Call to the pen
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MLB division previews and predictions: NL West

By Jack McKenney

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his solo homerun as he runs the bases, to trail 4-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates, during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on May 30, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his solo homerun as he runs the bases, to trail 4-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates, during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on May 30, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 02: Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks walks to the dugout during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 02, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 02: Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks walks to the dugout during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 02, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images) /

NL West preview: 4. Arizona Diamondbacks

For a team that won a staggering 52 games in 2021, the D-Backs are in a great spot headed into 2023. The rebuild continues to grow stronger year after year, with the team continuously developing young talent while slowly inching closer to .500 as each year goes by.

Arizona took a massive gamble trading Daulton Varsho this offseason, sending the power-hitting utility player to Toronto in exchange for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno. Moreno was a highly-touted catching prospect for Toronto, batting .319 with a home run in 69 at-bats for Toronto in 2022. Meanwhile, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was a reliable player in Toronto for many seasons. While the power numbers haven’t always been there, Gurriel has always brought elite contact hitting and defensive versatility to the lineup. Arizona boasts a stacked young outfield, with every player 25 years or younger. Corbin Carroll is the second-ranked prospect in baseball, coming off a strong call-up at the end of last season. The 22-year-old tallied a .260/4HR slash in 104 at-bats, likely hitting leadoff in the Opening Day lineup. Jake McCarthy quietly had a strong 2022 campaign, posting a 116 wRC+ in 354 at-bats last year. Alek Thomas completes the group, coming off an incredible defensive season in his rookie campaign. While Thomas struggled at the plate, he accomplished a DRS of 6, the highest total among all qualified rookies. Christian Walker was the best offensive producer among the group last year, blasting a career-high 36 home runs. Walker will rightfully hit fourth in this lineup, hoping to replicate the elite power numbers from last season. 2022 marked a down year for infielder Ketel Marte, struggling to establish his elite contact ability during most of the season. Marte will still find himself at the top of this young lineup, hoping to achieve his third season batting over the .300 mark. The D-Backs did a great job acquiring depth this offseason, signing Evan Longoria and Kyle Lewis to one-year deals. Lewis is a great fourth outfielder for any team to have, and Longoria is still a relatively successful veteran player. It may be Longoria’s last season, and I’m sure baseball fans are curious to see how Longoria’s career shapes out in the Hall of Fame conversation.

The pitching staff has manufactured two elite right-handed starters in Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Gallen established himself as a true ace last season, tossing a spectacular 2.54 ERA (3.05 FIP) in 184 innings. Gallen’s spectacular numbers placed him fifth in Cy Young voting, along with a lot more respect from analysts and writers around the league. After posting a 3.37 ERA over 200 innings last year, Kelly earned an invite to the Team USA pitching staff, starting in the championship game. It’s hard to believe that Madison Bumgarner is just 33 years old, a year younger than Kelly. While Bumgarner has registered a 4.60+ ERA in back-to-back seasons, his veteran presence and incredible playoff resume make him a great resource for the younger arms on this staff. Bumgarner will serve as a mentor for Drey Jamison, arguably the most promising young arm amongst the group. Jameson will start the season in the bullpen, coming off a spectacular 1.48 ERA over 24.1 innings of work in 2022. 25-year-old Ryne Nelson won the fifth spot in rotation, who posted a 1.47 ERA over 18.1 innings of work last year. Clearly Nelson and Jameson will be important young arms for D-Backs fans to monitor this season. Zach Davies will also be in the mix for starts, re-signing with the team on a one-year deal over the offseason.

Andrew Chafin, Miguel Castro, and Scott McGough highlight the marquee editions to this bullpen, with McGough likely the favorite to close games this season. After four years of closing in Japan, McGough has been reliable in spring training, posting a 2.16 ERA with 9 strikeouts over 8.1 innings of work. Only time will tell if his success can translate to the big leagues.

The future is bright for Arizona. The team will be right around .500 this season, while also having the third-ranked farm system in baseball (according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis). In just a few short years, we can expect to see Arizona back in the playoff hunt, a strong accomplishment for a franchise that was in a really tough spot just a few seasons ago.

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