David Robertson's been huge for Mets in Edwin Diaz’s absence
When the Mets lost Edwin Diaz to a torn patellar tendon during the World Baseball Classic this spring, it was a big blow to the backend of their bullpen.
Losing the best closer in the game has forced many different relievers to slide into unexpected roles to begin the 2023 season, and so far, no one has stepped up more for Buck Showalter and the Mets than David Robertson.
The 39-year-old signed with New York this offseason on a one-year deal. He initially expected to help Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley form the bridge to Diaz in the late innings.
Instead, he moved into the closer's role and has stepped in beautifully in the near-impossible job of replacing a pitcher of Diaz’s caliber.
Through 19 appearances, the veteran right-hander is now 2-0 with eight saves, four holds, and 25 strikeouts. He’s allowed just one home run and three earned runs while posting a 1.27 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 21 innings.
And prior to Sunday's appearance in Game One against the Cleveland Guardians, Robertson was a perfect eight-for-eight in save opportunities. His lone blemish came in the top of the eighth that game, but the Mets' offense quickly picked him up.
Entering in relief of Ottavino and working for the fourth straight game, Robertson allowed a go-ahead two-run home run to the first batter he faced Jose Ramirez. The Mets rallied right back to pick him up, though, as Starling Marte lifted a two-run homer to retake the lead.
Robertson returned to the mound for the ninth, and worked around an infield single to toss a scoreless inning, securing New York’s fourth win in a row and their second consecutive series victory.
“It may not be pretty, but a win's a win,” Robertson said postgame. “We'll take anything we can get right now. As long as the guys keep fighting and don't give up in that dugout and give us a chance to hold leads out there, we'll win games.”
That’s exactly what the Mets did in the nightcap as well, as they rallied behind a dominant effort from Justin Verlander to secure the doubleheader and series sweep. New York extended their winning streak to five and are trending in the right direction.
While not much has gone right for them early on, Robertson certainly hasn't been one of those problems.
Robertson’s 37.7 whiff rate is up 4.7 percent from last season and currently ranks in the 97th percentile in all of baseball. His K-rate is up to the 86th percentile and he’s also cut down on the walks significantly.
No matter what situation Showalter has thrown his way, Robertson has been money. For the Mets to keep turning things around, they're going to need him to continue being the dominant arm he is in the backend of that bullpen.
