Welcome to the latest insights on the Arizona Diamondbacks as we dive into fan expectations and early season reactions. Before the first pitch of the season, we gathered predictions from Diamondbacks fans and our writers.
The consensus? An average of 84 wins.
However, the most optimistic fans leaned slightly higher, predicting between 86-88 wins, though it was a tight race with the 83-85 win range.
As it stands, the Diamondbacks, along with the Giants, Padres, and Rockies, are still searching for their first victory. San Francisco hasn't even crossed the plate yet.
So, while things could be worse, there's definitely room for improvement. Let's break down some initial reactions after the first couple of games.
The bullpen has shown a split personality. Thompson, Loaisiga, Morillo, and Hoffman delivered six shutout innings, allowing just two hits.
Meanwhile, Ginkel and Clarke struggled, giving up five earned runs in just over an inning. Joe Ross might lean towards the latter group, and there's some skepticism about Paul Sewald's future performance.
Nolan Arenado's start has been rocky, going 1-for-7 with five strikeouts. While his defense remains solid, the offensive adjustments he made in the off-season haven't paid off yet.
Base running has been chaotic, with four TOOTBLANs (Thrown Out On The Basepaths Like A Nincompoop) already. That's a stark contrast to the league average, which is less than half a TOOTBLAN per team. This isn't just aggressive play; it's borderline reckless.
The starters' ERA currently sits at a concerning 8.31. Facing a strong Dodgers team is challenging, but we haven't even seen Eduardo Rodriguez or Michael Soroka take the mound yet.
As the season unfolds, the Diamondbacks have plenty to work on, but it's early days. There's still time to turn things around and meet those preseason expectations. Stay tuned as we continue to track their progress and analyze the key developments.