Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Diamondbacks

Man, a lot went on in Phoenix for them to turn out to be a last place team.

I mostly equate it to a tight, tough division, with the Giants and Rockies sneaking ahead in the last few weeks before the season's end, and also to the diminishing returns of a lot of the D-Backs roster. This was not the greatest D-Backs team, but there was a lot to like about it.

For instance, their star player, Ketel Marte, is still in peak form, and had a fantastic end to the season, finishing with a .287 average, 52 hits and 17 RBIs. Not bad for a shortened season.

2021 Prediction: Back to full dominance, with another ASG nomination, more fantastic contact ability, and some trade offers.

Marte's infield partner, Eduardo Escobar, had a bit of a down year after a breakout, power-friendly 2019. Escobar struggled at the plate, with a .212 average and 20 RBIs. 

2021 Prediction: A rebound, and a more comfortable feel. Like Marte, he may not be insusceptible to the trade deadline.

Nick Ahmed has been with the D-Backs since 2014, which is hard for me to remember since he always seems so refreshing and young [he turned 30 this year]. This was another strong, well-rounded year for Ahmed, with a lineup-leading 1.3 WAR, a .266 average and 29 RBIs. He's signed for another few years, and hopefully he'll remain a strong, consistent veteran presence.

2021 Prediction: Ahmed is finally rewarded with an ASG nomination, and has another high-WAR year. 

After a smashing breakout year, Christian Walker mellowed out in the home run category while still notching 59 hits, 36 RBIs and a .271 average, much-more for contact than his one-sided 2019 numbers. Walker is becoming a reliable player, which is fantastic.

2021 Prediction: A down year, but not enough to be given up on.

After an injury stopped Luke Weaver from finishing his strong start last year, Weaver responded with a fairly mediocre go of things despite staying healthy the whole year. A 1-9 record, a 6.58 ERA and a 1.558 WHIP is not a strong statement post-injury. 

2021 Prediction: A comeback, but mostly out of the bullpen.

After a strong breakout 2019 that got him the starting catching gig, Carson Kelly, similar to Tony Wolters, kind of backpedaled, with a perfectly okay year. Look, he hit .221 with 19 RBIs and 27 hits, it's not really much to report.

2021 Prediction: Either a return to form or backup duty once the D-Backs pick another catching option.

The official DH in Arizona this year was Daulton Varsho, but since he didn't hit, the better DH option this season was Tim Locastro, the backup outfielder in residence who had another strong if underrated year, hitting .290 with 20 hits and 7 RBIs in 33 games. Could be a decent DH option next year.

2021 Prediction: An injury to a starter leads to more playing time for Locastro and more means for other teams to trade for him after the season.

Last season's dual rookie starters returned this year for similar results. Alex Young, unlike last year, had the weaker go of things, with a 5.44 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 12 games, 7 of them starts. 

2021 Prediction: Another similar season split between the rotation and, mostly, the pen.

And unlike in 2019, Taylor Clarke had the stronger year, with a 3-0 record, a 4.36 ERA in 12 games and 5 starts, and 40 strikeouts. If the D-Backs do pick one of these two full time next year...

2021 Prediction: ...it's going to be Clarke, and he's going to make the absolute most of it.

After losing perennial bullpen unsung hero Andrew Chafin, this year's bullpen unsung hero for the Diamondbacks was the strong and sturdy Stefan Crichton. Crichton posted a 2.42 ERA in 26 appearances, striking out 23 and only allowing 7 earned runs. 

2021 Prediction: Will be the frontrunner, and the winner of, the closing gig. Expect 30 saves from this guy next year. 

Stephen Vogt seems to have embraced his role as a perennial backup catcher these days. As his 2020 was nowhere near as inspiringly good as his 2019, he still did what he could backing up Carson Kelly. He bat .167 this season in 26 games. Clearly not his best numbers.

2021 Prediction: Either he retires or somebody else signs him to a minor league deal and he surprises them.

After giving up Starling Marte at the deadline, one of the big MLB pieces that the D-Backs received was Caleb Smith, the Marlins' low-ERA standout of late. In 4 post-August games, Smith did not disappoint, with a 2.45 ERA with 13 strikeouts and a 1.000 WHIP. Good signs of a full season to come.

2021 Prediction: Teams with Gallen and Kelly for a Hydra of tough pitchers the NL West are gonna hate facing.

Coming Tomorrow- They won the World Series. I have a few left that never got posted.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2019: Diamondbacks

Interesting year for the Diamondbacks.

They didn't come especially close to playoff contention. They had a few setbacks that shedded them of some of the people that made their 2018 season an exciting one. But...this was still a pretty entertaining team. The new core of Eduardo Escobar and Ketel Marte is pretty awesome, and Robbie Ray is still a tight strikeout artist.

