Edwin Díaz of the New York Mets and Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins have been named the National and American League Relievers of the Month for May, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday on MLB Network.
For Díaz, it marks the ninth time in his career receiving the honor, while Duran earns his first, becoming just the second reliever in Twins franchise history to do so.
Díaz, 31, was lights-out in May, throwing 11.1 scoreless innings over 11 appearances. The Puerto Rican closer allowed just three hits, walked four, and struck out 14 while converting all five save opportunities. He didn’t allow a hit in his final nine outings, setting a new personal best.
Díaz joins elite company as one of just four Mets relievers to post five or more saves with no runs allowed in a single month—an achievement he’s now accomplished twice. He currently holds 55 career saves with at least three strikeouts, the most in the majors since his debut in 2016.
Meanwhile, Duran was dominant for Minnesota, going 4-1 with a 0.60 ERA over 15 innings in 15 appearances. The 27-year-old recorded 20 strikeouts, converted seven of eight save chances, and pitched back-to-back days six times—key to the Twins’ 13-game winning streak.
Known for his triple-digit fastball, Duran leads MLB in 100+ MPH pitches since his debut and extended his career-long strikeout streak to 16 straight games. He has yet to allow a home run in over 58 innings, the second-longest active streak in the majors.
Rounding out the competition, Díaz edged out fellow NL standouts including Randy Rodríguez, Camilo Doval, Ryan Helsley, and Trevor Megill. In the AL, Duran topped Emmanuel Clase, Carlos Estévez, Yariel Rodríguez, and Josh Hader, among others.
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