Dodgers: Sizing Up the NL West- Diamondbacks

This article is part two of a five-part series in which I will break down the Dodgers’ competition in the NL West for the 2018 season. The articles will feature the teams’ offseason additions and subtractions, a pitcher to watch out for, a batter to watch out for, and a season expectation.

The Diamondbacks are no joke anymore. Having a roster flooded with talent, the D-backs are capable of competing with the best teams in the league. Their bullpen is revamped and working, the lineup is healthy and hitting, and their rotation features two of the games’ best pitchers in Robbie Ray and Zack Greinke.

Last year, the D-backs finished with a record of 93-69, the third-best record since the team joined the league in 1998. They finished second in the division to the Dodgers and also claimed the top wild-card spot where they beat the Rockies in a back and forth thriller filled with pitching changes and tons of home runs. Under 2018 manager of the year Torey Lovullo, the team advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs where they were swept by the Dodgers.

Albeit a rather poor performance in the NLDS, the team certainly showed an immense amount of improvement and that their future is bright. After an interesting offseason, here is what you need to know about the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dbacks pitching staff, whether it be in the bullpen or the rotation, was incredible last year. The list of excellence goes on and on and makes picking just one pitcher to watch out for very difficult.

Before picking my one standout, I find it necessary recognize these excellent pitchers by name but, I will limit the list to the pitchers who were exceptional against the Dodgers. These players are Robbie Ray, Zack Greinke, Taijuan Walker, and Archie Bradley.

So, with those names no longer eligible for my pick, you may be left wondering who I will select. The answer may or may not surprised but I will be going with 34-year-old Japanese rookie, Yoshihisa Hirano.

Hirano has been fantastic in Japan since his debut at age 22. The righty’s success comes not from high-velocity pitches but rather in his unusual delivery.

Hirano throws the ball from a total submarine position. His knuckles pass just inches from the mound on his delivery making his 91 mph fastball almost impossible to pick up. He compliments that fastball with a nasty slider and an equally as devastating change-up.

Hirano was my pick purely because of the potential he has. If he lives up to the hype, the 34-year-old rookie could wreak havoc on Dodger batters who have never seen a pitcher like this before.

The Diamondbacks’ lineup has a lot of talent on it and a lot of players to choose from when scouting them against the Dodgers. The easy pick here would be their first baseman known in Los Angeles as the “Dodger Killer”, Paul Goldschmidt.

But, everyone knows what the All-Star Goldschmidt can do so I will go with a player Dodger fans and Diamondbacks fans have not seen very much of: Steven Souza.

Souza is a great addition to a D-backs team hurting for a good outfielder. He has power and plays very good defense but is a strikeout machine. Last year, Souza struck out a total of 179 times, almost three times as many as Justin Turner.

If Souza can make more consistent contact and reign in his swing a little more to reduce the K’s, he can easily become the next thorn in not only the Dodgers’ sides but for the rest of the NL West teams. Souza has the tools to be a very good outfielder and teams will need to figure out a way to neutralize his quickly.

The question on Souza will remain how much discipline he will learn and whether or not his number will translate nicely from The Trop to Chase Field.

The future is very bright for this rapidly improving Diamondbacks team. While their batting order took a hit, the front office did a nice job at damage control and may have done enough to patch the hole in the team.

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As much hole patching as they may have done, if the D-backs could not beat the Dodgers with JD Martinez I do not see them usurping the five-year champion Boys in Blue for the NL lead. Their roster did not improve rather it just hovered at the same level it was last year if not worsened.

Next: Death, Luxury Taxes, and Ryan Braun Trade Rumors

The Diamondbacks could easily have a shot at the wild card spot but they will need to make a few more moves to get them to the next level. The team of rapid improvement and newfound success is not yet ready to take the West.