After a strong May, the Diamondbacks came crashing back to earth in June, and the numbers tell the whole story.
Arizona went from a +32 run differential in May to -32 in June, while the team ERA slid to 4.90, which ranked 25th in the majors. The only pitcher on the staff with an ERA below two was Ildemaro Vargas.
On top of that, Corbin Burnes will not be back as soon as hoped, and the same is true for A.J. Puk.
That swing showed up in the mood around the club, too. When the poll was taken at the start of June, fan confidence had already been buoyed by a May that featured a winning record and the best monthly run differential the team had posted since July 2024.
Arizona was tied for the third wild-card spot, and its pitching staff had delivered a 2.98 ERA, the third best in baseball. It was also the first time since August 2018 that the D-backs had finished a month with a team ERA under three, even with Zac Gallen at 7.04.
The poll reflected that optimism. At the beginning of May, 47% of votes landed at four or below.
This time around, that number dropped to 14%. Ratings of six and seven rose from 19% to 37%, while nine jumped from 9% to 23%.
Overall, the average score climbed from 4.78 to 5.71, the best mark at this point since 2023. That also lined up with a team record that was four games better than last year and 5.5 games ahead of the end of May 2024.
June, though, changed the picture. Arizona has continued to handle weaker opponents, going 30-13 against teams below .500, which is the best mark in MLB.
Against teams at or above .500, the Diamondbacks have gone 13-30, a record that trails only the Rockies. The 2026 version of this club, at least so far, looks heavily shaped by the caliber of the opponent.
So where does that leave confidence now? That’s what the July poll is there to measure.
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Questions Around Druw Jones Lovullo And The Deadline Just Intensified
The Diamondbacks front office has not lost faith in Druw Jones, even as the bigger picture around the organization keeps sharpening. There is still confidence in the 2022 No. 2 overall pick, and the club continues to point to a deeper wave of young talent, with Demetrio Crisantes and David Hagaman among the names drawing attention behind him.
The more immediate tension is where this all leads for Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo as the trade deadline approaches. Hazen would prefer to buy rather than sell, and first base has emerged as an obvious area of need after the club has not gotten much production there this season. Lovullo, meanwhile, remains in a position where the fan criticism is loud but the internal sense is that his job security is intact, which only adds to the sense that the next move is about pushing forward, not starting over. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Linked To Another Rotation Target Fans Have Wanted
The rotation market is already starting to take shape, and Reid Detmers has quickly emerged as one of the more appealing names on it. The 26-year-old Angels left-hander is drawing interest because he is still under club control through 2028, giving any acquiring team more than just a short-term fix. For a Diamondbacks club that has kept an eye on pitching help, that kind of profile naturally fits the kind of search that tends to intensify as trade season moves closer.
Detmers has also backed up the buzz with a season that has been steady enough to keep front offices engaged, including a solid June stretch that strengthened his case as a possible frontline starter. Arizona is mentioned among the teams checking in, along with the Nationals, Athletics and Cardinals, so this is not a quiet pursuit with one clear favorite. The appeal is obvious, but so is the competition, and that is usually where these conversations start to get interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Zac Gallens Slide Is Becoming A Real Problem For The D-Backs
Zac Gallens latest outing only deepened the concern around a season that has gone sideways for the Diamondbacks most important starter. In the loss to the Giants, he allowed six earned runs on six hits over 5.2 innings, and Arizonas unbeaten run against San Francisco in 2026 went away with it. For a pitcher who was once among the NLs best and who got renewed confidence from the club this offseason, the slide has become hard to ignore.
The bigger issue is that the results keep stacking up in the same direction. Gallen now carries the highest ERA in MLB at 6.36 and has not picked up a win since June 14, a drought that has fueled plenty of fan frustration and left the Diamondbacks searching for more reliable starts. At a time when Arizona needs stability from the top of its rotation, every rough night only adds to the pressure on Gallen to turn it around soon. [Read more 🡒]