Topps Cards That Should Have Been: 2014 Diamondbacks

 

We begin this trip back to 2014 in Phoenix with, like the Cubs post, some players who did not make the rookie cutoff that Topps and the MLBPA stupidly agreed on, one that is insinuating that Randy Arozarena, who played games in 2019, is a rookie this year. 

Jake Lamb made his debut in August, and was one of a few highly-touted infield prospects the D-Backs had on their hands. In 37 games, he hit .230 with 11 RBIs and 4 homers, a far cry from his 30-homer seasons he'd hit towards the middle of the decade. 

Similarly hitting the learning curve in 2014 was Nick Ahmed, whose numbers don't even include the defensive spike he usually brings in. In 25 games he hit .200 with 14 hits, nothing too special, and was mostly used as a defensive sub. The team didn't have room for him yet, but they would starting in 2015, where he'd become one of the more indispensable infield tools for the D-Backs.

Jordan Pacheco was blocked in two places in Colorado. At first base, he was blocked by Todd Helton, and then Justin Morneau. At catcher, he lost the gig to Wilin Rosario. With nowhere to play in Denver, he was waived by the D-Backs, where he played a predominantly more 1B-centric role in the team, as a backup to Paul Goldschmidt. He hit .272 in 47 games, with 8 RBIs and 22 hits, and got them to the end of the season. The team would bring him back for 2015, with less impressive results.

2014 was the season immediately before Will Harris's trade to the Astros, and the subsequent resuscitation of his career. To this point, Harris had bounced around between Denver and Arizona, and was a decent relief piece. In 2014, he had a 4.34 ERA in 29 games, with 35 Ks, proving that the consistency was there, he just needed a better team. And starting in 2015, he would get one.

2014 also lands in the 'we don't want to make cards of Oliver Perez for some reason' era of Topps baseball. So another great relief year by Perez would go unnoticed. In 68 games with the Diamondbacks, Perez would sport a 2.91 ERA and 76 Ks, bringing the eyes back upon him, and setting the stage for great future seasons with Washington and Cleveland. 

The strangest one of the bunch was Nolan Reimold, best known for his years with Baltimore. 2014 was the only MLB season Reimold spent away from Baltimore, as he was waived by the Blue Jays before the season, played decently, then found himself grabbed by the D-Backs, where he would play SEVEN games. In those 7 games, Reimold would hit .294 with 4 RBIs and a homer, not a bad stretch at all. PLUS, he'd also wear a nice 2001 throwback, which are always welcome on this blog. But, after the season, he'd return to the O's to play the last 2 seasons of his career, making 2014 a strange blip on the radar.

Up tomorrow, some interesting LA cases from 2007. 

2021's Dream Team

 

One of the frustrations of the spring training season is seeing great players in new uniforms, and resigning yourself to wait to make customs of them during the regular season...and then they get cut before the end of training camp and you never get to make a regular season custom of them, or even see a Topps card of them. It's a sucky feeling, just for the possibilities of it all. 

So I figured...why not make them anyway? 

I used Topps' K-Mart oddball set Dream Team for the basis of these, because this is literally a dream team- you can only dream of seeing these players in these uniforms in regular season play.

Coolest one first- Felix Hernandez signed a minor league deal with Baltimore this season, was looking like a surefire hit to make the rotation, then got injured and opted out of his contract. Like with Atlanta, the next stage of King Felix' career only existed in preseason views of it. I'm still holding out for him to somehow pitch again, because...it'd be awesome, but whatever he's most comfortable with.

One of the ones I was looking forward to seeing in regulation was Jonathan Lucroy in Chicago. After Yasmani Grandal's injury-laden start, it was looking like Lucroy was gonna make the team as a backup, and was hitting really well at that. But, Grandal came back looking confident, and Zack Collins came alive during the second half of camp, meaning Lucroy as a White Sock would never happen. I keep waiting for Lucroy to have a comeback, cause he was so great with the Brewers, but it might never be a thing.

