Edwin Diaz has been a strong nearer for the New York Mets since arriving from Seattle in a December 2018 commerce.

Diaz notched 96 saves between 2019 and 2022, the fourth-highest complete for any reliever over that four-year span. However an harm he suffered on this spring’s World Baseball Traditional — a torn patellar tendon — has stored him on the sidelines throughout the Mets’ disappointing 2023 season. He won’t pitch all yr.

Irrespective of. Diaz nonetheless ranks as the most effective right-handed reduction pitcher in baseball as we speak, in accordance with my evaluation of statistics from the previous three seasons.

A complete of 148 righty relievers certified for as we speak’s rankings by making no less than 70 appearances from 2020 by 2022. No person in that group notched extra strikeouts than Diaz’s three-year complete of 257. Nor did anybody exceed his ratio of 15.4 strikeouts per 9 innings.

My formulation in contrast all 148 right-handed relievers in 10 statistical classes, encompassing all of their appearances, even the uncommon begins made by a couple of. (Observe this hyperlink to be taught extra in regards to the calculations.) The highest performer (Diaz) was assigned a rating of 1,000 factors and the tailender was pegged at zero. The scores for the opposite pitchers have been decided by their relative performances.

Proper behind Diaz amongst right-handed relievers are Liam Hendriks of the Chicago White Sox at 960 factors, Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers (942), Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians (928), and Jordan Romano of the Toronto Blue Jays (894).

Right this moment’s rankings wrap up my position-by-position rundown of the most effective gamers in baseball as we speak. Right here’s an inventory of the leaders. (In case you click on any place, you’ll return to its full rankings. In case you click on any participant, you’ll see his profession document.)

Baseball’s high 15 right-handed reduction pitchers are proven beneath, with statistical breakdowns for the highest 5.

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• Rating: 1,000 factors

• WAR: 5.6 complete, 2.24 per 60 IP

• Averages: 2.27 ERA, .180 BA, .258 SLG, .506 BPO

• Strikeouts: 257 complete, 15.4 per 9 IP

• Totals: 150 GR, 70 SV

• Notes: Diaz loved the best season of his profession previous to this examine’s three-year window. He racked up an awe-inspiring complete of 57 saves for the Mariners in 2018. His greatest yr for the Mets was his most up-to-date. Diaz registered 118 strikeouts in simply 62 innings in 2022.

• Rating: 960 factors

• WAR: 5.8 complete, 2.26 per 60 IP

• Averages: 2.51 ERA, .186 BA, .315 SLG, .491 BPO

• Strikeouts: 235 complete, 13.7 per 9 IP

• Totals: 151 GR, 89 SV

• Notes: Hendriks led the American League with 38 saves in 2021, then adopted up with 37 final yr. His three-year complete of 89 topped all righty relievers besides Kenley Jansen (90). However of better significance to Hendriks was his current comeback after remedy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

• Rating: 942 factors

• WAR: 4.9 complete, 2.08 per 60 IP

• Averages: 1.84 ERA, .154 BA, .232 SLG, .465 BPO

• Strikeouts: 236 complete, 15.0 per 9 IP

• Totals: 145 GR, 18 SV

• Notes: No right-handed reliever held opposing batters to a smaller slugging common (.232) between 2020 and 2022 than Williams, who was named the Nationwide League’s Rookie of the 12 months in ‘20. Solely Diaz surpassed Williams’s three-year ratio of 15.0 strikeouts per 9 innings.

• Rating: 928 factors

• WAR: 5.6 complete, 2.36 per 60 IP

• Averages: 1.33 ERA, .181 BA, .233 SLG, .358 BPO

• Strikeouts: 151 complete, 9.5 per 9 IP

• Totals: 148 GR, 66 SV

• Notes: Clase completed fifth within the American League’s Rookie of the 12 months balloting after racking up 24 saves in 2021. He was virtually twice pretty much as good a yr later, main the majors with 42 saves. He allowed solely .358 bases per out (BPO) throughout the examine interval, simply the bottom ratio for any righty reliever.

• Rating: 894 factors

• WAR: 6.4 complete, 2.71 per 60 IP

• Averages: 2.03 ERA, .182 BA, .286 SLG, .515 BPO

• Strikeouts: 179 complete, 11.4 per 9 IP

• Totals: 140 GR, 61 SV

• Notes: Romano is a advertising and marketing dream for the Blue Jays, a Canadian native who has established himself as considered one of Toronto’s stars. He notched 36 saves a yr in the past, qualifying for his first American League All-Star crew.