Jake McCarthy Has Earned Another Shot in Diamondbacks' Outfield

For the 2025 season, the Diamondbacks haven't gotten good offensive production in center field. Jake McCarthy opened the season as the primary center fielder, but a 3-for-41 skid, marked by poor contact quality, resulted in a demotion to Triple-A Reno.

In 28 games with Reno, McCarthy is hitting .296 with nine doubles, two triples, and a .800 OPS in 133 plate appearances. In the Pacific Coast League, a league that heavily inflates offense, that roughly translates to a slightly above league-average hitter (103 wRC+).

However, it's important to look past the bottom-line numbers and see what's going on under the hood. His average wRC+ mark is more of a testament to a lack of home run power, something he's never truly relied upon in his career, than a lack of effectiveness.

McCarthy has always been exceptional at putting the ball in play. Since the start of the 2023 season, his strikeout rate sits at 17.1% and is improving each year. He was at 12.8% in the majors and is sitting at 15.0% in Triple-A.

However, the biggest issue for McCarthy at the major league level was the inability to hit line drives. Only four of the 36 balls he put into play for the Diamondbacks were classified as line drives by Statcast. For McCarthy to be an effective hitter, he needs to hit line drives to reach base and use his plus-plus speed as a weapon on the basepaths.

That's one area of his game he's performed well at with Reno, as he sports a 27.4% line drive rate on 95 recorded batted-ball events. It has translated into success at the plate, as McCarthy is hitting .731 (19-for-26) with a 1.000 slugging percentage on such contact. He's not hitting for much power on these line drives, with only an average exit velocity of 92.7 MPH, but he's still finding a way to be impactful with a .391 on-base percentage.

For a player like McCarthy, who carries plus-plus speed and has back-to-back seasons of 20 or more stolen bases, getting on base is the most important part. While he might not be a consistent top or middle of the lineup bat, having someone who can be a tough out at the bottom of the lineup has value. Add in the distraction element of a potent basestealer and it can create problems for opposing pitchers as the lineup turns over.

McCarthy's recent success at the plate also mirrors Alek Thomas' struggles in center field. Thomas is in the midst of a rough stretch, hitting .234 with a .592 OPS over his last 100 plate appearances, dating back to April 19. If the Diamondbacks are looking to stay competitive, they can't afford for Thomas to have too many nights where he's not contributing at the plate.

With McCarthy showing signs of life in Reno and Thomas struggling at the major league level, the best move could be to swap the two players. While the former doesn't have the same power upside, he's got a stronger track record of success and can squeeze out a low-end starter's profile in a good season. Right now, the Diamondbacks need stability at the position, and McCarthy is more capable of providing that.

There's a growing concern about the health of the center field position in general. Through the first 56 games of the season, the Diamondbacks are 26th in Wins Above Average (-0.7). It's also worth noting that neither McCarthy nor Thomas has been able to seize the starting center field role despite getting ample chances to do so. Given the lack of options available in the trade market, they'll have to rely on one of their top two internal options for now.

There is still a risk if McCarthy's success in Triple-A doesn't translate to the major league level. If his hitting problems resume in another major league opportunity, the Diamondbacks will simply have to wear it until they can make a trade.