debut or be announced to do so: Carlos Carrasco, who still is playing catch-up after missing the first week-plus of camp, and Joey Lucchesi.
Lucchesi was scheduled to follow Jacob deGrom on Saturday against the Astros, but when expected rain shortened the game, he got bumped to two innings in an intrasquad scrimmage.
Prospecting
The Mets have used the end of recent exhibition games to get a glimpse of the future with several of their top prospects taking over for the regulars. On Saturday, in a 6-1, six-inning win over Houston, that included Ronny Mauricio at shortstop, Khalil Lee in rightfield, Mark Vientos at first base, Brett Baty at third and Pete Crow-Armstrong in center.
"They’re all coachable," Rojas said. "Their abilities are off the chart."
Crow-Armstrong rocketed a ball over the head of rightfielder Ronnie Dawson and sped to third for a triple. He scored on a single by Mauricio.
"He went around the horn pretty quick," Rojas said. "I like his at-bats — there’s been some quality takes, some quality swings — his demeanor, defensively, everything."
Regarding Mauricio, who is 19 and noticeably bigger/ stronger than a year ago, Rojas said, "This kid is turning into a man right now."
Rojas teased that top pitching prospect Matt Allan might get into a Grapefruit League game soon.
Extra bases
Anything new with Michael Conforto’s contract talks? "Nothing to report on my end," he said . . . Dominic Smith homered against the Astros. "It was nice to see Dom’s sweet swing," Rojas said . . . Pete Alonso doubled twice and James McCann once . . . Righthander Miguel Castro tossed a scoreless inning in his exhibition debut, impressing Rojas with a fastball/ changeup combo against lefthanded hitter Kyle Tucker.
