The Diamondbacks’ best path to a better next season may not be some giant overhaul. It may simply be getting more of the good stuff they already had.
This season was riddled with injuries, but a handful of Arizona players still turned in strong showings. If they stay on the field more often next year, the impact could be real. More games from high performers means more value, and maybe enough to push the club into solid playoff contention.
There’s one honorable mention before getting to the names that matter most. Zac Gallen, who posted an ERA+ of 67, will be a free agent, and next season he will improve the team by playing zero games for the Diamondbacks.
Geraldo Perdomo also deserves a nod. His batting breakout in August pointed to a possible jump in production next season.
The outfield is where the changes could be easiest to see. The Diamondbacks have lost Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas.
McCarthy was traded away before the 2026 season, and Arizona will miss his .822 OPS. Thomas went to the Dodgers; he finished with a .563 OPS for the Diamondbacks and .513 with Los Angeles, even though there had been high expectations that his bat would improve dramatically.
That opens the door for Ryan Waldschmidt, and he looks ready for a bigger role. He’s 23, he made his MLB debut this season, and Diamondbacks Prospects described him as a “5 tool player, 25/25 threat, good CF,…”
His glove already plays well in left field and center field, and the numbers back that up. In August and September, through games on 12 September, he posted a .724 OPS in left field, just above the league average for left fielders of .716. In center field, though, his OPS was .478, which makes left field look like the cleaner fit for everyday work.
Waldschmidt also gave the team a jolt in the biggest moments. He hit walk-off homers on 7 and 25 August, which was record breaking. He became the first Diamondback rookie to pinch hit a walk-off homer, and the first MLB rookie to hit two walk-off homers while training in the same calendar month.
“Everyone wants to get the opportunity to be the hero and have a chance to win it for their team, and I think just being able to go in with a pretty relaxed mentality about it, not trying to put too much pressure on myself to obviously come up in those big moments. I think that’s just how the game falls sometimes, and the game’s going to find you, especially as a young guy, and you’re going to get those opportunities.”
His playing time is expected to rise by at least 45% next season, and that should matter for Arizona.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Nootbaar also looks set for a larger role.
He’s 29, which is still relatively young, and the Diamondbacks picked him up at the trade deadline. Next season will be his final year of arbitration before free agency.
His defense grades as slightly above average, though not at Waldschmidt’s level. His Fielding run value is 2, with Range at 1 and Arm at 1, while Waldschmidt sits at 4.
At the plate, Nootbaar hit .688 OPS with the Cardinals and .765 with the Diamondbacks, and his left-handed bat adds another layer of value.
The rotation should get a boost too. Corbin Burnes, the 2021 Cy Young winner, is under contract through 2030.
He missed most of 2026 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and a teres major shoulder strain pushed back his return. Next season, he’s expected to anchor the staff.
Brandon Pfaadt is also under contract through 2030, and his upside showed this year in both starting and relief work. Between 30 June and 14 August, he turned in a 1.15 ERA over nine starts. For the full season, his ERA+ was 111.
Ryne Nelson has two more seasons of arbitration left. Last season he posted an ERA+ of 125, and fans thought he might be the most valuable pitcher this season. This year’s 85 ERA+ was a step back, but next season a rebound to last year’s level doesn’t sound far-fetched.
The bullpen, meanwhile, was better this season than it has been in years. The Diamondbacks have finally figured it out! Two relievers stand out as candidates for even bigger workloads next season.
Dennis Santana came in on a minor league deal. An AZ SnakePit article laid out reasons he might get called up, and five days later he was.
Once he arrived, he was electric. Before the trade with the Pirates, his 74 ERA+ was poor.
After joining the Diamondbacks, his 482 ERA+ reflected a huge breakout.
Justin Martinez is another arm to watch. His fastball regularly reaches 102 MPH, and this season his average four-seam fastball was 101.5 MPH while his average sinker was 101.6 MPH. He missed most of this season while recovering from Tommy John Surgery.
Taken together, seven players could give the Diamondbacks much more next season simply by playing more often than they did this year: Waldschmidt, Nootbaar, Burnes, Pfaadt, Nelson, Dennis Santana, and Justin Martinez. If that happens, the upside for Arizona is obvious.
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