You Never Can Ketel

 

So uh...the team everyone thought would be ending the year in 5th in the NL West just overtook the Rockies for 4th. And I think they're kinda surprised by it as well.

Ketel Marte has a 14-game winning streak going as I write this, and it's a boost in productivity that I think the guy seriously needed. Since his big 2019 season, Marte has been good but not stellar, and anything to bring him back to that sort of elite, team-leading moment again will help. Yet, at the same time, other foundational pieces like David Peralta, Christian Walker, Zac Gallen and Madison Bumgarner are also doing well. And even better the young pieces, like Daulton Varsho, Alek Thomas, Pavin Smith and Josh Rojas, are also doing really well right now.

And then when you think about it...the D-Backs have got a 25-26 record as a fourth place team. It's a record that's better than three third place teams and two second place teams. So, like...if the Diamondbacks weren't in the NL West, they'd be competitive.

WHICH NOW BEGS THE QUESTION: Are the Diamondbacks competitive?

I'm...I'm dead serious.

Let's examine this. There's three wild card spots. If the season ended right now, anticlimactically, they would go to San Diego, St. Louis and San Francisco. The Diamondbacks would only be 3.5 games back from a wild card spot. Which means they are currently better, and have more of a playoff chance at this very moment, than the Braves, Phillies, Rockies, Marlins and Cubs, all of whom were supposed to have a better record than them. 

I will put in the disclaimer that it is only early June, so much could change, and the Diamondbacks are just coming off of something of a hot stretch, but...this team has more of a shot than they usually would.

Like, again, let's look at this rotation. With the exception of Humberto Castellanos, whose ERA has taken a dive recently, this team is stocked with people like Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, Madison Bumgarner and Zach Davies, who can eat innings and keep runs down admirably. This team has also gotten 10 saves out of Mark Melancon, who, despite his high ERA, still can collect saves like nobody else. And this team has Joe Mantiply and Kyle Nelson as bullpen beasts. AND they actually have great defenders like Gerardo Perdomo and Christian Walker playing everyday. 

This Diamondbacks team has more of a chance to take it all than anybody in their right minds would think. And for that, I salute them.

Coming Tonight- Even with a 30-30 guy, a major prospect and some big pieces, an outfielder who can still go under the radar and deliver when you're not expecting him to.