The Arizona Diamondbacks are on a frustrating path. After a surprise trip to the World Series in 2023, they have been unable to recreate the magic. They won 89 games in 2024, which was good for third place in the NL West. It was also the number of wins needed to capture a wild card, but they lost tiebreakers to both the Braves and Mets.
They tried again for 2025, this time with former Oriole Corbin Burnes in the fold. The ace pitcher lasted just 11 starts before he was injured. He, along with relief
pitchers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez, underwent elbow surgery during the season. The team struggled in the first half and went into seller mode. They finished the season at 80-82.
Over the offseason, the D-Backs re-signed Merrill Kelly, who they had traded at the deadline. He is injured and has yet to pitch this season, but is slated to make his season debut against the Orioles on Tuesday. They signed a couple of old guys, Nolan Arenado and Carlos Santana (who is also injured). Their starting rotation is almost the same as last year (post-Burnes), with Michael Soroka being the only addition.
The name we all know on the D-Backs offense is, of course, Corbin Carroll. Carroll had an outstanding 2025, and he’s right back at it so far this year with an OPS of 1.067 in 14 games. Carroll has led the leagues in triples each of the past three seasons, and he already has three this year.
Star player Ketel Marte is off to a slow start, but I wouldn’t wager on that continuing for long. Also off to a slow start is shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, with a .541 OPS. Perdomo was a breakout star last year, racking up a bWAR of 7.0. Catcher Gabriel Moreno, who has been with the team since 2021, is headed to the IL with a back issue. This may mean we see old friend James McCann in this series.
Keep an eye on rookie José Fernández. In 11 games, the 23-year-old infielder is off to a fast start. He’s 12-for-36 with two home runs.
So far this season, the D-Backs have had solid starting pitching. Their starter ERA of 3.25 is seventh in baseball. FIP is another story; they clock in at 4.33 (23rd). Their offense has been less impressive. They are averaging four runs per game, which is below average but the same as the Orioles. By fWAR this early in the season, the Orioles offense has been markedly better than the D-Backs (2.3 vs 0.4)
Game 1: Monday, 6:35 pm, MASN
TBD (possibly Dean Kremer) vs Ryne Nelson (1-1, 4.20 ERA, 12 K)
It remains to be seen who will start tonight’s game, but Jake Rill confirmed that Dean Kremer is in Baltimore, so the smart money is on him finally making his 2026 debut. After his surprise option to the minors, Kremer made two starts for triple-A Norfolk. Both were 4.2 innings. In the first, he allowed three runs. In the second, he was much sharper with six strikeouts, no walks, and no runs.
Including Cade Povich, who has pitched well since his promotion, the Orioles have a five-man rotation without Kremer. So if he does make the start, we’ll have to wait and see what that means for the rotation.
Ryne Nelson is in his fifth season in the majors, all with the Diamondbacks. He has been mostly a starter in that time, but has spent time in the bullpen. Last year, he started in the bullpen but moved to the rotation full-time in late May. He had his most successful year to date with a 3.39 ERA in 154 innings.
So far this year, Nelson has made three starts. He’s gotten better with each start, most recently pitching 5.2 innings with one run allowed. In his first two starts, he walked six total and gave up four home runs.
Game 2: Tuesday, 6:35 pm, MASN
LHP Trevor Rogers (2-0, 1.89 ERA, 14 SO) vs RHP Merrill Kelly (season debut)
When talking about 2026, the line about Trevor Rogers is that even if he has another successful season, he still won’t pitch to a 1.81 ERA and no one should expect that. Through three starts, that’s true. Rogers has not pitched to a 1.81 ERA. His ERA is 1.89. After seven shutout innings on Opening Day, Rogers has pitched back-to-back six-inning, two-run starts.
After trading Merrill Kelly to the Rangers at the 2025 trade deadline, the D-Backs re-signed him to a two-year contract over the winter. Kelly missed much of spring training and the start of the season with “intercostal nerve irritation.” He will make his debut tomorrow. Kelly has been a solid pitcher for the Diamondbacks for six seasons, and had a 3.22 ERA last year when he was traded. His time with the Rangers wasn’t as good. In 10 starts, he had a 4.23 ERA.
Game 3: Wednesday, 12:35 pm, MASN
RHP Kyle Bradish (1-2, 5.27 ERA, 17 SO) vs LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0, 0.50 ERA, 11 SO)
Kyle Bradish has yet to be the Bradish we’ve all come to know over the last couple years. He has struggled with control, issuing three walks in each of his first three starts. His last start looked a little better than his first two, but things went south in the fifth inning. I guess we will just keep waiting for Bradish to recapture his magic.
All these years after the Orioles traded Eduardo Rodriguez to the Red Sox, he is still hanging around. This is his third season with the Diamondbacks. The first two were not good. He made 10 starts in 2024 with a 5.04 ERA and 29 starts last year with a 5.02 ERA. If he’d like to start regressing to that mean this week, that would be cool.
How many games do you think the Orioles will win against the Diamondbacks this week?
