Arizona Diamondbacks - The Covid-19 Years (2020-2029)

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2020

Decade

110

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Titles:

Top Diamondbacks Players of the Twenty Twenties

2023 - Won NLWC(Milw); Won NLDS(LA); Won NLCS(Phila); Lost WS(Texas)

Pitchers:

BallPark:

Zac Gallen (16.98) - 41

Chase Field

Merrill Kelly (12.29) - 28

Madison Bumgarner (-0.42) - 10

Team Name:

Ryne Nelson (2.45) - 9

Diamondbacks

Brandon Pfaadt (0.1) - 7

Kevin Ginkel (1.22) - 6

Owner:

Mark Melancon (2.26) - 5

Ken Kendrick

Catchers:

General Managers:

Gabe Moreno (7) - 12

Mike Hazen

Carson Kelly (2.72) - 11

Managers:

First Basemen:

Torey Lovullo

Christian Walker (12) - 32

No Hitters:

Second Basemen:

2021 - Tyler Gilbert (San Diego)

Ketel Marte (17) - 35

Hall of Famers:

ShortStop:

None

Geraldo Perdomo (3.18) - 12

Nick Ahmed (2.13) - 9

Rookie of the Year:

2023 - Corbin Carroll

Third Base:

Josh Rojas (3.23) - 13

MVP:

Eugenio Suarez (3) - 8

None

Eduardo Escobar (1.72) - 6

Cy Young:

Outfield:

None

Corbin Carroll (9) - 27

Lourdes Gurriel (5.0) - 15

Notable Events:

Jake McCarthy (4) - 15

David Peralta (2.69) - 13

2020 - The Dbacks had a couple of ninety plus win seasons in the previous decade

Daulton Varsho (6.46) - 9

and had a decent team in 2019, winning 85. They were riding a three year above

Joc Pederson (3) - 8

.500 steak coming into the decade. Unfortunately for the Dbacks, the big story

Alek Thomas (2.45) - 7

of the '20 season occurred in '19 when the Dbacks jettisoned their ace

Pavin Smith (0.6) - 6

righthander Zack Greinke and his 35 million a year contract to the Astros

Kole Calhoun (1.26) - 5

at the trade deadline. This deal was a killer psychologically for the 2020

Arizona club. With basically the same team, plus hot hitting FA OF Kole Calhoun,

Notable Events:

the Diamondbacks plummeted to a 25-35 mark and last place in the Division.

We've seen it before, when ownership gives up on a club for whatever reason

2024 - Arizona GM Mike Hazen has done a nice job rising Phoenix from

(financial in this case), the spirit just isn't there anymore in the players left behind.

the ashes, so to speak, over the past few years. Despite an against the run

of form journey to the World Series last year, the Dbacks are not there yet.

□ The Arizona owner is Ken Kendrick who has been part of the ownership

But, they are clearly moving in the right direction.

group since the team's inception. He is not known for having deep pockets, altho'

Arizona gave up more runs than they scored last year and yet finished six

he'll fool you once in a blue moon like the time he signed Zack Greinke.

games above .500 and making the wild card. The Dbacks then got super

hot from there. Usually, when your record is better than your run

□ Mike Hazen is the GM since 2017 and has presided over Arizona's three

totals would predict (80-82), you've got a good closer who nails down

winning seasons. Hazen had a good pedigree before coming over to the Dbacks

the close ones. Arizona had a good one in Paul Sewald, acquired from

having worked in the highly successful Red Sox organization for eleven years.

Seattle at the trade deadline, who picked up thirteen saves down the

stretch. The Dbacks were just about at the league average in runs scored

□ Torey Lovullo is the Diamondbacks manager and has been since 2017 and

last year and slightly above the league average in runs given up.

is also riding the three season winning streak coming into the decade.

Mike Hazen has made some nice off season moves which, while not

making Arizona a contender for the Division Title against the vastly superior

2020 - Not good juju for Diamondbacks fans. OF Starling Marte and P Archie

Dodgers, will solidify their run at another Wild Card.

Bradley are jettisoned at the trade deadline.

On offense, the Diamondbacks have added slugging 3B Eugenio Suarez,

and hard hitting outfielders Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuck. Add this

2020 - There are a number of keepers on the 2020 roster moving forward:

to a nice core of hitters in Rookie of the Year and future super star OF

□ RHP Zac Gallen, 24, obtained from Miami in '19 for 2B Jazz Chisholm

Corbin Carroll, slugging 1B Christian Walker, solid hitting 2B Ketel Marte,

□ RHP Merrill Kelly, 31, signed in '19 after playing four years in Korea

solid hitting OF Lourdes Gurriel and up and coming young star C

□ Closer Archie Bradley, 29, dealt to Reds at deadline in '20

Gabriel Moreno. They also have a can't miss young SS prospect in

□ C / OF Daulton Varsho, 24, '17 2nd round pick, dealt to Toronto in '23

twenty one year old Jordan Lawlar. That adds up to a potential circular

□ OF Starling Marte, 31, '20 FA from Pirates, dealt to Miami at deadline in '20

lineup that should end up scoring well above the league average runs.

□ OF David Peralta, 33, '13 FA pickup, dealt to Tampa in '22

□ 3B Eduardo Escobar, 32, fell off a cliff from 35 HRs in '19 to 4 in '20

On the mound, things are looking up, as well. The Diamondbacks

□ 1B Christian Walker, 30, '17 waiver pickup from Reds

had a nice one-two punch at the top of the rotation in Zac Gallen and

□ 2B Ketel Marte, 27, '17 trade with Seattle involving five well regarded prospects

Merrill Kelly. Gallen, in particular, has emerged as one of the top starters

□ IF Josh Rojas, 26, '19 trade from Houston for Zach Greinke

in the game. Add to them a pair of solid free agent lefties in Eduardo

□ OF Pavin Smith, 24, '17 1st round pick

Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery and now you've got something.

