ESPN highlights Diamondbacks top vulnerability down the stretch

The NL West has been on a tear since the All-Star break, with the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Padres holding the top three records in the National League since July. Remarkably, the Dodgers have the “worst” record among them, going 28-14 (.667). The fact that this is the “worst” performance among the three speaks volumes about how strong the division has been.

While the season seems to be trending towards all three teams making the postseason—the Dodgers as the #1 seed in the National League, followed by the D-backs and Padres as Wild Card teams—there are still plenty of games left for an outside team to make a run. For instance, the New York Mets, currently riding a six-game winning streak, are just half a game behind the Braves for the third Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs, boasting a 7-3 record over their last 10 games, are 4.5 games away from a postseason berth.

Focusing back on the dominant NL West, if the standings hold as of September 4th, only one other division, the AL Central, would have three teams in the postseason—the Guardians, Twins, and Royals.

Alden Gonzalez at ESPN examined the three powerhouse teams in the NL West and highlighted what makes them so dangerous. For the Diamondbacks, Gonzalez focused on their offense, which leads all of baseball in runs scored. Since the All-Star break, as Gonzalez pointed out, the D-backs lead the league in OPS, and they’ve done so largely without Christian Walker, Gabriel Moreno, and Ketel Marte. Gonzalez commented, “Their lineup, which finally welcomed Walker back on Tuesday, has become that deep. Joc Pederson, signed to a one-year, $12.5 million contract in the offseason, has been a bargain. Josh Bell, a scramble pickup when Walker went down before the trade deadline, has been a godsend. Jake McCarthy, who has essentially replaced Alek Thomas, has been a revelation. Adrian Del Castillo, who mashed in Triple-A and has replaced Moreno against righties, has been crucial.”

However, Gonzalez also pointed out the Diamondbacks’ vulnerability down the stretch, particularly in the bullpen. Since Paul Sewald was removed from the closer role, the Diamondbacks have struggled to find a reliable arm to close out games. Recently, rookie Justin Martinez has taken on that role, but asking a rookie to close out tight postseason games is a tall order—a situation Torey Lovullo would love to avoid. Martinez noted, “Paul Sewald, the closer on last year’s World Series team, posted a 7.78 ERA in July and August and is now pitching in low-leverage situations. His replacement has been Justin Martinez, a 23-year-old Dominican right-hander who has explosive stuff — a triple-digit sinker, a devastating splitter and, for kicks, a highly effective slider — but has also struggled to throw strikes throughout his career.”

Looking ahead, Arizona faces one of the toughest remaining schedules in baseball. Matchups against teams like the Astros, Brewers, and Padres will be a perfect test to see if the bullpen can hold strong in big games.