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Despite their run to the World Series last season, the Arizona Diamondbacks weren't tabbed by many to be among the best teams in baseball in 2024. With less than six weeks until the MLB playoffs, the D-backs are cruising toward another postseason berth, and this time they won’t sneak into the dance.
Arizona is firmly placed in one of the three Wild Card spots in the National League with a 5 1/2 game cushion separating them from missing the playoffs. The Diamondbacks are one of the hottest teams in the league and have been for quite some time. They have the best record since June 1, going from 10 games back of first place in the NL West to within four games of a division title.
The main goal for the remainder of the regular season should be to stay healthy and clinch a playoff berth as soon as possible. The D-backs are still very much in the mix to be one of the top two seeds in the NL though, thus affording them a bye to the Divison Series. With how well they've played over the last three months, why not go for it?
Arizona has an abundance of talent, hence why it's on pace to win 90 games for the first time since 2017. September is less than two weeks away, which means the D-backs and the rest of MLB can add to their roster and bring more talent to the table.
It's not often a late-season call-up turns into a gem of a move, but there's plenty of optimism surrounding prospects getting their shot in the bigs. The Diamondbacks don’t have a top farm system, but they have options to explore when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
Southpaw starter gets first taste of MLB
According to MLB Pipeline, only two of Arizona's top 10 prospects are pitchers. Position players dominate the D-backs' top 30 list, with 21 compared to nine hurlers. Among those top arms in the system are righty flamethrower Yilber Diaz and a crafty left-hander named Yu-Min Lin.
The Diamondbacks signed Lin when he was 18 in 2021 and he's pitched very well throughout his first three seasons in America. The southpaw from Taiwan had a 2.72 ERA in his first professional season in 2022 and reached Double-A last July, less than two years after signing with Arizona.
This season did not start the way Lin would have hoped. He carried a 7.00 ERA in April before missing nearly seven weeks due to injury. He's unlikely to reach 100 innings this year, but Lin didn’t let his injury stop him from dazzling on the mound in 2024.
He's arguably pitching as well as he's had all season recently, an impressive stretch that started in July. Lin has a 3.29 ERA in his last eight starts, including his longest outing of the season when he scattered three hits across seven scoreless innings on Aug. 10. If you remove his abysmal April, Lin has a 3.31 ERA with 59 strikeouts and 22 walks in 12 starts.
It's a small sample size, but it's good to see Lin keep his deep repertoire intact as he navigates through his third year in the pros. He brings a five-pitch mix highlighted by his changeup, although he's pitched to contact more often this year than in previous seasons. Lin allows over five hits per outing this year.
While Yilber Diaz has looked better this season and threw brilliantly in three of his four starts with the Diamondbacks in July upon his first promotion, Arizona is set with its starting pitching. However, Yu-Min Lin deserves a shot as a long relief or mop-up guy during the final weeks of the MLB season as another lefty option out of the pen.
D-backs add speed, defense with outfield prospect
Another Diamondbacks prospect whose season was halted by injury, outfielder Jorge Barrosa is knocking on the door of the majors. Arizona has a crowded outfield, but they should consider giving the 23-year-old another look when rosters expand.
Barrosa made his MLB debut during the first week of April, going 2-for-10 with a double and an RBI in three games with the D-backs. Multiple trips to the injured list hurt his chances of returning to the big leagues this year, but Barrosa continues to see the ball well and is showing his bat is MLB-ready.
Since returning to Triple-A Reno on July 1 following a rehab stint in rookie ball, Barrosa is hitting .275 with nine doubles, four home runs and a triple. He posted an OPS above .800 in July and has an .802 mark in 16 August games.
While Barrosa's plate discipline and baserunning have been strengths throughout his professional career, he's struggled in both departments over the last seven weeks. He's stuck out 31 times since the start of July and has swiped only three bases in seven attempts. He stole 102 bases across his first 341 minor league games but has 22 in 181 games over the last two seasons.
Teams typically keep injuries to minor leaguers undisclosed unless it's season-ending, but it's believed that Barrosa's time missed this year is due to a hamstring strain. That would explain his lack of steal attempts, but he should gain his confidence on the basepaths again as he continues to play more consistently.
Although his hitting numbers are solid, his speed and spectacular glove are what will get him another MLB promotion. Barrosa's arm could use some work but the Venezuelan hasn’t committed an error in centerfield since 2022, playing over 1,100 innings there in that span.
Barrosa won't get consistent time as a starter if he's called up, but having a switch-hitting outfielder with an elite glove and above-average speed on the bench could benefit the Diamondbacks in more ways than one.
