New York Mets Closer Edwin Diaz walks slowly out of the bullpen as manager Buck Showalter calls him over to close out the win, and the fans jump out of their seats as their theme music begins to play.
“Narco,” a song by Timmy Trumpet and the Blasterjacks, has become a fan favorite in Queens, and the Mets’ opponents know it, batting pretty hard for sure. Diaz has evolved into one of best closer in mlbTotal 32 in each of the last two seasons.
Many believe Diaz’s wipeout stuff and signature song puts him downright close to his crosstown rival: New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera.
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Edwin Diaz #39 of the New York Mets reacts after the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on September 01, 2022 in New York City. (Jim MacIsaac / Getty Images)
Of course, Rivera used Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” as his walk-out music throughout his illustrious career. Asked about comparisons between the songs that have become synonymous with the pitcher, Rivera doesn’t really see one.
“There’s no comparison. There’s no comparison on that,” he told Jennifer X. Williams of Fox 5 New York. “That song was for 17 years and many championships. So there’s no comparison.”
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While Diaz is one of the best in the game right now, the only unanimous Hall of Famer in Rivera speaks the truth: He doesn’t have the hardware to match Rivera.
Rivera was a five-time World Series champion. with the yankees, while appearing in 13 All-Star Games and winning the World Series MVP and ALCS MVP. And in 141 innings of post-season work, Rivera has an astonishing 0.70 ERA thanks to his rogue cutter, which hitters knew was coming but couldn’t hit anyway.
Diaz certainly has some ways to go before matching Rivera’s achievements in the Big Apple.
New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz works the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Monday, July 11, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
However, he won the Mariano Rivera Award for being the best reliever in the American League when he was with the Seattle Mariners, while also receiving the Trevor Hoffman Award in the National League.
Diaz is set to enter Year 5 with the Mets, which also included Robinson Cano, and at 28, he likely won’t reach New York until 17, as Rivera did.
The Mets’ Edwin Diaz, Timmy Trumpet and “Narco” Are Connected Forever
But the Mets have the pitching and lineup to get back to the World Series and earn their first win since 1986 this season. Many thought they would do so last year after winning 101 games, but they fell in the wild-card round against the San Diego Padres in the new best-of-three format at Citi Field.
If Diaz can secure a ring, and the Mets continue to run as hard as they hope to get closer to him, then perhaps “Narco” could be in the same conversation as “Enter Sandman.”
Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera attends the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center on September 08, 2021 in Cooperstown, New York. (Jim MacIsaac / Getty Images)
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But he has to win a few more in Rivera’s eyes.