Heck, this one hurts for me because Todd Frazier is such a New Jersey legend, and I kinda want him to succeed anywhere he goes. Here he is 10 years after his rookie year, and he's failing to make camp with the PITTSBURGH PIRATES, the dregs of the majors. It's mainly because the Pirates are stacked at 3rd, with people like Kevin Kramer, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Colin Moran blocking him, but it's still sad to see him so depleted. 

Some of these aren't indicators that these players might not play at all this season- Billy Hamilton is looking to make the White Sox in some faction right now, but earlier this month he was a hopeful potential outfielder for the Indians, doing his best in early games despite once again refusing to perform at the plate. With Oscar Mercado and Bradley Zimmer, despite not making the team either, taking preference in the minors, Hamilton really had no reason to pretend he'd make the team at all, so he was an early release for the benefit of trying to make another team. Not sure if the Sox will take him, but you can only hope.

Similarly, another former all-star and base-stealer extraordinaire was trying to make Hamilton's old team, the Cincinnati Reds. Dee Strange-Gordon was looking very human after his last few seasons in Seattle, and his attempt for the Reds made him look even more unworthy. I hate that this cut happened, because Gordon was the league's best in 2015, and he was an all-star and hero for a few consecutive years, and now he's essentially an also-ran. 

Jake Lamb had a tremendous comeback year in 2020 filling in for Matt Chapman in Oakland. So he was a nice idea for the Braves as a third baseman, in a year where the position once again seems to be relatively open. Not only does Jake Lamb fail to make the Braves despite this schematic, but he misses the team while PABLO SANDOVAL makes the team. Lamb is younger and had more promise, and thanks to a weaker spring, he's now trying to make the White Sox. 

Ivan Nova was a strong pitcher for the Yankees and Pirates before bopping around the league in Chicago and Detroit unsuccessfully, his velocity down. The Philadelphia Phillies were the latest stop on his career reclamation tour, and he was chased in multiple starts. With the Phils prioritizing Chase Anderson and Matt Moore, there was no place for Nova in Philly.

After jump-starting the offseason by being sent by his longtime White Sox to the Orioles, former gold-glover Yolmer Sanchez was thought to be a threat to Rio Ruiz for the third baseman job, and made the most of some early spring starts. Unfortunately, the combination of Ruiz's continued dominance and the arrival of Maikel Franco onto the scene spelt doom for Sanchez' starting bid.

Arguably one of the saddest stories here is of Francisco Liriano, the former Twins and Pirates fireballer who was coming off a comeback season in Pittsburgh as a reliever in 2019. He was in camp with the Phillies in 2020 when COVID hit, and that was a setback that cost him a roster spot. So he tried again with a team he'd played for in the past, the Toronto Blue Jays, but this was a different Jays and an older Liriano, so that combination didn't exactly work, despite Liriano circling the final roster spots well into camp. I'm not sure if this is the end of the road for Liriano, but he was certainly a strong pitcher in his prime.

Hopefully there's better futures in new uniforms for these players, but it helped to at least do customs of them now rather than never having done any of them. 

The regular custom season begins tomorrow. What fun!

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #64-72

 Seeing some of the players I've customized in 2020 Final Edition cards already on 2021 Topps cards, outdated and all, makes me think that doing this project was the right choice. If Topps isn't going to do things properly, then I might as well make an effort to. A lot of ones in here are players in new uniforms that really would have benefitted from 2020 releases. 

Here are the next 9 cards in the set:

Card #064- Mark Mathias, Milwaukee Brewers

In the last few seasons, the Brewers have gained a habit of bringing a player up in September that foreshadows the direction of an entirely different team. In 2017, it was Lewis Brinson, pre-Yelich-trade. In 2019 it was Yelich's sub, Trent Grisham, pre-Davies-trade. And in 2020, it was Mark Mathias, a ute-type that would plug in for 16 games and hit .278 with 4 RBIs. Will he factor into the Brewers outfield in 2021? Probably not, considering it will consist of Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain and Jackie Bradley. Maybe he'll join the battle for 1st? 