□ OF Corbin Carroll, 20, 1st round pick in '19 draft

The bullpen showed out in the post season last year.

□ OF Alek Thomas, 20, 2nd round pick in '18 draft

Sewald returns as the closer and Ryne Nelson, Kevin Ginkel and Miguel

□ OF Kristian Robinson, 20, '17 IFA

Castro provide some quality depth

□ SS Geraldo Perdomo, 20, '16 IFA

All in all, I wouldn't be surprised, barring injuries, if the Diamondbacks

2021 - Arizona crashes and burns. 52-110. A disaster.

top ninety wins and make the Wild Card in a very competitive division.

Injuries play a big part in the decline, but a house cleaning is in order.

GM Mike Hazen has been doing a good job of building up the farm

2025 - Arizona signs 30 year old righty Corbin Burnes from Baltimore

system so the team won't be terrible for long.

for 210 million. DBack management knows they're close so all the chips

2021 - OF Jake McCarthy, 23, is a rookie. '18 1st round pick

are going in.

2022 - After bottoming out, Arizona gains 22 games in the standings.

2025 - Arizona trades 25 year old righty Slade Cecconi to Cleveland for

Improved pitching is the big reason for the gain as Zac Gallen and Merrill

first baseman Josh Naylor, 28, who is on an expiring contract. He replaces

Kelly provide a nice one-two punch at the top of the rotation and the

Christian Walker. 33, who left for Houston as a free agent

Nelson boys, Kyle, 25, and Ryne, 24, pitch well out of the pen.

2025 - Arizona gained five games in the standings to 89 wins but dropped to

2023 - A productive offseason trade with Toronto brings in OF Lourdes Gurriel

third place and didn't make it into the post season. Tough division with the

and catcher Gabriel Moreno in exchange for Daulton Varsho.

almighty Dodgers, the Padres and the much improved Giants to contend with.

Gurriel end up with a .772 OPS and Moreno .747 which solidify the lineup.

That being said, Arizona should be in the thick of it in 2025.

2023 - Arizona gains ten games in the standings and finish a bit over

Pitching: (A strength, good rotation with seven deep depth, good pen)

.500 at 84-78. They are given no chance in the playoffs, but fool

□ Ace Corbin Burnes, 30, was picked up from Baltimore. Huge acquisition.

everybody and beat the Brewers, Dodgers and Phillies to make it to the

□ RHP Zac Gallen, 29, 14-6 3.65 was slowed by injuries in '24

World Series. They come down to earth against Texas in the Classic.

□ RHP Brandon Pfaadt, 26, 11-10 4.71 the skinny on Pfaadt is great control

□ RHP Ryne Nelson, 26, 10-6 4.24 fighting for a spot in the rotation

2023 - Interestingly the Arizona offense doesn't improve from '22 runs-wise.

□ RHP Merrill Kelly, 36, 5-1 4.03 hurt his shoulder last season.

It is league average. The pitching improves a bit, not a whole lot, and

□ RHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 32, 3-4 5.04 missed four months last season

is still below league average. So the Diamondbacks overachieved a bit

□ LHP Jordan Montgomery, 33, 8-7 6.23 nice depth piece in the rotation

in the regular season. Usually when a team overachieves over what

□ Closer Justin Martinez, 24, 5-6 2.48 8 saves averages over 100mph

it's stats would predict, it's the bullpen. However, the Diamondback

□ Closer AJ Puk, 30, 4-9 3.15 Lefty would be THE closer for a lot of teams

bullpen is pretty mediocre. All that being said, the difference between the

□ RHP Kevin Ginkel, 31, 8-3 3.21 would be closing for a lot of teams

22 Dback pitching and '23 was the improvement of the bullpen from poor

to mediocre. Five year veteran Kevin Ginkel, 29, is the big difference in

Hitting: (Solid lineup with a couple of good looking kids looking to break in)

the bullpen going 9-1 with a 2.48 ERA.

□ C Gabe Moreno, 25, 5 46 .256, injury plagued 2024

Starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly remain the mainstays

□ C Adrian del Castillo, 26, 4 19 .313, they're going to have to find him a position

of the staff - Arizona would be lost without either one of them.

□ 1B Josh Naylor, 28, 31 108 .243, Obtained from Cleveland to replace Walker

□ 2B Ketel Marte, 32, 36 95 .292, this guy is a star

2023 - '19 first round pick, Corbin Carroll, 22, comes up and tears it up

□ SS Geraldo Perdomo, 25, 3 37 .273, solid

winning Rookie of the Year. He steals 54 bases and has an .868 OPS.

□ SS Jordan Lawlar, 23, the future if he can stay healthy

Combined with 1B Christian Walker, .830 OPS, and 2B Kettel Marte,

□ 3B Eugenio Suarez, 34, 30 101 .256 part of a 100 home run plus infield

.844 OPS, the Diamondbacks have a solid core on offense.

□ OF Corbin Carroll, 25, 22 74 .231 35SB overcame slow start in '24

Because WAR and other traditional stats severely underestimate

□ OF Lourdes Gurriel, 32, 18 75 .289 has a DH's throwing arm

the effect of game changing speed on results, the Diamondbacks

□ OF Pavin Smith, 29, 9 36 .270

appear to have an overachieving offense.

□ CF Jake McCarthy, 29, 8 56 .285 25SB

□ CF Alek Thomas, 25, hit .189 last year, no bueno

□ OF Druw Jones, 21, hoping his genes kick in