Keep an Eye on this Diamondbacks Reliever

The Arizona Diamondbacks are nearing the onset of Cactus League play, and with that comes opportunity, especially for left-handed reliever Kyle Backhus.

The tall 27-year-old southpaw could have a legitimate case to earn a roster spot this season, after a generally successful 2024 campaign in the minor leagues.

This past season, Backhus pitched to a 3.94 ERA in the hitter's paradise that is Triple-A Reno, after earning a very swift promotion from Double-A at the beginning of the year, but did suffer an injury that threw him a bit of a late-season speed bump.

Diamondbacks On SI's Jack Sommers caught up with Backhus on Wednesday about his health, and his outlook on 2025 Spring Training. He said he's now healthy, and ready to attack the coming season.

"I can explain [the injury] the best way as like dead arm, more so. I think I was overdoing some things inside the facility and [it] put me on the hot seat a little bit.

"I took the offseason, took some time off, tried to heal a little bit. And now I'm just rested and ready for this spring training," Backhus said.

The reliever said he's thrown both a live BP and a bullpen session so far, and is ready to get into some game action.

Of course, it's a unique situation for the D-backs when it comes to evaluating Backhus for a bullpen role. Arizona has three left-handers in the major league bullpen already in Kyle Nelson, Joe Mantiply and A.J. Puk.

However, the club is also in the midst of a potential closer competition, with Puk being one of the names strongly mentioned in that conversation.

If Puk were to win the closer's role, that could open the door for another southpaw like Backhus to slot in to the major league roster.

But the 27-year-old knows he can only control what's in his power, and he's ready for whatever may come his way.

"We have a good bullpen, deep bullpen. Made some acquisitions in the offseason, and really all I can do is control what I can control.

"I mean, if I pitch to my ability, and I get the opportunity. I'm going to take it. If not, then we have a good bullpen, and everybody knows it. So yeah, just whatever happens, happens," he said.

Backhus said he's looking to pick up where he left off last year, and that he's working on fine-tuning some pitches, as well as potentially adding a changeup to his arsenal.

But what might give Backhus somewhat of an advantage over his competition is his unique arm angle.

While his velocity isn't going to mirror that of fireballer Justin Martinez, Backhus' extremely low arm angle makes him profile almost as a sidewinder, not all that far from D-backs righty Ryan Thompson.

That causes Backhus' stuff to play up, and gives batters less time to pick up on movement. That was evidenced clearly by his excellent 10.69 K/9 rate in Reno this past season, translating to a 26.0% strikeout rate.

Backhus had spoken on the development of this arm angle last year, during 2024 Spring Training, as was written by Jake Oliver.

"The arm slot and direction, I'm a little bit cross-fire. I think just being long and lanky, it kind of comes at you a little bit quicker. I know my velo isn't as high as everybody else's but it perceives to be higher... just because of the look of it."

"The arm slot doesn't make a difference to me of what I do and how I feel, it's just how my body is naturally made for it," Backhus told Diamondbacks On SI.

Oliver's full article from last season can be found here.

So while it might not seem like a minor leaguer like Backhus would be on the short list, there's several dynamics at play this spring. He's one of the more unique arms in Arizona's system, and has lethal stuff to go with his non-traditional delivery.

If the southpaw puts on a show in the Cactus League this year, he could make a case to join the major league roster, especially if Puk finds himself locked into the ninth inning in 2025.

Related Content

Kyle Backhus Setting Himself Up for MLB Debut in 2024

Kyle Backhus Projects as a Sleeper D-backs Bullpen Candidate