Pumpkin pie rhymes with aim high.
Last season, the Diamondbacks scored the most runs in the Majors. In other words, the Diamondbacks’ batters feasted on pitches thrown to them.
What types of pitches did they feast on? The short answer is all fastballs (especially cutters), curveballs, and changeups. To see OBP, SLG, and homers per PA, see the following tables.
2024 Diamondbacks Batters. Data from Baseball Savant.
2024 Diamondbacks Batters. Data from Baseball Savant.
2024 Diamondbacks Batters. Data from Baseball Savant.
Next Season, the Diamondbacks will likely lose three of their best batters.
- Christian Walker, who feasted on fastballs and changeups. His OPS+ was 121.
- Joc Pederson, who feasted on fastballs and curveballs. His OPS+ was 151.
- Randal Grichuk, who feasted on changeups. His OPS+ was 140.
How can the Diamondbacks mitigate their lost offense? One approach is more PAs for Diamondbacks who are excellent batters. The other approach is acquire an excellent batter from outside the Diamondbacks.
Promising Diamondbacks.
The underlying problem with this approach is uncertainty. Some promising batters have limited experience in the Majors, such as Blaze Alexander (2024 debut with 185 PAs, he feasted on cutters) and Adrian Del Castillo (2024 debut with 87 PAs, he feasted on offspeed pitches). One more example is first baseman Tim Tawa. In 2024, he reached AAA Reno. His 10 home runs in 157 PAs is impressive, impressive even if you played in AAA Reno.
Also, please note that Alek Thomas is such an outstanding defensive center fielder, if he could take advantage of his high percentage of hard hits by elevating the ball, he would make a very positive impact in mitigating the lost batters.
One way to abide with uncertainty is to eschew free agents. Instead give each promising player a chance to prove their batting prowess, and at the same time conduct preliminary talks with other teams so that (if a promising player is not yet ready) a trade could more quickly be executed.
Possible Acquisitions
With the caveat that the most promising acquisitions are likely the ones that would surprise me, and with the caveat that affordablity is uncertain, let’s look at three possibilities, in order of my personal preference.
Joc Pederson (DH). As a Diamondback, he feasted on fastballs and curveballs. His OPS+ was 151. Instead of $21 Million salary for Christian Walker (who turned down his qualifying offer), possibly two-thirds of that amount would be enough for Joc Pederson to return for one season.
“[Joc Pederson] He’s fit into this clubhouse and culture more than we’d ever hoped. He’s been a student of the game and a great teacher of the game. I can’t say enough good things about Joc.” — Torey Lovullo, 24 May 2024
Brent Rooker (DH). He feasted on cutters and changeups. His OPS+ was 145. To acquire him, the Diamondbacks would need to trade with the Athletics. His estimated salary in his first year of arbitration is $5.1 Million per MLB Trade Rumors. He has 3 silver sluggers awards. He has two World Series MVP awards! Late developing players are my favorites. To replace the late developing Christian Walker with another late developer would be fitting.
“I’ve always been like a little bit of a late developer, at every level.” — Brent Rooker, September 2024
Paul Goldschmidt (1B). He has 4 gold gloves and 5 silver slugger awards. Although last season his batting slumped to 98 OPS+, a bounce back is possible. He would be a fan favorite. He is a free agent. In case you wondered, you can see What I learned from Goldschmidt.
Summary.
The Diamondbacks scored the most runs in the Majors. They feasted on fastballs, especially cutters. Also, they feasted on curveballs and changeups.
Next Season, the Diamondbacks will likely lose three of their best batters (Christian Walker, Joc Pederson, and Randal Grichuk).
Possibly, with increased maturity and increased PAs, Adrian Del Castillo, Blaze Alexander, and Tim Tawa will make up for the lost batters. If not, an acquisition could contribute towards to making up for the lost batters. Three of the possible acquisitions are re-signing Joc Pederson, trading for Brent Rooker, or signing free agent Paul Goldschmidt.