Jarrod Dyson was also pretty sharp this year, with 92 hits in 130 games, and a team-high 30 stolen bases. He was a little weaker than he's been in years past, and his numbers are very much like his backup numbers from the Royals teams, but he's still a solid asset.
Why Him in 2019?: Led the team in stolen bases while everyone else was busy hitting .240
2020 Prediction: Someone will sign him...but not likely as a starter.

 Jake Lamb made his comeback due to injury this year, but...oh man, he's not the same. He hit .193 this year in 78 games, with only 30 RBIs. Not sure what else the team can do with him.
Why Him in 2019?: Made the D-Backs realize how crucial Eduardo Escobar was to the team.
2020 Prediction: Will be released midway through the year.

 A slightly happier story was that of Wilmer Flores, former Mets infielder who fought valiantly for a starting spot in Arizona, eventually splitting 2nd base with Ketel Marte. Flores did pretty well this year, with 84 hits in 89 games, and a .317 average.
Why Him in 2019?: Proved his worth as a utility man in the wake of Marte's rise.
2020 Prediction: More utility work, but on another club. Hell, maybe the Mets re-sign him.

 Probably one of the more impressive non-Greinke feats of the first half was the rise of Luke Weaver, who was coming off a muddied 2018. Weaver only pitched 12 games due to injury, but had a 2.94 ERA with 69 strikeouts, so his stuff is still sharp outside of St. Louis
Why Him in 2019?: His ability gave the team hope, but his injury, and Greinke's departure, doomed them.
2020 Prediction: A more consistent, healthy year, and some numbers that may goad the team into trading Robbie Ray

 Merrill Kelly's season was, in my opinion, a disappointment. After seeing Eric Thames and Miles Mikolas flourish after seasons abroad, I'd hoped that Merrill Kelly would follow suit, and to see him only post okay numbers, like a 4.42 ERA and a 13-14 ratio, was a little disheartening. His 158 strikeouts wasn't bad, though.
Why Him in 2019?: Started the most games for the team.
2020 Prediction: Either his ERA falls and he gets his stuff together, or it rises and the team gives up on him.

 Alex Young's call-up was an impressive way of coping with Greinke's loss, as Young went 7-5 in 17 games, and had a 3.56 ERA. He's a pretty durable middle-of-the-rotation guy, but once Leake and Gallen came in, there wasn't much room left for him.
Why Him in 2019?: Bridged the team between two polar-opposite climates for the rotation.
2020 Prediction: Not an initial member of the rotation, but will make some crucial starts down the stretch, or potentially be included in a trade deal.

 As far as bench players go, Ildemaro Vargas was an amusing one, taking some time in the infield and hitting .269, including some clutch moments.
Why Him in 2019?: Middle infield stability for a team losing its once-famous youth infield core.
2020 Prediction: Will back up Marte, and have some strong moments off the bench before a trade makes him a starter somewhere else.

 Alex Avila was supposed to be the starting catcher in AZ this year, and his early April numbers, with a .333 average and 5 RBIs, seemed to foreshadow a great season. Injuries limited his playing time, and some paltry months at the plate depleted his average.
Why Him in 2019?: Without his injury, Carson Kelly never becomes a trusted starter.
2020 Prediction: Will have some ample playing time in Minneapolis, but will slowly lose some to La Tortuga.

 Jon Duplantier was one of Topps' favorite rookie subjects of 2019, solely because he came up in April and had one or two amusing moments then. After April, though, he's not really a factor in this season. Eventually a move to the bullpen makes him a bit more useful, but overall he's mostly a footnote in this season.
Why Him in 2019?: His April appearances were unhittable. Then May started.
2020 Prediction: Teams up with Yoan Lopez and Junior Guerra to form an impressive bullpen platoon.

 Archie Bradley's years have formed an arc- at the start of every year, the organization swears they won't use him as a closer, sign a free agent, and use Bradley in middle relief where he excels. Then the free agent fails miserably, is released, and Bradley ends the year as closer. It happens every year, and this year was no exception, taking over for Greg Holland and getting 18 saves out of it.
Why Him in 2019?: Better or worse, he's still the D-Backs closer, and he still gets the job done.
2020 Prediction: A complete year at closer, and 30 saves come with it.

After the Greinke deal happened, the D-Backs made two more pitching moves, and got Mike Leake and Zac Gallen. Everyone thought Leake would go right into ace form, and it ended up being Gallen that excelled for them. Leake was a bit more disappointing, posting a 4.35 ERA in 10 games, with only 27 strikeouts.
Why Him in 2019?: He was a high-profile trade that did his best amidst the circumstances.
2020 Prediction: Back to his consistency, and more dominance. He'll probably take the lead once Ray gets traded.

Coming Tomorrow- There's gonna be a lot of customs, so I may split the post, but...the Dodgers team that should have won a World Series...and was stopped by a team that did.