Diamondbacks earn ‘B’ grade from ESPN as offense shines and pitching struggles

With just 4 games left in the 2024 MLB regular season, ESPN released its team grades, and the Arizona Diamondbacks—currently in a fierce fight for the final National League Wild Card spot—received a B grade.

David Schoenfield began his evaluation by saying, “The Diamondbacks earn an A for fun, but a B for the results — although that grade will go up if they do end up as a wild-card team. After last year’s surprise run to the World Series, the Diamondbacks also earn plaudits for increasing payroll and, you know, trying to get better — really, the only midmarket team to do that. The big moves were signing Jordan Montgomery and Eduardo Rodriguez to bolster a thin rotation; the secondary moves were signing Joc Pederson and trading for Eugenio Suarez (they also re-signed Lourdes Gurriel Jr.).”

However, Schoenfield didn’t hold back in critiquing their pitching. The Diamondbacks have posted the worst team ERA in baseball for September, and their overall ERA ranks fourth-worst in the league, just ahead of the Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, and Chicago White Sox. He pointed out, “Oddly, they’re not necessarily better for the reasons they might have thought: Montgomery, who signed late, has an ERA over 6.00 and only recently rejoined the rotation after a spell in the bullpen; Rodriguez is back now but has spent most of the season on the injured list; and throw in an injury to Merrill Kelly and the rotation hasn’t been a strength.”

Fortunately, Arizona’s offense has been a powerhouse, leading the league in runs scored by a considerable margin. They’ve outscored the next closest team by 50 runs and rank in the top five of nearly every offensive category. Schoenfield noted, “But that offense: It’s been the best in the majors by a significant margin. This will be the first Diamondbacks team to lead the NL in runs since 2002 — after ranking seventh in 2023 — and the first to lead the majors. After sitting 49-48 at the All-Star break, the offense exploded in the second half as Corbin Carroll finally found his swing, and Suarez has been among the MLB leaders in home runs and RBIs.”

Other teams that received a B grade include the Mets and Astros, while the Guardians and Brewers were the only teams to earn straight A’s.

Despite their offensive firepower, Arizona’s postseason hopes remain uncertain. They currently hold a slim half-game lead over the Braves for the third and final Wild Card spot. To secure their place, they’ll need clutch performances from their starting rotation.

It begins Thursday, with ace Zac Gallen taking the mound against the San Francisco Giants in the series finale, as Arizona looks to avoid a sweep after being outscored 18-3 in the first two games.\

Following that, the Diamondbacks will host the San Diego Padres for a crucial three-game series to close out the regular season. Although the Padres have already secured a playoff spot, they are still competing for the NL West crown. Merrill Kelly, Jordan Montgomery, and Eduardo Rodriguez are slated to start for Arizona, with the team hoping Ryne Nelson, currently on the injured list, can return to replace Montgomery for the September 28th game.

While there are multiple scenarios that could land the Diamondbacks a second consecutive postseason berth, they’ll look to take control of their destiny by winning out at home. Arizona last faced the Padres in May, losing the series 2-1, but notably, they were without their top three starting pitchers in that series.