2021 MLB Team Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks were a complete mess in last year’s shortened season, finishing dead-last in the National League West. Many had believed last year that this team was in an admirable position roster wise but things never unfolded for them, resulting in a lot of trade deadline moves and a shift towards rebuilding. Can the Diamondbacks get on track this year or they again going to be among the worst teams in baseball?

What Happened Last Year

Arizona was just never on the right track last season, starting off losing eight of their first 11 matchups and immediately fall into fifth place in the division. But then they completely flip their fortunes around by winning 10 of their next 13 and rocketing up in third place. Then they fell apart again, losing 18 of their last 20 and dropping far out of contention for the postseason at their 25-35 record and fifth place finish in the division. They were extremely hot and cold.

The year also saw the team move on from Robbie Ray, Starlin Marte, Archie Bradley and Andrew Chafin, with each of them being moved at the deadline once the team realized what type of season they were going to have. Maybe their offseason will be enough to put them back into contention for the division.

Offseason Changes

The optimism for the Diamondbacks early on in the offseason evaporated quickly, as the team was marked with an F rating by CBS Sports with their moves. They were handed this ranking because they didn’t really do anything to improve. The only notable acquisitions for this team were adding Joakim Soria and third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera. Two veterans who could possibly be flipped for more young prospects at the trade deadline if the team isn’t able to perform up to expectations once again. The good news is that this team didn’t really lose any major players during the offseason outside of their mid-season trades. While they retained most of their talent, they didn’t improve, which is crucial when being matched up with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.

2021 Outlook

The Diamondbacks got a terrible first season out of Madison Bumgarner, who was had just signed to a massive five-year contract. His stats were all down from the previous year, meaning that he will need a huge rebound this year in order to get this team back on track (and not regret signing him). The team already has a few other great players to build around in Zac Gallen and Ketel Marte, but they need more talent overall if they have hopes of competing. If they can avoid big slumps throughout the year then they can have a solid year, although nowhere near the Dodgers or Padres, who are more than likely to finish in the top two spots of the division. This leaves a grim outlook for Arizona as they’ll be competing with the Colorado Rockies in the cellar of this division.

Pick: 4^th In National League West