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Updates
2023 Season
Season Recap: Few experts believed the Diamondbacks had what it took to win the pennant, but they got hot in the second half of the season and stayed hot in the playoffs—defeating the Brewers, Dodgers, and Phillies. They finally fell to the Texas Rangers in the World Series. The D-backs were led by rookie sensation Corbin Carroll, along with veterans Christian Walker, Ketel Marte, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Merrill Kelly, and Zach Gallen. The Arizona bullpen was nearly unhittable in the postseason.
August 27, 2023: Corbin Carroll became the fourth rookie in history with 20 homers and 40 stolen bases when he swiped second in a game against the Reds. The last rookie with a “20-40” season was Mike Trout, in 2012.
July 11, 2023: Zac Gallen was the starting pitcher for the National League in the 2023 All-Star Game.
Season Preview: The D-backs have a knack for surprising the experts, but it is unlikely they will surprise the two top teams in the NL West, the Dodgers and Padres. That may not be the case for long, however. Arizona has some terrific young players, including pitchers Zac Gallen and Drey Jameson, catcher Gabriel Moreno, and the outfield trio of Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy, and Alek Thomas. There is more impressive talent waiting in the minors.
2022 Season
Season Recap: The Diamondbacks were fun to watch in 2022, but also very frustrating. The team was full of young and talented hitters—including Daulton Varsho, Alek Thomas, Jake McCarthy, and Corbin Carroll—but no one seemed able to hit when games were on the line. That was bad news for pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, who were brilliant at times. Arizona’s 74 victories were more than many experts predicted, but not enough to come close to their division rivals or a playoff spot.
September 04, 2022: Zac Gallen became the fourth pitcher in history to start six games in a row without giving up a run (throwing at least six innings). The first three were Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, as well as Orel Hershiser and Zack Greinke.
August 29, 2022: The D-Backs came back from a 7–0 deficit to beat the Phillies, 13–7. It was the biggest comeback in team history and the winning hit was made by rookie Corbin Carroll in his first big-league game.
June 22, 2022: Madison Bumgarner struck out his 2,000th batter in a game against the San Diego Padres.
Season Preview: Whether or not Arizona can compete with their NL West rivals is a big question mark, but no one questions the talent on the D-backs’ roster. Daulton Varsho, who plays center field and catcher, looks like he’s ready for an All-Star season. Zac Gallen, Seth Beer and Pavin Smith are solid prospects who’ll get a chance to shine in 2022. And veterans David Peralta, Carson Kelly, and Ketel Marte rank among the best at their position. If the pitching can be a bit more consistent, the Diamondbacks could make this year a fun one for their fans.
2021 Season
Season Recap: Arizona fans were hoping their club would play .500 ball during a rebuilding season, but the Diamondbacks lost more games than anyone in the league. Injuries to three of their best players—Ketel Marte, Carson Kelly, and Zac Gallen—doomed them to last place in the NL West. The future looks bright, however, thanks to rising stars Daulton Varsho, Pavin Smith, and Seth Beer.
August 14, 2021: In his first start as a major leaguer, Tyler Gilbert pitched a no-hitter against the Padres. The last player to do this was Bobo Holloman, in 1953.
April 25, 2021: Madison Bumgarner threw a seven-inning no-hitter in Game 2 of a double header against the Braves. Because of the new rule limiting double-header games to seven innings instead of nine, he was not credited with an official no-hitter.
April 10, 2021: Outfielder Tim Locastro broke Hall of Famer Tim Raines’s record for the most stolen bases in a row to begin his career, with 28.
April 1, 2021: Ketel Marte, Asdrubal Cabrera, Tim Locastro, and Steven Vogt all hit homers in the fifth inning against the Padres. The D-Backs became the first team to hit four home runs in an inning on Opening Day.
Season Preview: Arizona gets counted out of the NL West race year after year, but almost always find a way to finish with a winning record. For that to happen in 2021, Madison Bumgarner and Ketel Marte will need to forget about 2020 and play like they did in 2019. A healthy season from emerging pitching star Zac Gallen will be crucial.
