Same as 2024, more or less.
Arizona’s main outfield trio of Lourdes Gurriel, Jake McCarthy and Corbin Carroll averaged 144 games each last year, which is as stable as you could hope for. With all three back in the frame for 2025, good health permitting, I’m hoping for similar numbers again. Much as with the infield it really only leaves the question of occasional backups, and we’re not discussing a lot of playing time either. Of the 4,330 innings in total of outfield play in 2024 for Arizona, just 892.1 went to everyone outside the top trio. Randal Grichuk led the way (381), with Alek Thomas next (237.1), just ahead of Pavin Smith (233.0). Jorge Barrosa got 38, and finally, the only departee, Kevin Newman. Who had a whopping three innings in the outfield.
There is still the same question as in 2024, in terms of the outfield skewing very left-handed. Of the seven outfielders on the 40-man roster, Grichuk and Gurriel are the only true right-handed hitters; Barrosa is a switch-hitter but, across all levels, Jorge batted over a hundred OPS points lower as a right-hander last year. Of course, with a majority of pitchers in the majors being right-handed, it’s better to be too left-handed than too right-handed. However, it does mean a potential vulnerability late in games, if opponents can throw southpaw pitchers out there. It was a problem for the D-backs generally. Collectively, their left-handed bats batted .233/.307/.365 against LHP, a mediocre OPS of .671.
Among the outfielders, McCarthy actually held his end up. Well, at least in terms of batting average, hitting .284 against left-handers in 2024 – although that is certainly buoyed by a BABIP there of .355. However, he had almost no power. Just six extra-base hits in 134 at-bats, and his last home-run against a leftie was on April 23. Oh, that’s April 2023, coming off Tim Hill, then of the Padres. It’s an active streak of 209 plate-appearances versus a left-hander without a home-run for Jake. It would be nice if we had a right-handed bat who could play center-field. Grichuk didn’t appear there at all for the D-backs last year, though did have 17 starts in center for the 2023 Rockies.
While Carroll batted a mere .219 against lefties, he had the opposite issue of McCarthy, with a BABIP of .248. If that regresses to normal in 2025, it should help, and his plate discipline (K% vs. LHP of 23%) and power (eight HR in 183 AB) were okay. With Corbin, there’s no doubt that the difference between his two halves was like night and day. The changes made to his swing over the winter seemed to be paying dividends in early spring, though the usual warning about the meaningless of pre-season numbers applies. A full season of second-half Carroll will do very nicely, as opposed to the flailing in certain parts of the strike zone we saw last year. I don’t feel facing a left-hander will hold any real terrors for him.
I think the team may need to make a decision between McCarthy and Thomas, because they are basically the same profile, and there is not enough playing time for both men. John Gambadoro did reportedly say last week that the D-backs might not be done with moves, in terms of trying to get a closer through trade. In that scenario, then Jake or Alek would be one of the obvious candidates. Thomas had a wretched year, with an OPS+ of just 66 across 103 MLB PA, and a series of injuries which limited him to only 60 games at all levels. But does that mean trading him now would be selling low? There’s a case to be made that McCarthy’s value may never be higher. He’s also 33 months older than Thomas.
With Pavin Smith apparently getting promoted to one side of a DH platoon, there may be some openings for others to take over his outfield time. This is something we talked about in the infield section, how a utilityman who can play the outfield as well as the infield might have an edge. Given the handedness, a right-handed bat might be preferred. The good news is, the infield is almost the exact opposite of the outfield – the only true LHB among the 40-man roster infielders is Josh Naylor. Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo are switch-hitters, but I really do not think we’ll be seeing either of them playing the outfield, except in the direst of circumstances, such as an outbreak of amoebic dysentery.
Blaze Alexander is clearly not an immediate option, due to an oblique strain, but he has no outfield experience anyway. The two best infield candidates for a role as a backup outfielder would appear to be Tim Tawa and non-roster invitee Garrett Hampson, both of whom have played at all three spots. Hampson has the major-league experience, but a career OPS+ of 72 would definitely put him in the category of defensive replacement. I was quite surprised to realize he’s only thirty: feels like he has been around for ever, but maybe playing for the Rockies ages you prematurely! Tawa will turn 26 next month, so it feels like he should be ready for prime time.
All told, it’s safe to say, there are options for the D-backs. The front three should be solid, and I’m confident that we have enough depth to cover most eventualities. Mind you, I thought the same thing last spring about our starting pitching, and we all know how that worked out!