How D-backs' 2025 Start Foreshadowed Ugly End

The Arizona Diamondbacks' season ended before October began, for the second straight season.

2025 was, like any baseball season, full of highs and lows, though at times it felt as if the lows outweighed the highs.

The D-backs played two very different halves of baseball before and after the All-Star Break (and subsequent Trade Deadline). With the season over, it's time for Diamondbacks On SI to begin a full-season review — beginning with the month of April (and a little bit of March).

Arizona Diamondbacks' Early Season Showcased Concerns

Opening Day itself served as quite the indicator of Arizona's ugly season to come. Right-hander Zac Gallen delivered a lopsided performance against the Chicago Cubs, going just four innings and allowing four runs.

Arizona's defense was sloppy, and the bullpen took a 4-3 deficit and put the game out of reach despite the offense's best efforts (sound familiar?).

From there, things continued to look uneven. The D-backs split their opening set with the Cubs, balancing a thrilling comeback (in which Ryne Nelson record an RBI single) with a Garrett Hampson baserunning gaffe that halted a second straight comeback.

Arizona began to stack some wins following, taking two of three from the Yankees, and even won seven of eight from April 8-17, but then went 3-7 from April 17-29, ending the month with a 16-14 overall record.

The D-backs' bullpen emerged as a full-blown crisis not long into the young season. Co-closer A.J. Puk went down on the IL April 19, and though it did not appear to be a severe injury at the time, he would not pitch again for the rest of the season.

That bullpen problem came to a head in an infamous April 18 matchup at Wrigley Field. The D-backs stared down a 7-1 deficit after seven innings, then exploded for a miraculous 10-run eighth inning, taking a firm 11-7 lead.

That lead would be gone by the end of the home half, as Arizona's bullpen gave up six to Chicago, losing 13-11.

More: Diamondbacks Bullpen Spoils Miraculous Comeback at Wrigley Field

Poor pitching was certainly the theme of the D-backs' first full month. Gallen held a 5.57 ERA through his first six starts, and even ace righty Corbin Burnes had some uncharacteristic issues.

Burnes held a 3.58 ERA through April, but allowed 28 hits and 17 walks in his 32.2 innings — he walked three or more batters in four of his six April starts.

But perhaps the most eye-popping (and painful) of the month came on April 26. Third baseman Eugenio Suárez carved his name into the history books with an unbelievable four-homer game — a game the Diamondbacks would lose, thanks to their relief corps, once again.

If that wasn't a sign of what was to come (at least in the first half of 2025), nothing was. A season with extremely high hopes began with a strangely disappointing record, and a slow start from Arizona's pitching staff and defense.

But the worst was yet to come.

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