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Yasmany Tomas is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ X-Factor for the 2016 Season

By Jake Mastroianni

Aug 10, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Yasmany Tomas (24) hits a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 10, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Yasmany Tomas (24) hits a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Arizona Diamondbacks gave up a lot this offseason to acquire top-of-the-line starting pitching in the Zach Greinke signing and Shelby Miller trade.

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With those deals, you’d have to think the pitching staff is going to be much better than their 23rd ranked 4.37 staff ERA from a year ago. Therefore, the key to the Diamondbacks’ success in 2016 will be for them to repeat their offensive production.

In the Miller deal they lost one of their leaders on offense from a year ago in Ender Inciarte. He hit .303, stole 21 bases and scored 73 runs in 132 games.

The Diamondbacks made that deal with the hope that Yasmany Tomas would break out in his sophomore season in the big leagues. They are paying him a lot of money over the next five years and they need him to improve on the subpar numbers he put up in 2015.

In 118 games last year he hit just nine home runs and drove in just 48 runs. The team could live with his .273 average, but it doesn’t look as good when he gets on base at less than a .310 clip.

Aug 28, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman
Aug 28, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman /

The Diamondbacks know what they have on offense in Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock, but they really need that third big bat. Plus, if Tomas can prove he is a middle-of-the-order bat he can protect Goldschmidt so Pollock can hit at the top of the order.

Last season the Diamondbacks finished eighth in the league in runs scored, so the offense wasn’t the problem. The front office went out and made moves to improve the pitching staff, but they’ll need the offense to continue to score runs and that will be dependent on how well Tomas improves in his second year in the big leagues.

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