2020 Season
Season Recap: Arizona looked great one day and terrible the next in 2020. The result was a 25–35 record. The team’s hitting, led by newcomer Kole Calhoun, wasn’t bad, but only one Diamondback—Zac Gallen—pitched the way the team expected. Madison Bumgarner, Robbie Ray, and Luke Weaver won just one game apiece.
August 29, 2020: Zac Gallen gave up one run in a win over the Giants and set a new record. It was the 22nd start in a row since Gallen began his big-league career that he gave up three runs or less. Aaron Sele of the Red Sox held the old record at 21.
Season Preview: Arizona will be counting on its pitchers to lead the club to the playoffs. Madison Bumgarner, Robbie Ray, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelley, and Archie Bradley have All-Star stuff. The offense is solid, with Ketel Marte, Starling Marte, Kole Calhoun, and Eduardo Escobar doing the heavy hitting.
2019 Season
Season Recap: Arizona lost its last five games in 2019 and just missed the playoffs. The team got great seasons out of young stars Carson Kelly, Ketel Marte, and Christian Walker, as well as veterans Eduardo Escobar and Nick Ahmed. The D-backs mostly had problems on the mound. They traded their best pitcher, Zack Greinke, and no one stepped up to become the team’s ace after he left.
May 21, 2019: Zack Greinke became the 37th pitcher in history to strike out 2,500 batters.
April 2, 2019: Zack Greinke hit two home runs against the Padres. At 35, Greinke is the oldest pitcher with two homers in a game since Dixie Howell hit two for the White Sox 62 years ago.
Season Preview: The D-backs are minus some familiar faces in 2019, including Paul Goldschmidt, AJ Pollock, and Patrick Corbin. Their team leaders are now pitchers Zack Greinke, Archie Bradley, and Robbie Ray. If they get the spectacular defense they did last year, plus a little hitting, Arizona could challenge for a Wild Card spot.
2018 Season
Season Recap: Arizona started the year strong but faded in the second half. Injuries to Jake Lamb and A.J. Pollock slowed the offense, and solid years from David Peralta and Paul Goldschmidt could not make up the difference. Patrick Corbin, Zack Greinke and Zack Godley pitched well, but the Diamondbacks’ bullpen was overused and it showed in August and September.
Season Preview: The D-Backs rode the hot bat of J.D. Martinez to the playoffs, but he signed with the Red Sox over the winter. That means Arizona will need All-Star seasons from A.J. Pollock, Paul Goldschmidt, Steven Souza, and Jake Lamb to make up the difference. The team’s pitching, led by Zack Greinke, is very good and the bullpen is solid with Archie Bradley and Brad Boxberger handling late-inning relief.
2017 Season
Season Recap: Arizona had plenty of hitting going into the 2017 season, but fans worried about the pitching. Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Archie Bradley, and Fernando Rodney led a staff that came through again and again in close games and the D-Backs finished with 93 wins. Jake Lamb and Paul Goldschmidt each topped 30 homers and 100 RBIs, while J.D. Martinez blasted 29 homers after joining the team in July. Arizona defeated the Rockies in the Wild Card Game before falling to the Dodgers in the Division Series.
September 4, 2017: J.D. Martinez hit 4 home runs in a game against the Dodgers. He was the 18th player to achieve this milestone.
May 3, 2017: D-Back pitchers struck out 10 batters for the ninth game in a row, setting a new major-league record.
2016 Season
November 1, 2016: The D-Backs had plenty of pop in 2016, thanks to Paul Goldschmidt and young teammates Jake Lamb, Brandon Drury, Yamsany Tomas, Chris Owings, and Jean Segura. The pitching was another story. Zack Greinke was the only starter with a winning record and the bullpen was a mess. Five victories in the final week were all that kept Arizona from finishing in last place.
