Double Plus: Evan Marshall’s Reemergence

On March 11, 2016 By

Nothing went right for Evan Marshall on the baseball field in 2015. You’re probably well aware of the horrific accident that nearly cost him his life – a comebacker that struck the right-hander in the head, fracturing his skull and causing brain bleeding that landed him in the ER without a moment’s notice. Marshall has been on the road to …

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Double Plus: D-backs Could Have Effective Catcher Platoon

On March 11, 2016 By

Considering the D-backs’ struggles to build a pitching staff, it’s strange and probably unfortunate that the catchers the team has in camp right now are likely to rate poorly on the defensive side of the ball. At the plate, though, the story could be a lot different. Welington Castillo will undoubtedly lead the way, barring injury; his 17 home runs …

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The Inside the ‘Zona 2015-2016 Offseason Report Card

On March 10, 2016 By

Where were you when you heard the D-backs signed Zack Greinke? What were you doing when you found out about the Shelby Miller trade? A year ago, we were assessing the D-backs’ choices and execution in blowing up part of the roster to try a whole bunch of experiments. Only part of the roster stayed intact: Paul Goldschmidt and …

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Keeping Tabs on D-backs Pitching Prospects in Spring Training

On March 9, 2016 By

Last week we took a long, hard look at Diamondbacks position player prospects who are playing for the club in Spring Training. There are plenty of guys with a chance to make the team in some capacity and others we should see at some point during the 2016 campaign. It’s time to look at the other side of the equation …

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Jake Lamb Stance Adjustment Less About Weaknesses, More About Strength

On March 8, 2016 By

I say this in the most sober way possible: I’ve probably given up the claim of objectivity when it comes to Jake Lamb. But my “appreciation” was born out of something objective: an evidence-based belief that he’d reach his imagined ceiling, and that the (very few) players of his ilk get short shrift in the majors. The guy looked …

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Diamondbacks Sign Japanese Lefty Nakaushiro

On March 7, 2016 By

This is a guest post from friend of the website and Japanese Baseball expert, Kazuto Yamazaki. He was nice enough to share his insights or Nakaushiro from his college and NPB (professional) career. You’ll find more information about the author at the bottom of the post. For now, enjoy the insights!

The Diamondbacks have made the rounds in the …

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Double Plus: A Way Too Early PITCHf/x “Analysis”

On March 4, 2016 By

As Jeff noted last week, seems like Robbie Ray is a favorite around here. As it happens, he also pitched yesterday — the first game in 2016 for which Gameday has PITCHf/x information for the D-backs. As it happens, the data it spit out looks completely impossible. It’s Double Plus — feel like looking at it with me anyway? Sure …

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Double Plus: Don’t Forget Phil Gosselin

On March 4, 2016 By

When the Diamondback acquired Jean Segura from the Brewers, I guarantee no one was worried about how adding Segura to the infield mix was going to affect Phil Gosselin‘s playing time. Since coming over from Atlanta in the Touki Toussaint sale, Gosselin has been mostly an afterthought. There’s a reason for this – he’s entering his age-27 season and …

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Keeping Tabs on D-backs Position Player Prospects in Spring Training

On March 3, 2016 By

The Diamondbacks had their first Spring Training game yesterday. Aside from the fact that the game itself is pretty meaningless, it did signal a return to something we all love: baseball competition. The game also included a couple of non-roster invitees, and while we looked at all of those guys a while back, it seems smart to zero in …

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Josh Collmenter: Short Reliever?

On March 2, 2016 By

The D-backs finished last season at 79-83, but actually outscored their opponents 720 to 713. With that positive run differential, we’d expect better record: something in the order of 81-81 or 82-80. The D-backs played better than their record would indicate, and that shortfall of 3 or 4 wins could just be luck. It could also be a matter of …

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Why Doesn’t Rubby’s Changeup Work?

On March 1, 2016 By

I’ve been room-temperature about Rubby De La Rosa since he arrived in Arizona. Watching him in Los Angeles and Boston a time or two, he was the kind of pitcher that had the raw stuff but didn’t maximize it. At 23 or 24, that was understandable. Now, just a few days before De La Rosa turns 27, it remains a …

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What to Watch for in March: Impending Adjustments and Roster Clues

On February 29, 2016 By

Can you feel it in the air? March is a little more delayed than normal, but it’s practically here, and spring training is officially in full swing with exhibition games due to start tomorrow. A catch-as-catch-can roster was assembled a year ago at this time, but things are a little more focused this time around: there are no more roster …

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Double Plus: Silvino Bracho Spinning His Way to Success

On February 26, 2016 By

Pitchers and catchers and everyone else have reported to Spring Training. The season is drawing nearer all the time (not hyperbole, this is really happening). Arizona’s roster will start to take shape over the next couple of weeks as games start, someone (or two) gets hurt, etc. The team doesn’t appear to be all that close to putting a roster …

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Double Plus: Weird Sauce Bench Candidates

On February 26, 2016 By

It’s possible that when a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is hashed out this year, we’ll see an increase in the size of the Active Roster — maybe to 28 players, and for good reason. For now, though, the 25-man limit is a very real obstacle. The additions of Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller may go a long way toward …

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Two-Strike Pitches and Robbie Ray’s Lack of Innings

On February 25, 2016 By

It would appear that Robbie Ray is some kind of Inside the ‘Zona favorite. In the short time that he’s donned Sedona Red, he’s been covered here at length. Initially it was talking about the trade that brought him to Arizona. Then it was talk of his new breaking ball and how he was getting the job done with …

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How Much of Greinke’s Sparkling 2015 Was Luck?

On February 24, 2016 By

Zack Greinke has a great track record — in each of the last eight seasons, he’s made at least 28 starts, pitching as an ace or close to it in every one. Last year, though, the results were astonishing. In 32 starts, he managed 222.2 innings, an average of just under 7 per start which was the third-highest rate of …

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