It has been six years since Edwin Díaz last pitched in Seattle. At that time, the stadium had a different name.
So, it’s understandable if Díaz referred to T-Mobile Park as Safeco Field when he returned on Friday.
“I have really good memories here. I remember making my debut here and pitching my last game here, too,” Díaz said. “The biggest memory I have is when I came up in 2016; my first game was here in Safeco, and my last game in 2018 was also here in Safeco.”
Díaz came back to Seattle with the New York Mets for an important three-game series, with both teams fighting for playoff spots. Although Díaz only played for Seattle for parts of three seasons from 2016 to 2018, he became known as one of the top closers and won fans over with his performances in the ninth inning.
“He’s a special guy. He really is. It’s impressive to see young players like that come up from our system and have such a big impact on our team at the time,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.
Servais was managing the Mariners for the first time when Díaz debuted in 2016, after the team decided to move him from starting to relieving, which sped up his path to the majors.
Díaz appeared in 49 games with 18 saves in 2016 as a 22-year-old. The next year, he had 52 appearances and 34 saves.
Then in 2018, Díaz had a standout season, leading the league with 57 saves and earning his first All-Star selection.
