Billy Wagner was bothered to hear the Mets’ current closer admitted last weekend to a loss of confidence.
Edwin Diaz blew a third straight save opportunity — allowing four runs in the ninth inning in Miami — and cited his confidence as an issue. Diaz hasn’t pitched since that outing as manager Carlos Mendoza searched for a lower-leverage spot to insert the right-hander during the Mets’ series in Cleveland.
Wagner, whose dominant career (which included four seasons with the Mets) placed him last year on the cusp of election to the Hall of Fame, told Post Sports+ there is a “BS factor” to the job in which a closer has to convince himself he is good enough to succeed, even when there might be self-doubt.
“Confidence comes through success, of course, but as the closer you’re so gifted, you just don’t get the opportunity to go out and say, ‘I’m good or I’m not good,’” Wagner said. “It’s just you have to go perform and … even if I wasn’t good or not confident, I’m not going to tell you. That’s the first thing that’s not going to happen.”
