The Arizona Diamondbacks continued their upward trajectory in 2023, improving for the fourth consecutive season. Though they narrowly missed the postseason, their 89-win total was their highest since 2017.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!While the season’s conclusion was bittersweet—at one point, Fangraphs gave them a 93% chance of playing baseball in October—the D-backs can still reflect on a number of positives from their 2023 campaign.
Arizona managed to navigate one of the worst pitching staffs in Major League Baseball, overcame multiple key injuries, and witnessed the emergence of some new exciting prospects.
In a recent ranking by The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, which focused on the 18 teams that missed the postseason, the D-backs were ranked second overall, an indication that they are well-positioned for future success. Bowden noted that while the D-backs didn’t reach October, they’ve set themselves up well for 2024 and beyond.
Bowden first focused on Arizona’s pitching staff, writing: “Arizona will be well-positioned to rebound in 2025 thanks to a strong rotation led by Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez, who all dealt with injuries and underperformance this season. Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson took significant steps forward, setting themselves up nicely for next year.”
He also highlighted Arizona’s offense, which led the league in runs scored. “Corbin Carroll, the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year, had an inconsistent sophomore season but was much better in the second half than the first. Ketel Marte will finish in the top five, at least, in the NL MVP voting, after a career year.”
At the top of Bowden’s list were the Seattle Mariners. Despite holding a 10-game lead over the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West at one point, the Mariners stumbled in the final stretch and missed out on a postseason berth. Bowden cited Seattle’s exceptional pitching as a key reason for their No. 1 ranking, writing: “With arguably the game’s best rotation heading into 2025, they just need to field an average offense — while cutting down on strikeouts — to become a serious playoff threat.”
At the other end of the list, the Chicago White Sox were ranked last, with the Los Angeles Angels just ahead of them in the 17th spot.
