Arizona Diamondbacks: Nick Ahmed is a working class marvel

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed has always had the glove. Now he’s got the rest.

If trading Paul Goldschmidt gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a taste of Ewing Theory success, they’re gorging on it now. Arizona is 21-14 since trading staff ace Zack Greinke to the Astros, though that’s nothing new for Torey Lovullo’s crew: they’ve beaten back the non-believers all year long.

Recent two-game skid aside, Arizona’s surprising success this season has been driven by a breakout season from Ketel Marte and a blue-collar crew of contributors up and down the roster. Marte has launched himself onto the fringes of the MVP race: .328/.387/.595 with 32 home runs and 91 RBIs. Take into account defensive skills at multiple up-the-middle positions and a team-friendly contract that looks better by the day, and Marte might be the best building block in the league.

He’s not the only one having a career year in Phoenix. Merrill Kelly returned from a mini-career in South Korea to hold down a spot in the rotation. Christian Walker has contributed 25 home runs and 75 RBIs as a working class Goldschmidt. Carson Kelly broke out in a real way, smashing the wheel of 3-way catching crews in Arizona with a .254/.358/.511 line.

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The unsung-iest of these unsung heroes is Nick Ahmed, the 29-year-old gold glove shortstop. Shortstop is a crowded category, but he’s done nothing to relinquish his position (18 DRS, 3.5 UZR). Javier Baez, Trevor Story, and Paul DeJong each can make an argument for being the best defensive shortstop in the National League, but Ahmed’s in that elite group full stop.

On the stick end, to call Ahmed’s offensive season a “breakout” would be an overstatement. But he is having a career year in what’s been a steady march towards competency over the last three seasons.

Last year he added power: 16 home runs put him in double-digits for the first time. This year, he topped that numbers already with 18 long balls. Track his isolated power, and the year-over-year numbers reinforce Ahmed’s lunchpail approach: .168 ISO in 2017 was a career-high, as was .176 ISO last year, as is .185 ISO this year.

This season’s new skill is patience. His eye at the plate crossed the line into “average” territory. His year-over-year walk rates inch upwards from 5.6% in 2017 to 7.1% in 2018 to 8.7% this year, just a tick above the 8.3% league average.

It might not seem like much, but it makes a difference. Ahmed is an elite defensive shortstop who slowly but surely turned himself into an all-around offensive force. His slash line for the year is now .262/.325/.447. There’s not a lot of margin for error here, as much drop-off at any single station there could open a hole in his game. But for now – there are none.

He’s not a superstar like Marte, but he is a plus across the board. For what it’s worth, his 79 RBIs are now the most ever for a Diamondbacks shortstop. While that number makes me a little sad, it’s also encouraging to see Ahmed fill a need that’s plagued the Diamondbacks for most of their franchise history.

Going back through the list of Dback shortstops, the list is full of competent, but not outstanding offensive players: Tony Womack, Alex Cintron, Royce Clayton, Stephen Drew, Didi Gregorius. To put it plainly: the Diamondbacks have a type. Ahmed fits the molds, but he’s put in the work to become a better version of it.

Ahmed does his job, gets a little better every year, and as the defensive linchpin to the Arizona Diamondbacks infield, he makes everyone’s job just a little bit easier. Winning teams aren’t built with stars alone. The working class has to produce, and this season, Nick Ahmed is a model citizen.