The Cincinnati Reds have surprised a lot of people this season as they sit in first place in the NL Central at the All-Star break. A big reason for that is their shutdown closer Alexis Diaz. In his second season in the MLB, Diaz is already one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. Reds first baseman Joey Votto is in awe of the 26-year-old's demeanor.

“He’s been so important for this club. We would be nowhere without him, truly,” Votto said. “He doesn’t complain. He doesn’t make anything about himself. But he’s steady, dominant when he comes in. He’s gotten out of trouble when the occasion calls for it. The guy has been spectacular day in and day out.”

Diaz has done nothing but dominate since his Reds debut last April. He finished his rookie season with a 1.84 ERA and 10 saves in 59 appearances. 2023 has been even better as Diaz has a 2.03 ERA and converted 26 of his 27 save opportunities in the first half, tied for the most in baseball with Jordan Romano and Camilo Doval.

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Diaz is an MLB All-Star for the first time, heading to Seattle as the lone representative for the first-place Reds. Cincy fans likely won’t complain about their lack of All-Stars this season though. Seeing their electric closer on the mound against some of the league's best will be another memorable moment for the Reds faithful in what must seem like a fairytale season.

Alexis Diaz isn’t the only reason the Reds are chugging toward the playoffs after a 100-loss season, but it's hard to imagine Cincinnati being where they are in the standings without the performance of their lights-out closer.