October 5, 2016: The Diamondbacks hoped their young stars would blossom in 2016 and they were not disappointed. Jake Lamb, Yasmany Tomas, Jean Segura, and Brandon Drury joined slugger Paul Goldschmidt to give Arizona an awesome lineup. Unfortunately, only Zack Greinke delivered a quality season on the mound and the D-backs won just 69 games.
2015 Season
October 14, 2015: The Dbacks did much better than expected, finishing two victories shy of a .500 season. Paul Goldschmidt cracked 33 homers and all three outfielders—AJ Pollock, Ender Inciarte, and David Peralta—batted over .300. Brad Ziegler and Rubby De La Rosa were the team’s best pitchers.
April 5, 2015: Mark Trumbo and Paul Goldschmidt had disappointing years in 2014. If they return to form in 2015—and if rookie Yasmany Tomas is as good as everyone says—the Dbacks could surprise the experts and compete for a division crown. For that to happen, Arizona will also need big years from their pitchers.
2014 Season
November 1, 2014: The Diamondbacks finished last in the NL West with 64 wins—the fewest in all of baseball. Injuries to Mark Trumbo and Paul Goldschmidt ruined Arizona’s season, but fans did have some things to cheer about. Ender Enciarte, David Peralta, Chris Owings, Matt Stites and Evan Marshall showed they could be ready to take on bigger roles in 2015 and beyond. Had the lineup and pitching staff remained healthy in 2014, the Dbacks could have been a .500 team.
March 31, 2014: Newcomer Mark Trumbo and young slugger Paul Goldschmidt could be the Ruth and Gehrig of the National League in 2014—that’s how much combined power they have. The loss of their best pitcher, Pat Corbin, to an injury casts a shadow over the season. It will take some unexpected starpower for the D-Backs to be contenders.
2013 Season
October 1, 2013: Two fantastic performances kept the D-backs in the Wild Card chase until the closing weeks of the season. Patrick Corbin, just 23, started the year 12–2 before tiring in the final two months. Paul Goldschmidt never got tires. The 26-year-old slugger tied for the league lead with 36 homers and was the NL RBI king with 136 runs driven home. He also was tops in total bases and slugging average.
September 29, 2013: Paul Goldschmidt finished tied for the league lead with 36 home runs, and topped the NL with 125 RBIs and a .551 slugging average. No Arizona player had ever led the league in any of those categories.
August 25, 2013: The D-backs set an NL record by drawing 18 walks against the Phillies in an 18-inning game that started on 8/24/2013.
March 30, 2013: Martin Prado, Didi Gregorius, and Brandon McCarthy are among the new faces in Arizona who will help the team try to return to the top of the NL West after a so-so 2012 season. They join sluggers Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Montero and pitching stars Ian Kennedy and Wade Miley.
2012 Season
October 3, 2012: The Diamondbacks had plenty of hitting in 2012, and got some great pitching. However, they were not always able to put these parts together at the right times. The result was an 81–81 record. Outfielder Jason Kubel and pitcher Wade Miley were the big surprises in 2012. Along with Ian Kennedy, Paul Goldschmidt, Miguel Montero, Aaron Hill, and Justin Upton, they give the D-backs a good core of players to build around in 2013.
June 29, 2012: Aaron Hill hit for the cycle (a single, double, triple, and homer in the same game) for the second time in 10 days. The only other player to hit for the cycle twice in a season was Babe Herman of the Dodgers, in 1931. Hill’s first hit of the game was also the 1,000th of his big-league career.
April, 2012: Trevor Cahill joins Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson atop the Arizona starting rotation in 2012. Cahill won 40 games for the Oakland A’s by the age of 24; D-back fans hope he’ll continue to improve. The team traded away a major prospect, Jarrod Parker, to get Cahill.
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League Leaders
Playing for the Championship
YEAR | OPPONENT | RESULT |
---|---|---|
2001 | New York Yankees | Won 4–3 |
2023 | Texas Rangers | Lost 4–1 |