One of the positively surprising teams in the 2023 Major League Baseball season is the young and hungry Arizona Diamondbacks.
However, the Diamondbacks are in a very tight National League West division race in 2023. At 57-50, the Snakes are just three and a half games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the division lead.
Referring back to the youth on the roster, the average age for a Diamondbacks player this year is just 27.8 years old.
The youth movement seems to be taking over the MLB, and the Diamondbacks are another good example of it.
However, they provide something that most young teams don’t.
For move coverage by Back Sports Page on the MLB mid-season recaps, check out Jack Devin’s latest work on the Toronto Blue Jays.
But how are the Arizona Diamondbacks at this point and this competitive? Let’s take a bit of a deeper look…
Arizona Diamondbacks Mid-Season Report
Offense Is Surprisingly Hot
For the youth movement, the Diamondbacks are quietly putting together a surprisingly great offensive campaign. Similarly, looking at the statistics, they rank in the top five in the NL in most hitting statistics.
In the same vein, the D-Backs are fifth in the Senior Circuit in hits (931), which includes leading the NL in both doubles (202) and triples (26). The team also shows some impressive discipline at the plate.
Conversely, Arizona holds the third-fewest strikeouts for hitters (838), and the fourth-best batting average (.256).
Another good notable statistic is the traffic the D-Backs can create on the base paths. Arizona has the fourth-most total bases (1545), the second-most stolen bases (106), and scored the fourth-most runs (521).
Other Key Statistics
Similarly, they are a steady producing offensive team. Arizona may only be seventh in on-base percentage (.325), but they are fourth-best in slugging percentage (.426) and fourth in OPS (.751).
Headlining Players
One of the top players is 22-year-old rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll. The young outfielder leads the team with an impressive .538 slugging percentage, .898 OPS, and stolen bases with 33.
Not only that, but Carroll ranks second on the squad with 21 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 103 hits. Carroll is certainly making a healthy case to be the NL Rookie of the Year in 2023.
One particular veteran who is posting a breakout campaign in 2023 is first baseman Christian Walker. Through 103 games, Walker is emerging into one of the premier power-hitting first basemen in today’s MLB. After crushing 36 bombs and 94 RBIs in 2022, he already has 22 home runs and 68 RBIs, which leads the team in each category.
For a young team, the Arizona Diamondbacks are proving to be an entertaining offense to watch.
Pitching for the Diamondbacks: Not Exactly Elite
While the offense is certainly something of value to watch, the pitching is a unit that finds themselves near the bottom of the NL.
Looking at the official statistics, Arizona’s staff does have the fifth-most wins, but rank in the bottom five in other important categories.
Altogether, the D-Backs pitchers have given up the fifth-most hits (919), fifth-most runs (521), have the fifth-fewest strikeouts (874), and surrendered the fourth-most earned runs (487) and fifth-most long balls (131).
Consequently, the 487 earned runs result in holding the fourth-worst ERA in the NL, at 4.62.
However, the Diamondbacks do have something to be proud of in their rotation. That would be their ace, fifth-year veteran Zac Gallen.
Gallen Having Another Steady Year
The right-hander is proving to be the ace of the Snakes’ rotation again in 2023. After a career-best year last season, Gallen has a healthy 11-5 record with a 3.36 ERA in 136.2 innings. He looks to be on the way to a new career-high in wins for 2023. Not only that, but he does a great job of limiting contact and limiting base runners.
To clarify, in his 136.2 innings, Gallen has 143 strikeouts to just 28 walks, which is a 5.11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and a WHIP of 1.076.
Bullpen: Closer-by-Committee?
For the most part of this season, the Diamondbacks have operated without a true closing pitcher. Overall, Arizona has 28 saves, which is seventh-best in the NL. Their leader is Scott McGough with nine. However, the D-Backs are addressing the issue thanks to a trade just before the deadline. They acquired Paul Sewald from the Seattle Mariners, who, in his own right, is becoming one of the more reliable back-end arms in the game.
Through 45 appearances with Seattle, Sewald posted a career-high 21 saves, 60 strikeouts, and a 2.93 ERA in 43 innings.
Arizona Diamondbacks Defense Stats
Looking at the defense for Arizona, they are a dependable unit. They lead the National League in fielding percentage (.990), and have the fewest errors with 37.
Diamondbacks Schedule: Best/Statement Win/Worst Loss
For the schedule, the best win to this point for the Diamondbacks was a rather recent one, as they defeated the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves on July 18 in a 16-13 shootout.
In the same vein, the worst loss on the schedule came back on May 19 when they lost on the road to the Pittsburgh Pirates 13 to 3.
Final Thoughts on the Arizona Diamondbacks
After their acquisition of Sewald, the Arizona Diamondbacks have a lock down closer. And with their young exciting offense, they should be an entertaining team to watch down the stretch. Only time will tell which way the momentum and the summer heat takes the desert.
****************
Nate Powalie is a contributor for Back Sports Page. A 2022 graduate of Ashland University (Ashland, Ohio), Nate has five years of sports writing experience, and has gotten the chance to call sporting events for radio and live stream. Nate can be found on Twitter (@PNate22) and Facebook (Nate Powalie).