Card #065- Archie Bradley, Cincinnati Reds

One of the biggest bombshells in an admittedly quiet trade deadline season, Archie Bradley was bounced from his longtime team in Phoenix to join the playoff-contending Cincinnati Reds. Due to Raisel Iglesias's existence, Bradley returned to his prior role as a relief specialist, and did fairly well in six appearances, with a 1.17 ERA and 6 Ks. Unfortunately, he would get the loss during his appearance in the postseason against the Braves. Good news is he looks to be a charter member of the new and improved Phillies bullpen this year, so that should be exciting.

Card #066- Huascar Ynoa, Atlanta Braves. 

In a year where Mike Soroka would be injured, Cole Hamels would only pitch 1 game, and Felix Hernandez would opt out, the Braves had to find a lot of their own lesser-known talent to start games. Before they settled on Bryse Wilson and Kyle Wright for the postseason, they started Huascar Ynoa for a few games. The 22-year-old struggled with an 8.53 ERA, and more earned runs than strikeouts. He fared better in 4 bullpen appearances, which is where he might stay in 2021. 

Card #067- Phillip Evans, Pittsburgh Pirates

It's happened a million times before- a Mets infield prospect that isn't getting any use gets moved to a smaller market and blossoms into a major player. It happened with Justin Turner, it's happening with Andres Gimenez, and last year it happened with Phillip Evans. The former Mets farmhand was signed by Pittsburgh in a low-key deal, and made the team as Colin Moran would spend time as the primary DH. Evans' 11 games in Pittsburgh were a smashing success, even when the team was tanking- he hit .359 with 9 RBIs and 14 hits, making a serious case to start at third. Then...he gets injured, is out for the season, and the Pirates bring up some kid named Ke'Bryan Hayes. Now Evans doesn't have his position as strongly anymore, and is gonna fight to make the team. You hate to see it, cause Evans was killing it last year, but will the Pirates use him as a bench piece? 

Card #068- Zac Gallen ASG, Arizona Diamondbacks

If the 2020 All Star Game had gone as planned, Zac Gallen would have been the D-Backs' only nominee, but oh what a choice he would be. Gallen was having an incredible year in 2020, with a 2.75 ERA and 82 strikeouts, marred only by pitching for a last place team. His 2.1 WAR seems to indicate more fantastic years on the mound, and at 25 [shit that's MY AGE OH NO], he's already on pace to have a nice career if he keeps things up. 

Card #069- Bradley Zimmer, Cleveland Indians

Hey, remember this guy? In 2017 he was brought up as the Indians' favorite outfield prospect, did fairly well in the majors and looked to be a steady favorite. Then injuries and call-downs happened, he couldn't hit in the majors, and he sort of disappeared from relevance. In 2020 he got another chance, and in 20 games he hit .162 with more strikeouts than hits. I'm not sure what's left for the Indians to do with Zimmer. They're giving Oscar Mercado another chance in 2021, but he's only really burned them once. Zimmer has burned them several times, and I'm not thinking he has much left to do in Cleveland.

Card #070- Dan Vogelbach, Milwaukee Brewers

The hitter affectionately referred to as 'Vogey' had a very weird year. After his ASG-caliber year in 2019, he failed to hit for average in two different DH scenarios. Then he gets picked up by the Milwaukee Brewers, gets some time at 1st and SOMEHOW STARTS HITTING, with a .328 average, 12 RBIs and 4 homers in 19 games, in addition to his first postseason hit. Vogey looks to make the team in 2021, and while I'm not thinking he'll start at 1st, he'll definitely be a late-game clutch option.

Card #071- Pedro Baez, Los Angeles Dodgers.

A very odd omission for Topps, the longtime Dodgers relief option had another strong year in 2020, with a 3.18 ERA in 18 games, and some strong setup work throughout the championship yet. As is standard for Baez, he gave up some postseason runs, even in the World Series, but he also had 10 playoff strikeouts, which at least softens the blow a little. Baez will be spending the 2021 season with, of all people, the Houston Astros, but he may have to spend some time on the IL this year. 

