Sleep well in Seattle: Nicasio, Díaz slamming the door
By Isabelle Minasian
Stepping up to the plate against Seattle’s set-up man and closer for the first six weeks of the 2018 season has not been a sweet deal for opposing hitters. You want to take advantage of facing Juan Nicasio because waiting to enter the game right after him is Edwin “Sugar” Díaz, and that is not a sweet deal for opposing batters.
In one outing against the Chicago White Sox earlier this season, Nicasio entered for the eighth inning and threw 16 pitches ranging between 87 and 95 mph. Sugar came in for the ninth and threw 20 pitches between 88 and 98 mph. The results for the Sox: five strikeouts and a weak pop out to short.
Díaz was April’s American League Reliever of the Month for his league-high 12 saves. If he has been the star – and, make no mistake, Díaz has been a star – then Nicasio is the telescope used to see the star.
Holding it Down
Holds are an unexciting and unofficial statistic used exclusively to track the times a relief pitcher enters a game in a save situation and holds that lead. Nicasio leads the American League with 12 holds. The relationship between saves and holds almost perfectly mirrors the relationship between Díaz and Nicasio.
Although the two relievers are separated by nearly a decade in age, they share numerous similarities beyond sheer dominance in their roles. Both rely primarily on a two-pitch mix of a four-seam fastball and devastating slider. Nicasio is from San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic. Díaz hails from Nagüabo, Puerto Rico.
The Mariners’ clubhouse is filled with Latino leaders, including legendary Puerto Rican designated hitter-turned hitting coach Edgar Martínez and five-time All-Star Nelson Cruz. The Latino leadership on the Mariners is something that Nicasio cited as a differentiating factor between Seattle and his five previous stops in the majors. However, there was minimal Latino leadership in the bullpen when Díaz came up to the majors in 2016.
Veteran reliever Joaquin Benoit, who helped Díaz improve his slider in the spring training of his rookie season, was traded a month after Díaz’s 2016 debut. Díaz also spent time with bullpen catcher Fleming Báez, a Dominican native.
Báez spent the vast majority of his life working in and around baseball, but he never reached the majors. Conversely, Nicasio arrived with seven years of major league experience in 2018 after signing as a free agent this past winter.
Nicasio even arrived with limited closing experience with seven saves on his record.
“I’ve had a lot of time and experience,” Nicasio said in Spanish, “so I’ve spoken with [Díaz] about preparation and tried to teach him a little bit of the experience I’ve had.”
Navigating the End of Games
On a Saturday evening in April the rain fell steadily on the roof at Safeco Field as the Mariners ran, hopped and shuffled their way onto the field for batting practice. Nicasio and Díaz, walking shoulder to shoulder, were the last to emerge from the clubhouse.
They practically talked over each other in Spanish as they carried on a conversation. The lanky 24-year-old Diaz and the sturdier 31-year-old Nicasio had been more or less inseparable since reporting for spring training in Arizona.
“When I first signed here, he got my phone number and wrote to me,” Nicasio said. “In December we started talking, and that’s why we have a good relationship now. We just kept talking and talking, and now we’re on the same team and closer. With all the talent he has, he’s a young man who can be the greatest closer in the big leagues.”
Of course Díaz’s success this season cannot simply be attributed to Nicasio’s guidance. He was just 22 when he made his major league debut. His arsenal and his mentality on the mound have matured in the two years since that June evening.
Nonetheless, Nicasio’s influence has been noted by many others in the Mariners’ organization. Manager Scott Servais cited Nicasio’s record of careful preparation and success. Mel Stottlemyre Jr, Seattle’s pitching coach, explained that Diaz “hasn’t had much in terms of somebody really taking him through the ropes and showing him what the role entails.”
Even Díaz has praised the duo’s dynamic, referring to the two of them as “a good duo.”
Nicasio, meanwhile, is swift to bring the praise back to Díaz.
“We’ve talked about my experiences and about preparation,” Nicasio said, “but I also have to give credit to the talent he has and the work he does.”
Between the two of them there’s plenty of talent to go around.
With this Latino duo ready to pitch in the game in the eighth and ninth inning, the Mariners feel even more confident about navigating the end of games toward more wins.
Featured Image: Lindsey Wasson / Getty Images Sport