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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen. Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Zac Gallen gets emotional after his possible final start with the Diamondbacks

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 1:27 PM ET

On Friday night, Zac Gallen possibly made his final start in an Arizona Diamondbacks uniform after they were eliminated from the playoffs. In his the start, Gallen pitched 4.1 innings, allowing seven hits, three walks, three strikeouts and six runs.

After the game, Gallen got emotional, explaining how hard it was for him to take off his jersey after spending seven seasons with the Diamondbacks.

“Yeah. I mean, it's tough for me to take off. Kind of lingered on the mound a little bit too when Tory was coming out. Man, wearing this uniform for seven years now. You know, I, as much as I spent some other time in organizations, I think of myself as, you know, a D-back, really, you know, spent most, most of my career here. And if it's the last time, I mean, it'll be a tough pill to swallow. You know, a lot of fond memories here.

"And yeah, I know the last two years didn't, didn't go the way we wanted them to. This year didn't go the way I had envisioned for myself. But I mean, every fifth day I put the uniform on, and I was honored, I was proud to put the uniform on. But I mean, I went out there today, and just tried to give these guys everything ahead, and obviously just this year wasn't enough.”

Zac Gallen had a tough time taking off his Diamondbacks Jersey.
He's been a Diamondback through and through. Everything you could ask for in a competitor and human being who cares about his teammates, the organization and the fans. pic.twitter.com/ROPeKzrLBX
— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) September 27, 2025

A down year for Zac Gallen

Gallen is set to be an unrestricted free agent this winter, but didn’t have the best season, finishing with a record of 13-15 with a 4.83 ERA in 192.0 innings. Gallen wasn’t his usual All-Star self, allowing 31 home runs, 66 walks, 176 hits and 109 runs — all of which were career worsts.

A former All-Star (2023) and a three-time top-10 Cy Young finalist, this was only the second time in Gallen’s career that he’s struggled. In 2021, Gallen went 4-10 with a 4.30 ERA in 121.1 innings.

Zac Gallen is unlikely to return to Arizona

The likelihood of Gallen returning to Arizona isn’t out of the realm of possibility, but it seems unlikely that a reunion will be in store. Gallen will be one of the top pitchers on the market, with Dylan Cease, Ranger Suárez, Michael King and Framber Valdez being the other notable arms.

Things haven't been going well for the Diamondbacks since they lost the 2023 World Series to the Texas Rangers, as they've missed the playoffs in both seasons. Arizona is likely to take a step back next season and add around the edges to the players already in the roster, instead of signing another big-name free agent like Gallen

Already having over $100 million committed for 2026, with the bulk of it going to Corbin Burns, Ketel Marte and Eduardo Rodriguez, the Diamondbacks aren’t likely to spend the $100 million they’d probably need to sign Gallen, as he’s a client of Scott Boras.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. You can find my other work on Southside Showdown from FanSided and at Chicitysports where I cover all Chicago sports. When not watching sports, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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