Raising Arizona

Last night I talked about a team that had a starting lineup of 90% guys over 30. Today...I get to talk about the Arizona Diamonbacks, and 90% of THEIR starting lineup is UNDER thirty. And it sure as hell is paying off.

I've talked about guys like Paul Goldschmidt, Robbie Ray and Zack Greinke, those types, guys who are building on foundations, building consistency. Jake Lamb was good for a month last year before falling back off, and now he's figured out what the problem is. I say that mainly because he's hit 14 home runs already (MORE THAN ERIC THAMES!), and he's already looking to top his 30-home run year last year. He's doing this with more average stability, less strikeouts, and a different outlook. The position's absolutely his, which is more of a certainty than it's been in a while. He's confident, and he knows how it feels to lose control, so he's just enjoying himself.

Position stability isn't a guarantee, by the way- Chris Owings is having a phenomenal season off the bench- he was supposed to start at shortstop, but Nick Ahmed nabbed the starting spot in the last seconds of Spring Training.  Owings isn't holding back, hitting insanely for average and aiding the team whenever he can. The other pieces, like Yasmany Tomas, AJ Pollock, David Peralta and Brandon Drury, are also impressing this year.

Plus, the pitching staff has so much depth that even if someone like Shelby Miller has to go for Tommy John surgery, Zack Godley can ascend from the bullpen and become an outstanding starter. I'm going to take a wild guess and say Archie Bradley will take over for Taijuan Walker while he's on the DL, but the four-piece of Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Zack Godley and Patrick Corbin has become pretty ferocious.

The D-Backs are right behind the Rockies for the division...and the Dodgers are right behind the D-Backs for second. This is becoming a pretty evenly-matched battle for first, and I'm excited to see how things turn out.

Coming Tonight: Big Mike.