Card #072- Jake Lamb, Oakland Athletics

After three straight disappointing seasons, the Arizona Diamondbacks finally cut Jake Lamb, their one time power hitting heir apparent. Lamb immediately signed with the Oakland Athletics, a team needing a power-hitting third baseman after an injury to Matt Chapman. And Lamb responded by FINALLY hitting, with a .267 average in 13 games, 9 RBIs and 3 homers. While his playoff numbers were less successful, this was a message to teams that Jake Lamb could still be useful, and could still be a semi-reliable third baseman. Lamb is looking to make the Braves, and could be useful to them.

Next 9 cards on Monday. A few big rookies in this batch. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Athletics

At long last, the Oakland Athletics won a playoff series in 2020. Granted, they proceeded to lose one to a team that finished the season under .500, a team they had no trouble beating during the regular season, but...they beat the Chicago White Sox and won a playoff series. That alone is enough to hang onto for 2021.

But, there were a lot of minor successes across the entire squad this year. First of all, former low-tier DH Robbie Grossman had his best season in years this year, with a club-leading 12 doubles and 40 hits. Granted, he only hit .241, but he got a lot of stuff done in 50 games, and finished with a 1.0 WAR

2021 Prediction: Becomes a bench player for a competitive team, and gets some playoff time. 

In a season where some of the main pitching options were souring, Jesus Luzardo was a mostly efficient starting choice. In 9 starts, Luzardo had a 3.83 record with 3 wins and 59 strikeouts, second-most thanks to Frankie Montas squeaking out one more. Luzardo and Chris Bassitt were the only starters who finished the season with ERAs lower than 4, which is a good sign for the future, I guess.

2021 Prediction: A fuller picture of his abilities, a boost in July and a few Cy Young votes flung his way.

As Luzardo rose, the former Oakland ace, Mike Fiers, fell slightly. Despite a 6-3 record, the 35-year-old had a down year, with a 4.58 ERA and 37 strikeouts. Considering that Fiers already had two nice seasons as an Athletic, it's not the worst way to end a multi-year deal.

2021 Prediction: Mid-market team signs him, he starts 18 games and relieves a bunch more, and on the whole it's labeled an improvement. 

After the hazy, indistinct catching picture of 2019, Sean Murphy arose as the primary backstop for this year, and boy did he make his presence known. Murph hit .233 in 43 games, with 14 RBIs and 7 homers, and boosted the runs column towards a 1.0 WAR. Even if Vimael Machin provided some late competition, by the playoffs, Murphy was on fire, hitting .375 in the wild card series with 2 RBIs, and a helpful homer in the ALDC. 

2021 Prediction: He makes it to 25 home runs and cements himself as a member of this team's core during a killer playoff run.

After an impressive post-trade run in Oakland last year, Jake Diekman doubled down in 2020, with a 0.42 ERA and 31 strikeouts in an injury-shortened 21 games. Dude only allowed one earned run the whole year. At 33, he's probably had one of his strongest years. 

2021 Prediction: Healthier, but a statistical step back.

It took until September for Chad Pinder to arrive in Oakland, and once he did, he made them regret not activating him sooner. Pinder took on a reserve infielder role in the last month of the year, hit .232 with 8 RBIs, and was responsible for seven postseason RBIs, including some that kept the A's-Astros series going all the way to 5 games. Pinder's power kept the A's alive this year.

2021 Prediction: More bench work, slightly less starry, but I still predict some home runs coming late in the season from this guy.

After losing Jurickson Profar to the Padres, the A's decided to give 2nd base to former Astros outfielder Tony Kemp. An odd move, but one that made a bit more sense as the season went on, as Kemp was more of a defensive piece than an offensive one. Kemp only hit 247, but he was a quick defender at 2nd. However, once August ended, the A's had a few more infield options to work with, and Kemp got less and less playing time.

2021 Prediction: Won't stay in Oakland, or as a second baseman, for all of 2021.

On a whim, the A's trade Franklin Barreto for Tommy La Stella, and he does not disappoint in his month with the team. In 27 games he hits .289 with 11 RBIs and 28 hits, improving on Kemp's defensive play, and becoming the primary 2nd baseman going into the playoffs, where he hit .293 with 8 hits and 2 RBIs. For a career utilityman going into 2019, not bad at all.

