Posts by: Jeff Wiser

You surely know The Saga of Daniel Hudson by now. He’s been through more than his fair share of ups and downs — going from excellent young starter to double-Tommy John-recipient to nearly-washed-out big leaguer to very effective relief pitcher. The journey of his baseball life has weighed heavy on Hudson over the years, a fact revealed in his demeanor …

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The playoffs started yesterday, and that’s both good and bad. Playoff baseball is fun (good), but with every passing final box score, we’re reminded that the long, cold, dead, baseball-less winter is fast approaching (bad). The Jays beat the Orioles in a game that’ll remain notorious for Buck Showalter neglecting to use Zach Britton, the best reliever in baseball, …

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Last night, Jean Segura capped off a remarkable season a little early. I don’t mean to suggest he won’t be playing the rest of the season, as futile as it may be. He notched his 200th hit last night off of Gio Gonzalez (below), an infield chopper that Danny Espinosa couldn’t field cleanly and, in truth, a ball that would …

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Surviving one-run games is important in baseball. Day-in and day-out, you can bet your bottom dollar that there are going to be some close games. That’s just how it goes. And for every game won by a single run, there’s one lost on the other side of the ledger. And that’s just how it goes, too. Your odds of winning …

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The Diamondbacks have been active actors on the open market when it comes to making transactions over the last several years. They’ve signed their share of players and made more than their share of trades, one might argue. Free agent signings are expensive, and there’s been plenty of recent data across baseball (including right on Arizona’s roster) that teams are …

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It’s been a season full of growing pains in Arizona, a trend that applies almost universally. Perhaps only Jean Segura has been immune from performance issues in his reemergence. Paul Goldschmidt is hitting for less power. A.J. Pollock and David Peralta couldn’t stay on the field. Zack Greinke hasn’t lived up to expectations. Patrick Corbin is pitching well — …

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Jake Lamb has had an interesting breakout season in 2016. There have been some obvious highs and some unsightly lows. That’s how it goes for most guys, but with Lamb finally earning some time in the spotlight, we’ve had plenty of time to notice the trends one way or the other. There’s no denying he’s been good and his approach …

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Chris Owings is Useful Again

On September 12, 2016 By

The Diamondbacks are going to have a good dilemma on their hands this winter: figuring out where and how to utilize Chris Owings in 2017. Entering the season, it looked like Owings was more or less a lost cause. He was on the active roster because A.J. Pollock wasn’t and his valued was limited to just that of a oh-shit …

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The Diamondbacks have an okay offense if you look at it through the standard lens of runs scored. By that measurement, they’re 14th in baseball. But, consider they’ve played 68 games at Chase Field and 10 more at Coors Field. Those are run-producing parks, as we’ve said a thousand times by now, and if you want to take park factors …

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The Arizona Fall League is upon us once again, which is sort of hard to believe, but I guess time flies when you’re losing a bunch of games. In case you’re not privy, the Arizona Fall League is the premier prospect league of the minor league season and it takes place in the Phoenix metro area in October and November. …

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On Wednesday, which is the day before today, the Diamondbacks made a move that was perhaps unexpected. They called up Yoan Moncada to provide support at third base while the team is in the thick of the wild card race. Oh wait, wrong headline. A little further down the “breaking news” wire, it was announced that center fielder Michael Bourn

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Time for a Checkup

On August 30, 2016 By

It’s important to take a step back sometimes. The view from 5,000 feet can be useful. Getting into the nitty gritty is mostly what we aim for here, but every once in a while you’ve really got to examine the whole thing. The Diamondbacks have been bad this year and everyone knows it. The team has stunk, the front office

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It’s funny how easy it is to lose sight of a great player when that player is routinely great. As good as Paul Goldschmidt is, one can lose sight of his production when looking for storylines. It’s only when he gets off to a slow start or hits a walk off home run that we stop and take notice. One …

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I’ve been excited about Brandon Drury for quite some time. When Justin Upton was sent to what would become a receptacle for useful Diamondbacks (also commonly referred to as “the Braves”), Randall Delgado was sort of “the big get” in return. While rumors swirled that Kevin Towers had his choice of Delgado or Julio Teheran, it was Delgado that …

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While most of the talk surrounding the Diamondbacks has to do with one of many fiascos, there’s still some reason to discuss the team’s roster. Sure, it’s had it’s share of injuries and trades take their toll, leaving the team with some sub-optimal situations; one’s that seem they were unprepared to deal with, generally. Not having a backup centerfielder …

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When it rains, it pours, they say. No group of people know this better than residents of The Valley of the Sun now that we’re in the throws of monsoon season. The sky has literally opened up. But that whole phrase is usually an analogy, not a strict interpretation, and Diamondbacks fans understand this, too, no matter their geographic …

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