Torey Lovullo Reveals his Message to D-backs After Missing Playoffs

The Arizona Diamondbacks are watching the playoffs from afar for the second straight season, ending a disappointing 2025 season without a Postseason run.

Fans, players, coaches and all involved are understandably disappointed. A team that carried lofty expectations failed to capitalize on a record payroll and momentum from each of the previous two seasons.

Manager Torey Lovullo, on an appearance with Arizona Sports 98.7's Burns & Gambo Show, revealed what he said to his squad after the D-backs were met with the harsh reality of elimination.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Torey Lovullo Reveals Message To Team

Lovullo's message was blunt and simple:

"Before I left in San Diego, I said, 'When we come back next year, I just want you to know my thought is we're making the playoffs and if you're not aligned with that I'm going to sniff you out and you're not going to be here. So you better be on board with where I'm thinking and where I want this to go.'"

It's not as if Arizona was not bought in through 2025. Clearly, the young group of players rallied around each other post-Deadline.

But the playoffs are not being viewed as an optional accomplishment in 2026. Fans (and Arizona's front office) would likely agree with that sentiment.

There were times at which the D-backs underperformed, or looked unprepared. They played some uncharacteristically poor defense in 2025 despite being known as a defensive club. Lovullo said he and his coaching staff are going to hammer those fundamentals harder in Spring Training.

Lovullo said he would be looking to "create that urgency."

"Coaches putting a little bit more pressure on the players to go out there and execute a play in spring training rather than say, 'Okay we'll we'll wait till tomorrow to get that done.'"

"What we have done in the past is have a do it again mentality. Nope, it's wrong, do it again, you missed the ball. ... You basically call out players right there which creates urgency, and it's not a laughing matter, you go back and you find a wayto get it done," he said.

It's not as if the D-backs haven't been a high-intensity team in Spring. But it seems as if Lovullo is looking to instill an even higher level of intensity ahead of 2026.

A third straight season of no playoffs after winning a pennant in 2023 would be extremely tough to swallow, and that playoff-goal mindset begins early.

"You walk into spring training, gloves are tight, gloves are oiled up and they're ready to go. So creating some urgency by coaching harder, coaching in the moment and then creating an awareness to the players is absolutely going to make them better," Lovullo said.

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