It's time to look back at every team from around the MLB and what they showed us during the 60 game sprint! We are going to explore a few things for each team: Review in-season transactions, what we learned, what we loved, what we didn't love, the most significant need(s), and lastly, the biggest takeaways.
Let's jump over the NL with the Arizona D-Backs today. We talked about the Padres, A's, Marlins, Yankee's, Cardinals, Whitesox, Cubs, Twins, Reds, BlueJays, Brewers, Illllndians, Giants, Phillies, Mariners, Rockies, Nationals, Mets, Royals, and Angels thus far; you can find all posts on the homepage https://www.theballboyblog.com/.
Thank you for reading today; I hope you enjoy the news. Please come on over to Facebook and help me get my Great-Great-Grandfather Fay Young into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Read the full post here: https://www.facebook.com/ballboyblog/posts/209075940746617.
What moved did the 2020 D-Backs make?
Arizona Diamondbacks traded CF Starling Marte to Miami Marlins for Player To Be Named Later, LHP Caleb Smith, and RHP Humberto Mejia.- Smith pitched 11IP for the D-Backs after the trade. He threw to a 12-6 k-BB ratio, 1.00WHIP, and a 2.45ERA. A small sample size for Smith, but in 2019 Smith didn't look bad at all. He should factor into the 2021 rotation. Mejia didn't play in 2020 at the MLB level.
Arizona Diamondbacks traded LHP Robbie Ray and cash to Toronto Blue Jays for LHP Travis Bergen.- Bergen pitched 6.2 innings out of the pen for the D-Backs having an 8K-8BB ratio with a 1.80WHIP and 4.05ERA, again small sample size. But we should see Bergen in pen in 2021.
Arizona Diamondbacks traded RHP Archie Bradley and cash to Cincinnati Reds for LF Josh VanMeter and OF Stuart Fairchild.- VanMeter was the only one of the two to play in 2020. In the small sample size of 36AB, slashed .194BA/.293OBP/.333SLG. There is some potential here, I think. 32AB isn't enough to get an actual grasp on the player.
What did we love about the 2020 D-Backs?
There wasn't a lot to love about the 2020 D-Backs. They lost ten more games than they won. The guy's seasons that were average or above average in terms of OBP and SLG we liked were Christian Walker(.333OBP/.459SLG), David Peralta(.339OBP/.433SLG, 61H), Kole Calhoun(.338OBP/.526SLG, 16HR, 40RBI). Outside of these three who we saw all season, the offense wasn't great. Zac Gallen was one of a few who enjoyed a good 2020 as a D-Back pitcher. He threw 72IP, 2.75ERA, 1.11WHIP, OBA of .210. Gallen had hitters off balance all season long in the west. Merrill Kelly also showed the team's next best SP going 31.1IP 29K-5BB, 0.99WHIP, 2.59ERA, and a .218 OBA. The sample size for Kelly was enough to get excited about.
What did we not love about the 2020 D-Backs?
I feel like more often than not, I over projected a team with wins. I had the D-Backs predicted to a 37-23 record and a 3rd place finish with a wild card. They finished in 5th place with a 25-35 record. I mostly talk about team numbers as a whole, and the D-Backs were a team in 2020 that was the 5th worst in the MLB. Ketel Marte .287BA was misleading as his OBP .323 and SLG .409 were both below league average. His OPS of .732 made him a slightly above serviceable option. His defense and other stats give him a 1.3WAR. The team's slash of .241BA/.312OBP/.391SLG/.704OPS are all well below league average and show that this team as a whole was barely serviceable, and I don't know how they still won 25 games in this tough west division. The pitching as a whole had a 4.84ERA, 1.43WHIP, while opponents' batting average was .253.
What do I personally not love? I don't love that you aren't using the extra storage space you have in the garage, the shed, the attic, or basement. You could be making money off of it. You could buy 1 $20 storage rack at Lowes and then rent that space out. Do I need to say no more, great! My friends over at Stash-It Self Storage has you covered; use the promo code "YOUNG" when you're done posting to let them know I sent you.
What was the biggest takeaway from the 2020 D-Backs?
The offense needs help. As a team, they were well below in mainstream offensive metrics, and their team OPS shows me they were not able to get on base or get runs in enough to make it count. They finished as a whole team in terms of metrics shows me a team that should have maybe won 20 games in this tough AL/NL West.
What is next for the 2020 D-Backs in 2021?
The D-Backs have the 8th best farm-system in baseball. But after a wildcard in 2019, then a last-place finish in the NL West in 2020. They have two ways to go- Sell some of their pieces like outfielders Kristian Robinson and Alek Thomas to get some big fish trade chips, or they could wait on all their talent to develop and hope they do so quickly, so they don't waste the next four years they have Mad Bum for.
Thank you guys for being with me today. I hope you are enjoying the blog today. Please stay tuned through the winter; we have more Around the Horn, Yearly Reviews, Ball Boy Talk, and of course, the Podcast. Don't forget to share with a friend and until next time Ball boys & girls.
Thanks for reading today, I am so grateful for your time reading, and I hope you enjoyed reviewing the winners as much as I have. I also want to thank my partners over at Repp Sports for RAZE Energy. Thanks to this clean and sufficient energy, I can have the intense focus to deliver content to you guys consistently. Click here to save 15% right now with the code "BALL BOY" at check out.