Top 25 MLB players under 25

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Sep 8, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) shakes hands with catcher Chris Iannetta (33) following the final out of a 6-3 victory against the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

16. Edwin Diaz

CP, Seattle Mariners

Birthday: March 22, 1994 (Age: 23)
Career Statistics: 0-4, 2.79 ERA, 51.7 IP, 18 SV, 88 K, 1.161 WHIP, 1.4 WAR
2016 Statistics: 0-4, 2.79 ERA, 51.7 IP, 18 SV, 88 K, 1.161 WHIP, 1.4 WAR

Every once in a while, a late inning reliever comes along that grabs everyone’s attention. Edwin Diaz is that pitcher.

Though he was used primarily as a starter throughout his minor league career, Diaz worked the seventh inning for a couple of weeks following his big league call up in June, earned a promotion to setup man, and quickly took over ninth inning duties in August. He proved a natural.

As a rookie, Diaz posted a 2.79 ERA and 2.04 FIP in 51.2 innings spread across 49 games. He also earned 18 saves. Diaz faced just 217 hitters and amassed 88 strikeouts against them – an eye-popping 40.9 percent strikeout rate.

Only Andrew Miller (44.7 percent), Dellin Betances (42.1 percent) and Kenley Jansen (41.4) posted higher strikeout rates among pitchers with at least 40 innings to their credit last season. Betances (15.53) was the only one to strike out more hitters per nine innings than Diaz (15.33).

Diaz averaged 97.8 miles per hour on his fastball last season according to PITCHf/x, and used it to strike out 21 hitters. His devastating slider K’d a whopping 50 batters – an amazing 57.5 percent of the opponents that saw it last during a plate appearance.

With numbers like that, it’s no wonder people on the East Coast like to stay up way past our bedtimes to watch Diaz slam the door in the ninth inning in Seattle.

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