The Rangers have just been unlucky. Last year everybody got injured. Not just all the pitchers [deGrom, Gray, Mahle, Bradford], but all the young position players that made the team exciting in the previous postseason. Evan Carter and Josh Jung got injured very soon into the season, then Wyatt Langford got hurt. Corey Seager had a phenomenal year and then he got hurt. And while that was enough to lighten expectations, it wasn't gonna completely kill them.
This year, though, has been wholly disappointing. Great seasons by Jacob deGrom, Nate Eovaldi, Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford feel like they're being wasted. Adolis Garcia hit 39 home runs in 2023, and now he's just got 13. I know he's one of those guys that can heat up late when you're not looking, but he's also 32, and even 7 seasons into his career I worry he's past his peak. Which is what happens when you keep developing players into their late 20s. What does help is that Garcia is still excellent defensively, but that's not why they kept him around. It's like signing Joc Pederson for his base-running, which was pretty much the only thing he was doing right before he got hurt. And now you're hearing that the Rangers might be shopping people, including deGrom. Which is kinda upsetting.
The Diamondbacks have about as much of a reason to be disappointed, because that 2023 season was supposed to be the start of a dynasty. The stars aligned to give this team multiple young stars, like Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, Gabriel Moreno and Zac Gallen. Perdomo might still be one of the best shortstops in the game, being not only an impressive defender but FINALLY coming alive at the plate this year. He's got 72 RBIs already, which is well on the way to not only top his previous season highs but also register as his first 100 RBI year. He's also about to eclipse his season hits mark and has already topped his season homers mark by soaring into double digits for the first time. Perdomo, like Carroll, is a great young player who's only getting better.
Yet after emphasizing these youth pieces and framing the team around them last year, the D-Backs, despite a late push, missed the playoffs. And this year they're not looking like a favorite for a wild card spot either. While last year it was a matter of the tentpoles caving [Carroll, Kelly, Gallen and Moreno having weak years], this year the flaws are fully on display. This team's pitching just isn't good anymore. In 2023 you at least had three strong starters distracting from the fact that this was all they had, but now Gallen has a 5.40 ERA, Pfaadt has 10 wins and some big games but an ERA over 4, and Kelly's trying to stay ahead of things while being 36 and a year removed from an injury. Having Ryne Nelson helps, but this team brought on Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodriguez and Corbin Burnes with the idea of having a fully formed, fully reliable rotation and they've all struggled with injuries ever since coming over. Rodriguez is healthy now but struggling yet again. Burnes was at least doing well, but when's he gonna be back? Next September? Will there be any point to those starts?
It sucks, because both of these teams have great managers, the organizations are well built and the stars are worth it. But the luck has not been what they've deserved. The D-Backs are actively shopping both Zac Gallen and Eugenio Suarez, and the Rangers are trying to do the same with deGrom. The idea is to lighten some load while continuing to compete somewhat, but how likely are these teams to get back on track after these two underwhelming years?
Coming Tomorrow- A guy with a big beard who pitches in a minor league stadium.
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