The second half is underway for the Diamondbacks, but the mood coming out of the break is about as lukewarm as it gets. After two games back at Chase Field against the Cardinals, the latest SB Nation Reacts poll landed on the same verdict a lot of fans probably already had in mind: “Meh.”
That reaction fits a team that has been hard to pin down. Arizona has been a little better than the preseason sportsbook expectations, and the current projection of 83 wins sits close to the 84-win average the SnakePit writers forecasted back in March. There have been bright spots, but they’ve come from places few would have predicted.
Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Soroka have been the two best starters, which is not exactly how anyone would have drawn it up before the season. Rodriguez is coming off an All-Star appearance, and he pitched better than the NL starter in that game.
At the same time, several expected contributors have fallen short. Ketel Marte has not matched his usual standard, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been a disaster, and the first-half issues at first base, designated hitter and center field have already been well documented.
Even with all that, Arizona is still in a decent spot. The Diamondbacks are in second place in the NL West, ahead of both the Padres and Giants despite both clubs spending more than Arizona. They’re also still in the wild-card mix, and their remaining schedule is more favorable than the five teams currently sitting ahead of them in that race.
The catch is that the underlying numbers don’t paint a flattering picture. Arizona has been outscored by its opponents, which points to a team that may be a little fortunate to be over .500 at the break. If that changes in the second half, it would go a long way.
From the fan side, though, “Meh” is the least exciting answer possible. It doesn’t bring the firestorm you’d get in a place like New York, and it doesn’t come with the easy celebration of a team like the Dodgers, whose division chase has long since lost much of its suspense. Instead, it leaves Arizona in that awkward middle ground where there’s not enough to rave about and not enough to fully tear down.
A 2023-style surge would obviously be the ideal ending, even if that feels like a tougher ask now than it did then. That team went into the break tied for first and had led the division by as many as four games in mid-June.
This year’s club, even after that encouraging sweep of the Dodgers before the break, still trails Los Angeles by 11.5 games. No other division leader has a margin larger than five games.
So for the next two and a half months, it’s the wild-card race that matters. The hope in Arizona is simple enough: stay in it long enough to matter all the way to the final pitch of the regular season, which comes Sunday, September 27th in San Diego.
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Fans Are Bracing For A Corbin Carroll Injury Update
Corbin Carrolls night ended early against the Cardinals, and for a Diamondbacks team that leans heavily on his presence at the top of the lineup, the timing of the exit immediately shifted the mood around the game. Carroll had been working through a rough stretch before breaking out with a game-tying homer on Friday and a double on Sunday, so even before the injury scare, his bat had started to look more like itself again.
Arizona still found a way to finish the job in extra innings, with the club getting the win without Carroll on the field, but the bigger question now is how long it will have to manage without him. Torey Lovullos update offered some initial relief, yet the Diamondbacks are still waiting to see what comes next after Carroll was pulled and replaced by Jorge Barrosa. [Read more 🡒]
Ketel Marte Feels Like Arizonas Only Answer In This Spot
Ketel Marte has been one of the more reliable middle-of-the-order bats for Arizona this season, and his profile against left-handed pitching has made him especially interesting in spots where the Diamondbacks need a lift. He has handled southpaws well enough to keep his name in the conversation any time Arizona draws a lefty starter, and that kind of split matters when the lineup is looking for a quick jolt.
The matchup on July 20 puts Marte in exactly that kind of lane, with a left-handed starter on the other side and a home-run angle that fits the way he has been swinging the bat. Arizona does not need much convincing to lean on Marte in a spot like this, but the appeal comes from how his power numbers line up with a pitcher who has had trouble keeping the ball in the yard. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Pfaadt May Be Giving The Diamondbacks Exactly What They Need
Brandon Pfaadts return to the Arizona rotation came out of necessity, with injuries forcing the club to dip back into Triple-A Reno for help. What has followed has been a far more encouraging stretch than the Diamondbacks could have reasonably expected, as he has looked sharper, more efficient and increasingly capable of giving the staff a steady start when it needed one most.
Since June 30, Pfaadt has settled in with better command and a cleaner overall approach, which has helped him avoid the kind of innings that can unravel a game in a hurry. The bigger question for Arizona is whether this is the version of him it can count on going forward, or just a useful run at the right time, but for now he is doing exactly what the rotation has needed. [Read more 🡒]