Arizona Diamondbacks 2017 Preview
The expectations for the 2016 Diamondbacks were sky high, as then-general manager Dave Stewart went all-in on the season by cashing in trade chips like former number one overall pick Dansby Swanson to acquire what was considered to be proven veteran talent, such as Atlanta Braves right-hander Shelby Miller. An influx of cash around major league baseball also allowed a typically conservative financial organization to throw a pile of money at the top free agent pitcher on the market, Zach Greinke. Add those two arms to one of the best offenses in the National League, and it was easy to see why Arizona was thinking about taking the N.L. West division championship.
However, those big dreams were squashed quickly as their newly acquired ace was shelled in his first outing, giving up seven earned runs in just four innings. While Greinke would improve as the season wore on, he never did rediscover his Cy-Young form, finishing the season with a pedestrian 4.37 E.R.A. and watching opponents hit 23 home runs in just 26 starts. Miller meanwhile, the other half of what Arizona hoped would be a formidable one-two punch in its rotation, had the worst season of his career. To say he was bad would be a massive understatement, as the ineffective starter was at one point sent to the minor leagues in an attempt to fix his issues. While Miller did show some improvement toward the end of the season, his 6.15 E.R.A. was still terrible, and Miller and Greinke combined to help the Diamondbacks sport the worst starting rotation in all of Major League Baseball.
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While the offense was still superb, as their 4.54 runs per game was fifth-best in the National League, it was not good enough to overcome their pitching woes, and the team would finish 69-93, good for fourth place in their division. The poor season cost Stewart his job as General Manager and Chip Hale was fired as the team’s manager. New GM Mike Hazen chose to mostly stay the course over the off-season, making relatively few moves. He traded for Seattle Mariners starter Taijuan Walker, another pitcher who has not lived up to high expectations, but aside from that, this team looks remarkably similar to its 2016 version. Hazen is better that a new coaching staff and lower external expectations will get his players to perform closer to what was expected of them last year. Given the lack of tradable assets in the minor leagues, and an unwillingness by the owner to blow up the roster and start over, that was the only reasonable path to take. Nevertheless, with the team embroiled in a nasty stadium dispute with the local government, trotting out the same overpaid, an underperforming group of players has fan interest close to an all-time low. So is this a team that is poised to surprise everyone, or will Hazen be forced to unload his veterans at the trade deadline in a desperate attempt to restock the farm system as the squad on the major league field again disappoints?
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About to crush. #DbacksSpring pic.twitter.com/Ux77qm9w4j
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 11, 2017
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If I were a betting man, I would bet on the former rather than the latter. This team is chocked full of guys who are coming off their worst season. Guys with proven track records who, for whatever reason, tripped all over themselves in 2016. Most likely the pressure of high expectations and the somewhat unique challenges faced by pitchers at Chase Field combined to destroy the confidence of the pitching staff. Add in an overused bullpen that had trouble getting out of the middle innings, and it is easy to see how things went wrong in the first half to the season, and also how things could be much better in 2017. The chances of Greinke, one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, having another season with an E.R.A over four is unlikely. The chances of Shelby Miller turning in another performance where he gives up over six runs per game is also slim. An improved Diamondbacks bullpen, a more analytical manager, and a new voice in the ears of the pitching staff should be enough to elevate Arizona from worst in the Majors to somewhere in the middle of the pack. And with the offense poised for another solid year, that is all they need from the guys on the mound.
[the_ad id=”567″]The Diamondbacks are perennially one of the best offensive clubs in baseball, led by All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt anchors an above average lineup that should have 2015 All-Star A.J. Pollock back after he missed 2016 with an elbow injury. Pollack has a career OPS over .800 and is one of the few Diamondbacks with solid plate discipline. Having him back for the entire 2017 campaign adds another solid bat to an already good lineup. Goldschmidt, Pollack, Yasmany Tomas and Jake Lamb are all above average hitters for their position, and while the rest of the lineup has yet to be determined, chances are this team will be in the top five in the National League in runs scored once again.
Pollack not only solidifies the lineup, but he also helps immensely on defense. The Diamondbacks outfield defense was terrible last year, with the team finishing next to last in the Major Leagues in team defensive efficiency. The outfield featured a center fielder who had before 2016 spent his entire career playing the in the infield, and a right fielder with the uncanny ability to turn singles into doubles, and doubles into triples. With Pollack in center and Tomas now manning the less demanding corner spot in left, the outfield defense looks to be much improved.
Much improved should be the theme for the Diamondbacks, and you should look for them to make a leap in the standings. It might be enough to capture the N.L. West title, but Arizona will be in the race into August and September.