Considering the Diamondbacks are contending with two injuries in their starting lineup, two more in their starting rotation, and an additional two in their bullpen, an 11-12 record is not necessarily a bad position to be in with nearly 15% of the regular season completed.
In MLB’s recent Power Rankings, they were ranked 15th, just one spot below their previous week’s ranking. The Diamondbacks initially started the season in the top-10.
Will Leitch remarked, “It continues to be one of the quirky little baseball factoids that while the 2023 Diamondbacks famously reached the World Series despite being outscored, the 2024 Diamondbacks have the third-best run differential in the National League … and have a losing record.”
As highlighted by Leitch, the Diamondbacks have outscored their opponents by 28 runs, largely due to a few blowout victories. This run differential, ranking third-best in the league, would theoretically translate to a 14-9 win-loss record.
In the NL West, the Dodgers rank 6th, the Padres 18th, the Giants 22nd, and the Rockies 29th in the recent Power Rankings. Despite being considered one of the strongest divisions in baseball before the season began, the NL West as a whole has struggled early on, with only the Dodgers holding a record above .500. Only the AL West can say the same thing.
Looking ahead, Arizona faces two more series on their current 10-game road trip, first in St. Louis and then in Seattle, before returning home to take on division rivals, the Dodgers and the Padres, for the first time this season.
Comparing Arizona’s record to the same time last season, they find themselves in a nearly identical position, starting last year with a 12-11 record through the first 23 games.
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