Reds' Alexis Diaz, Mets' Edwin Diaz chase MLB history, aiming to be All-Stars together
PHILADELPHIA — After Cincinnati Reds closer Alexis Diaz retired only one of the six batters he faced and blew the save in his first outing of the season Saturday, the Reds’ 2023 All-Star needed just a few minutes in the bullpen the next day with pitching coach Derek Johnson.
Two quick runs through an adjustment Johnson suggested, “and then I told DJ, ‘Hey, I’m back,’ “ Diaz said through team interpreter Jorge Merlos.
By Monday, he made quick work of the Philadelphia Phillies for five late outs in a 10-inning victory — entering a tie game in the eighth with two on and one out before picking off one runner and striking out J.T. Realmuto, then pitching a 1-2-3 ninth.
And just like that, Diaz was back to “normal,” he said.
And, just maybe, back to chasing history this season.
A sneak peek at that chase comes to Great American Ball Park on Friday with arrival of the New York Mets and right-hander Edwin Diaz — the other All-Star closer in the Diaz family.
“I don’t know much about those (past) stories,” Alexis said. “Our goal is just to stay healthy and with that in mind if we get that goal, the history part of these stories that come up, we feel we’ll get there.”
“There” would be Arlington, Texas, in July for the All-Star Game. And if they both make it they would pull off a major-league first — one they might have achieved last year if not for Edwin’s freak injury in March.
No pair of brothers has made the same league roster for the same All-Star game as pitchers.
“It’d be awesome,” Alexis said.
Dozens of sets of pitching brothers have played in the big leagues. Many of those include one brother who was an All-Star — reliever Taylor Rogers of the Giants, for instance, in 2021. In fact, he and twin brother Tyler, another reliever, are one of the rare sets of Twins to be big-league teammates.
Bob and Ken Forsch both threw no-hitters in the 1970s, but only Ken ever made an All-Star team (two).
Stan Coveleski, a Hall of Famer, and Harry Coveleski might have done it if their careers didn’t predate baseball’s first All-Star game in 1933.
And Mort Cooper and Walker Cooper not only were Cardinals teammates but also made up an all-brother All-Star battery in 1942 and ‘43, but one (Walker) obviously was a catcher, not a pitcher.
The Diaz brothers already are in rare All-Star company, one of only four pairs of pitching brothers from which each made at least one All-Star team (see below).
Edwin, 30, was one of the most dominant closers in the game until suffering a season-ending knee injury during a celebration after a victory in the World Baseball Classic before last season, earning All-Star bids for the Seattle Mariners in 2018 and Mets in 2022. He had just signed a five-year, $102 million contract.
Alexis, 27, was an impressive rookie in 2022 who eventually grew into the closer role by the end of that 59-appearance (1.84 ERA) debut season — carrying that into a dominant first half last year that earned an All-Star selection.
The younger Diaz, Edwin’s teammate on that Puerto Rico WBC team, talked a lot about representing the family last year in Seattle as Edwin went through a grueling season-long rehab.
This year is their first, best chance to make it together. Only one set of pitching brothers has made it in the same year, although on opposing teams: Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry for the NL’s Giants in 1970; and Jim Perry for the AL’s Minnesota Twins (Jim would also win the AL Cy Young Award that year).
“If we both get there and share the same team, that would be an awesome experience to be together for that,” said Alexis, who earned his first save Wednesday with a scoreless ninth in Philadelphia.
It all starts with that part about health. The brothers talk literally daily, Alexis said, and how they’re feeling and pitching is often part of those conversations. So was the idea of both making this year’s All-Star team about the time Alexis earned his selection last year.
In fact, if Alexis seemed like he had an extra bounce in his step at times during spring training it was because of the reports he was getting from Edwin about his progress in Mets camp.
“He’s been ready for a long time,” Alexis said. “Every workout he’s been able to do over the offseason, too, went pretty well for him.”
Now they’re back to talking smack.
Alexis has never faced the Mets. Edwin faced the Reds only once since Alexis has been in the big leagues.
Who’s going to have the better year? “We definitely have talked about it,” Alexis said. “The one who has the better season is buying dinner.”
And if the rivalry goes into October?
“If we’re in the postseason facing each other, I think we have a better chance of winning that series,” Alexis said.
They also talk sometimes about not just being on an All-Star team together but maybe even one day playing on the same team during the season.
“We’ve always had that in our minds,” Alexis said.
Obviously, only one could be the actual closer for that team, though.
“It’ll be me,” Alexis said.
The List
Pairs of brothers who have both made MLB All-Star games as pitchers (*-Hall of Famer):
Martinez: Pedro* (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006) and Ramon (1990).
Perry: Gaylord* (1966, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1979) and Jim (1961, 1970, 1971).
Niekro: Phil* (1969, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1984) and Joe (1979).
Diaz: Edwin (2018, 2022) and Alexis (2023).
See how well you know your Cincinnati Reds
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Diaz brothers: Closers Alexis and Edwin chasing MLB history
