2 Concerns D-backs Must Avoid in 2026

The Arizona Diamondbacks' future is not quite as bleak as the average playoff-missing club. They have plenty of young, rising talent, and some top-tier pitchers set to return late in the year.

But climbing back into contention won't be easy. Perhaps a lack of expectations will aid Arizona in the early goings of 2026.

Still, there are factors at play that could easily derail a resurgent 2026. Below are two of the bigger concerns about manager Torey Lovullo's club as 2026 lies far off in the distance.

1: Will Diamondbacks Start Slow Again?

The D-backs have struggled to get off to positive starts in both of the previous two seasons, despite coming into both with significantly more talent than the prior season. Arizona sat at least four games below .500 through the month of May in both 2024 and 2025.

Granted, in both years, the D-backs were able to get on a hot streak and make a run toward the playoffs.

But as both clubs missed out on the Postseason by thin margins, it stands to wonder if a slightly more successful early stretch could have set them up with a better cushion as the year grew old.

"We played extremely sloppy this April," Hazen said. "I don't know why we played that much sloppier this year early in the season. That's definitely something we need to fix and get on top of."

Lovullo also spoke about upping the intensity in Spring Training and creating a greater sense of urgency.

It's not that players have been lazy or checked out, but it's almost as if the D-backs perform better under pressure at times, as opposed to taking care of business early on.

Good teams can stack wins at critical times, while great teams take care of business in the more mundane areas of the 162-game marathon season.

2: How Will Diamondbacks Play Without Underdog Mentality?

One of the most impressive aspects of 2025 was watching young players begin to step up when called upon, with development often occurring in real time.

But now, those young players are no longer afforded the grace of playing in what had been considered a lost season prior to the Trade Deadline. Results are no longer a bonus, they're an expectation, even if the D-backs aren't expected to go far in 2026.

It was clear in the latter end of 2026 that players were rallying under an underdog-like mindset. On multiple occasions, players cited feeling similarly to how they did in the 2023 miracle run.

That type of high is a good thing, but it can't be permanent. As success and results come, the D-backs become the hunted, rather than the hunters.

Even if Arizona won't be ranked among MLB's top clubs ahead of the year, they won't be in the same situation they were post-Deadline — that is to say, playing with nothing to lose.

The question is if the D-backs' young players can make that jump from scrappy underdogs to consistent major league players. Even if additions are made in the offseason, there will be at least some amount of pressure to overcome — pressure that was not there for much of 2025.

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