Diamondbacks 2020 Season Preview
Ready to check out our 2020 Arizona Diamondbacks predictions? With a couple of Martes at the top of the lineup and a new ace at the top of the rotation, the Diamondbacks look to remain competitive in the generally uncompetitive NL West.
MLB Diamondbacks Predictions & Handicapping Insight
It’s going to be a highly unusual MLB season, once it does begin. Could it end with a highly unusual result? Like the Arizona Diamondbacks going all the way? I’m not so sure crazier things have happened in baseball but, then again, this is unchartered territory.
2020 MLB Team Previews – Arizona Diamondbacks
- Arizona Diamondbacks 2020 National League West Odds: +900
- Arizona Diamondbacks 2020 National League Odds: +2500
- Arizona Diamondbacks 2020 World Series Odds: +6600
Key Additions:
- Madison Bumgarner
- Starling Marte
- Jon Jay
After 11 seasons in San Francisco, which included three World Series Titles, a Series MVP, four All-Star teams, two Silver Sluggers and three consecutive seasons finishing inside the top-6 of the Cy Young voting, Madison Bumgarner signed a 4-year contract worth $79 million.
In 2024, when Bumgarner is set to make $14 million — the least he will make in any season on his new contract — he will make more than any season he pitched for San Francisco. The Giants just didn’t want to pay him.
His wins and ERA numbers were down a bit last season but he threw over 200 innings for the first time since 2016 and posted strong WHIP and strikeout-to-walk numbers. He will step in for Zack Greinke to be the ace.
Key Losses:
- None
The D’Backs didn’t lose anyone of much consequence. There were a few recognizable names like Steven Souza Jr, Adam Jones, Alex Avila and Taijuan Walker but none of them contributed much for Arizona last season.
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So, by simple addition/subtraction analysis, Arizona could very well stand to improve on 85 wins last season with a Pythagorean Expectation that suggested it could have even been a little bit better (88 wins).
2020 Arizona Diamondbacks Predictions: Projected Lineup:
- Ketel Marte OF
- Starling Marte OF
- Eduardo Escobar 3B
- Christian Walker 1B
- David Peralta OF
- Kole Calhoun OF
- Nick Ahmed SS
- Carson Kelly C
But Ketel Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Christian Walker were awesome last season and all stayed quite healthy. Marte enjoyed an especially splendid season with 32 home runs and a 149 OPS+. Escobar and Walker combined for another 64 homers.
If those three and David Peralta, who hit 29 doubles in 99 games and finished with an OPS above league-average, stay healthy and productive again, the lineup becomes even more dangerous with Starling Marte in the middle of things.
He looked like a guy with oozes of potential in the outfield for Pittsburgh as a young man but he’s plateaued, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He’s put up an average of a 117 OPS+ in his last two seasons and finished better than league-average in seven of his eight seasons as a big-leaguer.
2020 Arizona Diamondbacks Predictions: Projected Rotation:
- Madison Bumgarner
- Mike Leake
- Robbie Ray
- Luke Weaver
- Zac Gallen
Mike Leake came over in the middle of last season and made 10 starts, pitching to a 103 ERA+. That’s what he’ll do — eat innings as an average, or slightly better than average, starter.
Robbie Ray puts up the huge strikeout numbers but I have doubts about his long-term future with all the hard stuff he throws.
What’s exciting about Arizona’s rotation is the back end. Luke Weaver, who came over from St. Louis in the Paul Goldschmidt trade, pitched to a 152 ERA+ in 12 starts before going down with a forearm injury. Initially, he went on the 10-day Disabled List before the Diamondbacks made the decision to shut him down. He will be ready to begin this year.
Zac Gallen is listed in the middle of the pack in the Cy Young futures market. A third round pick of the Cardinals in 2016, he was traded in a package for Marcell Ozuna and then again at the Trade Deadline last season in a one-for-one prospect swap. He’ll turn 25 in August.
2020 Arizona Diamondbacks Predictions: Projected Closer:
- Archie Bradley
Bradley took over for Greg Holland last season and did a nice job to earn 17 saves but he had a WHIP over 1.43 and an ERA to match.
2020 Arizona Diamondbacks Predictions: 78 wins and 3rd in the NL West (Bet Now at any of our reviewed MLB Sportsbooks!)
Arizona may not have overachieved according to its Pythagorean Expectation last season but it got big contributions out of a lot of guys who haven’t necessarily been doing it for years.
What are the Diamondbacks going to get out of Ketel Marte this time around? Will Christian Walker slump as a sophomore? And exactly how good will the starting rotation be? There are too many questions for me to get truly excited about the Snakes but it’s still a team to keep an eye on.
What do you think of our 2020 Arizona Diamondbacks predictions? Comments are welcome below.
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