At their current pace, the Diamondbacks can do no wrong. Micah Owings (the team's#3 starter) came in to pinch hit today and blasted a 2 run homer to let Randy Johnson off the hook from a poor 1st start. Edgar Gonzalez has been struggling, but thankfully they have #11 pick overall in 2007 Max Scherzer to move into his place, having not given up a run this year in relief. Their dramatic win today moved them into 20-8, already 5 1/2 games in 1st place in a strong NL West, and 2 games in front of anyone else in the MLB.
This team has so much unlimited power I'm expecting them to give in to the Dark Side. Their rotation is anchored by the 6-0 Brandon Webb (Cy Young winner 2 years ago,) followed by American League All Star Game Starter Dan Haren, then Micah Owings who is 4-0 and helps himself with a .416 Batting Average on the month. The back end is comprised of the Big Unit who has the potential to be dominant (though its not likely) and a top 15 pick of last year's draft who has dominating stuff (though Baseball Prospectus sees him more of a closer.)
Speaking of closer, the bullpen remains a key strength. Brandon Lyon has shaken off his rough first outings, and hasn't given up a run since April 6th, accumulating 8 saves in the process. He's set up by Chad Qualls who hasn't given up a run in 14.2 innings this year and Tony Pena. Despite the departure of former closer Jose Valverde, the bullpen is still strong.
The fielding side of the Diamondbacks though is where their longevity will come from. Eric Byrnes at 32 is their eldest player, and he's hardly over the hill. The middle of the order is anchored by Chris Young and Justin Upton, both high-ceiling power hitters (Upton is still only 21 and has the potential to hit 30+ home runs when he reaches his peak.) Finally relieved of the ghost of Tony Clark, Conor Jackson has come alive to the tune of a .341 average, 24 RBI and 23 Runs.
The farm system is so stocked that they could afford to deal 6 good players to the Athletics for Dan Haren and still have enough talent to produce guys like the aforementioned Max Scherzer. Though this system will probably dry up with their recent success, the Diamondbacks aren't a small market team. True, they are in the bottom half of payrolls this year, but their $15 million a year commitment to an ailing Randy Johnson shows that the ownership is willing to give contracts to players who produce for them.
This is a team, honestly, that has no weak links. Even in a tough division, I get more excited every time I watch them. They're young, they're talented, and they have unique personalities that keep the team fun to watch. Out of all the teams that could possibly dominate for years to come, I'm not too upset by the prospect of the Snakes.
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Andy, I couldn't agree more. The D-Backs couldn't be a more fun team to watch, either. (It would be more fun if all of the amazingly talented players would take their heads out of their butts and stop chewing tobacco...do they think we don't notice? Think of the kids, Byrnes.) Anyhow, D-Backs have the best offense in the league, hands down. I also remember rumblings of folks saying early on that while the D-backs look strong this year and are poised for a title, that their farm prospects are slim for the future. I think we all can re-evaluate that observation. Sherzer.
They did lose a lot from the farm in the Haren trade, but they've done a great job keeping up nonetheless. They still have Jarrod Parker, a top notch Right Handed pitcher (5 star according to Baseball Prospectus) and another solid outfielder in Gerardo Perra (4 stars.) The middling talent is a little slim, but they have so many young stars that are at the major league level that they won't need any replacements for a long time.
I still can't forgive them for 2001 but clearly it's a different cast of characters. It's nice to see a young, homegrown team compete. They are one of the best defensive teams too. Offensively, they strike out a little too much but that's symptomatic of young players who are scratching the surface. BTW, I own Scherzer and Haren in my $$ league so I am hoping this continues. They will dominate what I thought would be the best Division in baseball this season.
The NL West is still probably the best division in baseball on paper at least, fighting only the AL East if the Rays can keep up their torrid pace (which isn't too outlandish, especially with Kazmir coming back). Scherzer will come down to earth, like Greg Smith, but there's no reason to think they won't be solid starters.
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