PHOENIX – After missing the postseason for a third consecutive year by the smallest of margins, the Arizona Diamondbacks have every reason to be frustrated. Will that automatically mean GM Mike Hazen and Manager Torey Lovullo will be the ones taking the blame? In fact, Arizona may want to think carefully before breaking up the partnership that helped build one of the franchise’s most successful teams in more than two decades.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo looks on from the dugout during their game against the San Francisco Giants on June 29, 2026, at Chase Field in Phoenix. Credit: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Mike Hazen hired Lovullo before the 2017 season, and the two have been tied together even before that from their time back in Boston. Under their leadership, the Diamondbacks went from a 52-110 disaster in 2021 to the National League pennant just two seasons later. That does not erase the failures of the last two seasons, but it does provide important context. Lovullo’s 2026 season is particularly interesting. Arizona finished 86-76, and CEO Derrick Hall publicly called it potentially the best managerial season of Lovullo’s tenure. Hall also emphasized Lovullo’s ability to manage the clubhouse and keep the team together through adversity.
Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen during spring training workouts at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick near Scottsdale on Feb. 19, 2024. Credits: Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Hall: “I don’t think we as an organization did our best job building a roster this year.”
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) September 29, 2026
There is a legitimate counterargument, as Lovullo’s reliance on situational matchups and bullpen decisions can leave people wondering whether another manager could squeeze more out of the roster. Replacing him would mean betting that someone else can improve those decisions without losing what Lovullo already provides, which is player trust, clubhouse leadership, and continuity. Arizona needs to ask a bigger question before making changes: Is the problem really the leadership, or is the organization simply a few roster adjustments away from becoming a postseason team again?
Apr 13, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo (17) walks on the field during a pitch change in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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Reporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @BenBliklen
