If you haven’t already been, start paying attention to the Arizona Diamondbacks. After a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies, the Diamondbacks have 34 wins this season, the same amount as the National League-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
While everyone was waiting for teams like the Philidelphia Phillies, the New York Mets, and the San Diego Padres to put it together, the Arizona Diamondbacks have quietly become one of the best teams in the National League.
The Snakes have done this with their explosive offense. They sit comfortably in the top 10 in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base plus slugging (OPS) at .262/.433/.758 respectively.
The heart of the Diamondbacks’ offense is something special. Facing Corbin Carrol, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Ketel Marte, and Christian Walker back-to-back is a tough stretch for any pitcher.
Gurriel became a Diamondback as 2022 was coming to a close and is finally getting the recognition he deserves. He holds the ninth-best slugging percentage (the rate of total bases per at bat) and the tenth-best batting average throughout the MLB.
Long-time Arizona second basemen Ketel Marte has been red-hot at the plate. He has now reached base in 30 straight games. 2019 first-round draft pick Corbin Carroll has stolen the fifth most bases in the league. Then to bring them all in, the team leader in RBI’s first baseman Christain Walker.
The Diamondbacks face two of the top teams in baseball this month. The Atlanta Braves are in town for a three-game set and at the end of the month, the Tampa Bay Rays will come to town. The Diamondbacks have a difficult road that lies ahead, highlighted by FanGraphs’ Strength of Schedule ranking. It holds the Diamondbacks tied for seventh with the most challenging schedule.
Arizona is on a five-game win streak and have won seven of their last 10 games. The upcoming series against the Braves should be a great one.
