Arizona Diamondbacks: Predicting the 2020 rotation
The Arizona Diamondbacks have made a few moves this season and their biggest acquisition will have huge implications on the starting rotation this year.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have done one thing really well the past couple of seasons and that is developing starting pitchers. Several of these pitchers have gone on to have big careers, sometimes with other teams and sometimes sticking around the desert.
A few of those names include Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Daniel Hudson. They have also been good at acquiring great starting pitching prospects in trades. A few of the names on this list came via trades a la Paul Goldschmidt.
To be honest this off-season I really did not expect the Diamondbacks to be in the mix for any of the big-name free agents like Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole or even Hyun-Jin Ryu. To me, it seemed like they were pretty set with the guys they had. It is a young rotation, but they played very well.
As crazy as it might sound, we are only about a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training. That’s right people, we don’t need to wait too much longer to have baseball back in our lives.
With that, let’s take a look at who will be in the rotation this year. I’m going to start from the back-end of the rotation and take it up to who I think will be the opening day starter for the 2020 season
No. 5 Zac Gallen
2019 Stats: 3-6 with a 2.81 ERA, 96 strikeouts and a 1.225 WHIP
Now Zac Gallen only started 15 games, which could mean a lot of others may exclude him from the Arizona Diamondbacks opening day rotation, but what he showed towards the end of 2019, definitely earned him a spot in the rotation.
Gallen came over in a trade with the Miami Marlins in which the D-backs gave up their No. 1 prospect in Jazz Chisholm. Gallen to this point has been completely worth it, although Chisholm isn’t at the big league level yet, so the jury is still out.
I can’t see any scenario in which he is left out of the rotation unless the D-backs decide to continue the Mike Leake experience. I really hope that is not the case as he was awful when he came over and it’s time to get these young guys who are the future of the franchise playing time.
No. 4 Luke Weaver
2019 Stats: 4-3 with a 2.94 ERA, 69 strikeouts and a 1.073 WHIP
This spot could easily be Alex Young‘s, again with Weaver’s limited starts this past season, only 12, but Weaver was phenomenal. I think Young still needs some development. The D-backs also did this to themselves when they signed their free-agent pitcher this season.
They already had a log-jam at starting pitcher and now at least one young pitcher and one veteran will be on the outside looking in at this rotation. Weaver came from the St. Louis Cardinals in the Paul Goldschmidt trade and will continue to develop nicely for the team.
No. 3 Merrill Kelly
2019 Stats: 13-14 with a 4.42 ERA, 158 strikeouts and a 1.315 WHIP
Kelly was the Arizona Diamondbacks workhorse last year, making 32 starts for the snakes, but that being said, his leash is probably the shortest of all the pitchers, especially with Leake and Young in the background waiting for their opportunity.
He has earned the right to stick it out in the rotation, but should his ERA continue to be high and also his WHIP, he could be traded or the team might move him to the bullpen. They might even consider sending him back to the minors.
No. 2 Robbie Ray
2019 Stats: 12-8 with a 4.34 ERA, 235 strikeouts and a 1.342 WHIP
Ray is obviously only in this position if he isn’t traded and I don’t think that’ll happen during the off-season. If it happens it will be before the trade deadline for the team to get another piece to help it contend.
Ray has been a staple in the rotation for a while but has yet been able to reproduce the numbers from his 2017 All-Star season. Again with several young starters and Leake waiting in the wings, should things go south I can easily see the team move on from Ray to see what they can get out of him.
No. 1 Madison Bumgarner
2019 Stats: 9-9 with a 3.90 ERA, 203 strikeouts and a 1.127 WHIP
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This was the signing no one saw coming. If you would have told me 6 months ago that Bumgarner would be on the Arizona Diamondbacks I would have told you that you were crazy. Bumgarner brings so much to the plate for the team, there is no way he isn’t the opening day starter.
I know some might give it to Robbie Ray and I understand that, but there is no way it’s not Bumgarner. He is the ace with all the postseason experience this team craves to help carry them to the playoffs this year. Now he’s definitely not the pitcher he once was, but his average year is better than most pitcher’s great year.
I’m really excited to see how Bumgarner does in his inaugural season with the Snakes. It feels similar to win the team signed Zack Greinke from the Los Angeles Dodgers, albeit with a smaller contract.
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There you have your Arizona Diamondbacks 2020 starting rotation. What did you think? Leave a comment if there is someone you think I left out who should be there.