Confirmed
Conf
Some projections think the Diamondbacks are the only team with even a remote chance of challenging the Dodgers inside the division. There are others who think not. One huge key to how good Arizona is involves a revamped pitching staff. They plucked a wily veteran from a division rival to stick at the top of their rotation. Inside spots two through four are three more wily veterans. All the way at the backend of the opening day rotation may be their best pitcher when the season stats are counted.
Some wonder where the run support will come from. Arizona has some solid hitters slated for the interior of the order, but no one jumps off the lineup card as huge everyday threat. They added a new look at the top of the lineup to improve team speed. The Diamondbacks have a few nice pieces on this team. Some feel if it were not for playing in the same division as the Dodgers, Arizona would be in playoff conversations. Despite having some good vibes, Arizona may be relegated to chasing an elusive wildcard berth.
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Game | Score | Starting Pitcher | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
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9/27 vs COL | L 3-10 |
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9/26 vs COL | W 4-0 |
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9/23 vs TEX | W 7-3 |
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9/23 vs TEX | W 7-0 |
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9/20 @ HOU | L 2-3 |
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Contents
The Arizona Diamondbacks have made some offseason moves to improve their lineup for 2020. Trading for Starling Marte was the big one as he will hit in the top half of the order and has been a productive bat over the last few seasons with Pittsburgh. He will pair with Ketel Marte, who is coming off of a monster year in 2019. Eduardo Escobar is one of the more underrated bats in the league and has been one of the top hitters for Arizona. Look for him to continue to hit in the top half of the order. Now, the rest of the Arizona lineup is a question mark. They do have names like Kole Calhoun, Christian Walker, and David Peralta, but the consistency hasn’t been there for any of them.
Yasmany Tomas was once a hot commodity in Arizona but has lost his starting role in the offense. He will come off the bench as a pinch hitter or will fill in for a player through injury or a rest day.
Starling Marte will hit third for the Diamondbacks. While he isn't a prolific power bat, he does hit for gap power and has some speed as well. He fits right in with this Diamondbacks lineup, who does a lot of the same.
Nick Ahmed is the starting shortstop for the Diamondbacks and is a very good defensive shortstop. He hits left-handed pitching well but struggles against right-handers. Ahmed shouldn't have the platoon split cut into starts.
The best Diamondbacks lineup was in 1999 when they scored over 900 runs. They had a tough loss in the LDS, but this team was strong, winning 100 games. Randy Johnson was the top arm, and Buck Showalter was head coach.
The 2004 Arizona team was not that far out from the World Series one. They lost 11 games and allowed nearly 900 runs. The offense was dreadful, scoring just 615 runs over the course of the season.
Luis Gonzalez is the all-time leader in games played for the Diamondbacks. He played from 1999 to 2006, where he went to five all-star games and played in 1,194 games. Gonzalez has been one of their most notable players in history.