2021 Prediction: Will be signed as a backup, get some playing time in May, and be traded once some rookie infielder completely takes over. I say Baltimore signs him.

The other veteran the A's went with at the deadline was Mike Minor, who was having a shaky year for the Rangers pre-trade. The A's used Minor both in relief and as a starter, and in both cases he displayed the same uneasy material, keeping a 5.48 ERA in September 27 strikeouts but 13 earned runs. In the postseason he was used primarily in relief, and was scoreless in 3.2 innings against the Astros.

2021 Prediction: He's gonna do well in Kansas City. That organization brought him back, and he'll have a nice return to form without COMPLETELY usurping his 2018-19 numbers.

And then there's Jake Lamb.

Lamb, the once-hot Diamondbacks third baseman had become a burden at DH, and the D-Backs unloaded him before the end of August. The A's, reeling from an injury to Matt Chapman, picked him up and Lamb, like a fish in new water, regained his pop, hitting .267 with 9 RBIs and 3 home runs in 12 games. Lamb had 1 hit in 8 postseason at-bats, though. 

 2021 Prediction: This is the make or break year for Lamb. He's both triumphed and bellyflopped in 2020. Lamb needs a great season in 2021. Whoever signs him, however, is playing quite a risk.

Coming Tomorrow- The little AL East team that could.

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.

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.

The Lamb Lies Down in Arizona

(I know that pun is tacky, but...just let me have it. It's too geeky not to pass up.)

The Diamondbacks, at least in the first half of 2016, haven't been the comeback team we were all hoping- there's a disconnect between the guys who came in and the guys who'd been here. Only Jean Segura has really made an impact as a newcomer, as most of the progress of this squad is coming from the veterans, the guys who've been coming up on this team- Paul Goldschmidt, Chris Owings, Welington Castillo, Robbie Ray. They haven't made a ton of progress, and a lot of their brighter spots are either injured or have been traded, but there are still signs of life.

For instance...Jake Lamb has been absolutely unstoppable this season, with an impressive batting average, and some renegade home runs. This comes out of nowhere, as while Lamb has been a hits guy for the last few seasons, he's never been a huge home run hitter. Right now he has 20. I don't know what kind of gatorade he's been drinking, but it's been doing him well.

Look...the only two guys that have truly been on for the Diamondbacks have been Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb. Zack Greinke's been flirting with it, but his ERA is WAAAY down from last season. This is a team that might have worked if there was more consistency in the lineup, but right now they're not a lot of that, which is sad.

Still, I can see Jake Lamb being a 2nd-half performer, keeping the momentum going.

Coming Tonight- The one reason to talk about my New York Yankees

Uncustomed Heroes of 2015: Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks, whether they top that division or not, are definitely going to be talked about in 2016.

This is a team that, while everyone else was sinking or succeeding, was slowly compiling a killer infield, and a youth-driven roster. Now that they have Zack Greinke (and Shelby Miller!), they could do amazing things in 2016.

David Peralta had a nice little breakout season in the outfield, getting more of his numbers after the all star break.

Rubby de la Rosa, after 3 seasons of wandering around looking for an in, finally had a breakout season with the D-Backs, becoming the ace, even if he didn't always succeed in the wins category. He's gonna do a lot better out of the 1 spot though.

Jake Lamb took the third base job this season and did a pretty nice job, holding a strong corner, though he's got a ways to go before he's at Paul Goldschmidt levels.

Patrick Corbin made a low-profile return to the bigs this year, pitching later in the season, but occasionally getting to the caliber of his 2013 season. Hopefully 2016 will be a healthier year for Corbin.

Chris Owings, seen here with one of my favorite shots of the year, had a great season replacing Aaron Hill at 2nd, making a case for one hell of a double play combo with Nick Ahmed.

Tomorrow- A few shots of the 2015 NL West champs.