Few surprises on the Diamondbacks’ roster in 2023 matched the impact down the stretch made by rookie Brandon Pfaadt.
It took Pfaadt 13 starts to pick up his first win in the major leagues, as he started the season 0-6. Heading into September, Pfaadt’s ERA sat at 6.27. It seemed as if the D-backs would be in major trouble if a 7-game series were to come in the future.
While Pfaadt did show some signs of promise with two of his three final starts of the regular season being shutouts, bringing his ERA down to 5.72, there were still plenty of uncertainties on how the rookie would shape up in the postseason.
But, when the lights shined the brightest, so did Pfaadt, providing the Diamondbacks with a reliable third arm in their rotation to help lead them to the World Series.
In games that Pfaadt started, the Diamondbacks went 4-1 in October. He tossed a shutout in the NLDS against the Dodgers, then followed this up with another shutout against the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLCS to get Arizona on the board.
Speaking with MLB Network, Pfaadt reflected on the D-backs’ memorable postseason run, admitting that the pressure endured during October will impact the rest of his career.
At 25 years old, Pfaadt will be the 4th arm in the Diamondbacks’ rotation this season, behind Zac Gallen, Eduardo Rodriguez , and Merrill Kelly.
If Pfaadt can continue to build upon the momentum and success that he captured down the stretch in 2023, then Arizona could very well hold a top-three rotation in the National League.
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