Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It’s hard to argue that the 2026 trade deadline was anything other than underwhelming for the Arizona Diamondbacks. While it seemed like all their rivals were making Big Movies to improve for the stretch run, the D-backs were limited to the arrival of what could be
described a less-tainted (and, thus, playoff eligible) version of Max Kepler. To be fair to Mike Hazen, part of the problem was a planned trade for Clay Holmes falling apart so late in the day, that no Plan B was possible. But it means that only nine percent of you in last week’s poll were right – the ones who went with “outfielder” as Arizona’s biggest deadline acquisition.
However, the team remain in possession of a wild-card spot, after the third consecutive series split with San Diego, following the deadline. The team’s recent good surge has seen Fangraphs move the chances of the D-backs making the playoffs up to around fifty percent. That’s a four-fold increase on what it was round about a month ago, reflecting the team’s recent good form. A coin-toss is one thing. But do Arizona fans think there will be post-season baseball for the Diamondbacks this year? Or did the lack of trade deadline moves result in pessimism regarding the team’s chances this year?
It appears there is still general optimism across the fan-base, with almost two-thirds of those who voted thinking the Diamondbacks will make the post-season. That’s more than the playoff odds, though perhaps reflects nothing more than general fandom. This would be in line with the predicted win total for the team in our pre-season survey, almost always being higher than the lines at the Vegas sports books. We want to think the team we support will do well. Of course, there’s often a difference between what our heart is saying, and what our head is telling us. Reconciling that tension is part of the eternal dilemma of fandom.
We are here because we do not know how the story will end. It’s the team’s results over the remaining forty-five or so games which will determine what happens. The good news is, the team should be getting reinforcements, beginning with the return of Michael Soroka and Jordan Lawlar, followed by Justin Martinez, Corbin Burnes and Lourdes Gurriel (ok, not quite so excited about the last one), though A.J. Puk is now off the board. The question is, how they will perform is uncertain, to varying degrees, depending on the length of the layoffs. There will likely be further twists and turns, heroes rising, heel turns and “Did you see that?” moments.
Stay tuned, folks. It should be fun*.
* = fun not contractually guaranteed…
