The Arizona Diamondbacks Are the Hottest Team in Baseball

Sure it’s hot in Phoenix in August — the coolest day there this week is 104 degrees — but even hotter are the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since the All-Star Break, this team has been setting MLB on fire. Their 76-58 record is one clear indicator, coupled with the fact that they are first in the NL Wild Card standings.

And while folks weren’t watching, they drew just four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (with a three-game series between the two teams scheduled for this weekend).

But that’s just the record.

Remember that all of this has happened despite a slew of injuries.

Stalwarts Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly have missed significant playing time due to injuries. Similarly, new signings Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery got off to late starts with Montgomery being moved to the bullpen earlier this week.

Last year’s Rookie of the Year, Corbin Carroll, has taken more than half the season to emerge from his sophomore slump, and while there were fans calling for the DFA of a sluggish Eugenio Suárez, he, too, has turned the page.

Gabriel Moreno has lost significant time due to injuries, first baseman Christian Walker has been out with an oblique injury, and MVP candidate Ketel Marte has been sidelined with an ankle injury for two weeks. Add to that that closer Paul Sewald struggles have cost him the closing slot.

Despite all of this, the Snakes have endured.

A look at the underlying numbers make clear why the Diamondbacks are the hottest team in the game right now.

The Offense Is Cooking

Their 714 runs lead all of baseball. The New York Yankees are a distant second with 678 runs — a testament to the Diamondbacks high-octane offense. Their team fWAR is a second place 26.5 behind the first-place Yankees (28.9). Arizona is second in OBP (.334) just one point behind the Yankees and their .434 SLG ranks them fifth. They also lead MLB in grand slams with 10 and come-from-behind-wins. Yes, the Answerbacks have returned.

It’s a collective effort. Ketel Marte is ranked ninth among all MLB players (5.4 fWAR including 30 home runs), and Carroll has returned to his 2023 form. In the first half of the season, he slashed .212/.301/.334 with a 79 wRC+; in the second half, he’s slashed .260/.338/.626 for a 156 wRC+.

In short, he’s back.

Add to that Lourdes Gurriel Jr.‘s August performance in which he’s slugged .446 with two home runs and drawn 10 walks (137 wRC+). Joc Pederson has made himself at home as the left-handed DH and Jake McCarthy is a new name to watch as well.

In short, the Diamondbacks, despite all those injuries, have had the depth to continue being a winning baseball teams. It’s no small accomplishment.

The Pitching Has Kept the Diamondbacks Competitive

The pitching staff as a whole is worth 11.4 fWAR with starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt’s 2.8 fWAR leading the way followed by Gallen’s 2.4 and Ryne Nelson’s 1.9. This hasn’t been a high-profile rotation, but it’s gotten the job done.

The bullpen, meanwhile, is worth 2.7 fWAR led by Kevin Ginkel (1.5 fWAR) and Justin Martinez (1.0). The addition of LHP AJ Puk at the trade deadline (0.8 fWAR) has given the D-backs more versatility.

They hope that Sewald can get things sorted out over the next few weeks, but if he continues to struggle, the D-backs at least have some options to work with.

Closing Thoughts

This isn’t last year’s team.

Stolen bases are down (92 in 2024 compared to 166 in 2023) probably in large part due to Carroll’s early-season slump. Similarly, no one will be talking about Gallen in the Cy Young conversation. But all that matters is the win-loss record, and on that front, the D-backs have been effective.

The question now is how they handle a very competitive NL West — and that series with the Dodgers this weekend.

Stay tuned.