The Arizona Diamondbacks land at the number 24 spot on my preseason power rankings. A team that unfortunately did not meet expectations last year now has low expectations.
Notable Additions: Asdrubal Cabrera, Joakim Soria
Notable Losses: Hector Rondon, Mike Leake
Current Top 5 Prospects: Kristian Robinson, Alek Thomas, Geraldo Perdomo, Corbin Carroll, Blake Walston
The Diamondbacks had high expectations for 2020 but it ended with a disappointing Madison Bumgarner and losing Starling Marte via trade to the Marlins. This ended up with a last-place finish in the NL West. So where did it go wrong?
Last season the Diamondbacks finished 10th in the NL in batting average and 11th in OPS. Also, having only one player with 10 or more home runs will not help you get runs across the plate. Their best-qualified hitter was Starling Marte and he left after 33 games for the club. The next best hitter was David Peralta who batted .300. After Peralta, there was Ketel Marte who did fine for his own standards batting a .287 but only consisted of 2 home runs. Another big surprise was Eduardo Escobar. Usually a .260 or better hitter with a fair share of home runs, but shockingly enough he only had 4 home runs and had a surprisingly low .212 batting average. I do expect bounce-back years from the Diamondback hitters.
Pitching was also a mess for the Diamondbacks. Luke Weaver and Madison Bumgarner both finished with ERAs over 6.40. Merril Kelly was good but only started 5 games. Zac Gallen was the real bright spot. Gallen went 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA and a solid 10.3 K/9. Acquiring Caleb Smith from the Marlins was a good boost to help rotation going forward. A healthy Bumgarner and Kelly and rising rejects from Miami can help this rotation tremendously for the future.
The Bullpen got a much-needed improvement with the signing of Joakim Soria. The D-Backs get an experienced closer coming off a great season with the Athletics. The 36-year-old will most likely take the role of closer for the D-Backs this upcoming season.
Let’s take a look at my X-Factors for this upcoming season.
Sock’s 2 X-Factors
1. Ketel Marte
Ketel Marte finished 4th in MVP voting in 2019 and had the best year of his career. Unfortunately, the shortened season got to him and didn’t produce the way people thought he would. Last season he hit .287 but only had two home runs. He is also a solid defender. Wouldn’t say he is elite or bad, but he holds his own in center field and second base. Either way, his bat is the best part of his game and I expect him to get his groove back in 2021. Projected 2021 Stats. .286 20HR 75RBIs
2. Zac Gallen
Entering his 3rd season in the league, Zac Gallen is off to a good start in his MLB career. In 34 games, he has a career 2.78 ERA and a 10.5 K/9. While he only has two years under his belt, he has shown that he can be a frontrunner for any staff in the MLB. He has a 4 pitch arsenal that has proven to work really well so far. The nice part about him is, he has stated that he wants to get better. Very exciting to hear if you are a Diamondbacks fan. I think he’ll come back down to earth a bit this year. Regardless, he’ll be a top guy the D-Backs can build around for the future. Project 2021 Stats. 11-8 3.54 ERA 170SO 1.20WHIP.
Prospects to look forward to
1. Corbin Carroll
Taken in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft, Carroll was considered a great batter and athlete out of high school. The frame wasn’t there yet but the tools were too good to pass. He may not have the frame but, he has the speed and he is only 20 years old. In his first season in the minors, he hit .299 with a .896 OPS and an OBP .409. Then when he gets on base, he is a threat to steal. He had 18 steals in 42 games. We could see Carroll as early as 2022 but I see him debuting in 2023.
2. Kristian Robinson
Signed in 2017, Robinson is a 6 foot 3 physical monster. He has the tools to be one of the best sluggers in the game. He started as a center fielder but he will most likely move to another position in the field as he grows in the minor leagues. In the minors so far, he has a respectable .281 batting average and .839 OPS. Arizona has one heck of an outfield duo to look forward to in the next 3 years.
My prediction for the Diamondbacks this upcoming season is that they will finish 3rd in the division with a 67-95 record. The nice part about this team is that they could surprise at any time. This team has the talent right now to surprise if everyone performs about expectations. That being said, I could see the Diamondbacks being a postseason threat as earlier as next year.
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