Diamondbacks reach 10 games over .500 for first time in 5 years

The Arizona Diamondbacks are good again. At 33-23, they are tied for the sixth-best record across all of MLB.

At long last, the Arizona Diamondbacks are good again. Years of trying to rebuild have culminated in one of MLB's best teams over the first few months of the 2023 season. At 33-23, they are tied for the sixth-best record across all of MLB. Over their last 30 games, they're tied for the third-best.

The Diamondbacks have done a lot of losing over the years but picked up young talent along the way. It's paying off now, as the team has reached heights it hasn't gotten to for a while. As pointed out by MLB's Sarah Langs, the Diamondbacks are 10 games over .500 for the first time since September 2018. Their players may not be household names yet but if they continue on this trajectory, they can be.

Zac Gallen is the headline talent of this Diamondbacks squad. After dominating last season with a historically great stretch in the second half of the season, Gallen has continued his torrid stretch. Despite a fastball with just decent velocity, he strikes out batters on the regular and is allowing fewer and fewer walks. He has a 2.72 ERA and 2.09 FIP so far this year.

He's not alone on the mound, as Merrill Kelley has a 2.83 ERA. His FIP of 3.41 suggests some regression is imminent but even then, he's a solid starter. With other good options from the bullpen, namely Miguel Castro, they have built a decent group that they can add to with midseason trades.

Ketel Marte has long been the only position player who average fans would point to as a legit player. Those days are over thanks to Marte and Christian Walker continuing to excel, the additions of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno and young prospects like Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo playing big roles.

This start has been especially great for the Diamondbacks because the San Diego Padres have been off to a disappointing start at just 28-28. Arizona trails the Los Angeles Dodgers by just half of a game in the NL West standings, which they have not reached by the end of May since 2017. The D-Backs have a long way to go but the progress they have made so far should be appreciated.