Overview
- Rating: 2.60
- 2025 stats: 10 G, 9.2 IP, 15.83 ERA, 9.45 FIP, 3.00 WHIP, 2.67 SO/BB, 28 ERA+
- Date of birth: March 1, 1991 (34 years old)
- 2025 earnings: $1,700,000 (via Spotrac)
- 2026 status: free agent.
Introduction
- 2020 player review (#37, 3.15 – The inability to get lefties out.)
- 2021 player review (#23, 4.36 – The Mantiplication Stopped as the Lefty Became a Trusted Option)
- 2022 player review (#8, 6.74 – A little bit steady but still little bit rollin’ stone)
- 2023 player review (#18, 5.59 – Rollin’ stone)
- 2024 player review (#24, 6.53 – Sweet sinker)
Joe Mantiply was a familiar name on the 40-man roster for the Snakes, being with the team since 2020. In 2025 he would start in his 6th season and, eventually, it would prove to be his last. With his departure
and those of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, Kevin Ginkel is now the pitcher who has been longest on the active roster.
Except for 2021, I have written all player reviews about Joe Mantiply, a pitcher I have appreciated a lot and who had been able to bounce back twice to some very solid contributions after disappointing seasons.
In 2020, Mantiply was designated for assignment but stayed with the team. “Multiplying baserunners” and “clown act” were common words used to refer to our lefty reliever: the AZSnakePit was a tough environment for Joe. He showed all of us his middle finger with a terrific 2022, when he got an All Star nod and was one of just a few positives on a terrible Diamondbacks team.
He moved into high leverage work in 2023. It was a disappointment. Mantiply had two injuries and got demoted to Reno. Just like in 2022, he bounced back to a nice 2024 with the Snakes. He pitched in 75 games, 59.2 innings, mostly solid middle relief, contributing with 16 holds and a save, though at times he was hit quite hard.
In my 2024 player review, however, I had some concerns because of the 89 mph sinker, that was one of the slowest in the entire MLB: “I am a bit worried about the velocity loss though. Although there are no direct red flags in Mantiply’s 2024, you could wonder if hitters are going to catch up with the low velocity sinker with new scouting reports. Since Mantiply isn’t a swing and strike profile, he needs hitters to make contact. Enough contact was made in 2024, but batters couldn’t knock it away in the gaps. Let’s hope it stays like that in 2025.”
2025 review
It does not say anything at all, of course, but Joe Mantiply had a terrific performance in Spring Training. Unlike previous seasons, where his performance was quite garbage, he pitched to a 1.08 ERA in 8.1 innings in the pre-season test games.
That positive trend, and his long tenure on the 40-man roster, made him a no-doubter veteran lefty option in our bullpen, beside high-leverage reliever A.J. Puk. Lefty Jalen Beeks was a last minute addition to replace Jordan Montgomery.
Nothing seemed wrong with Joe Mantiply in his first outing. He took the mound on March 28, in the second game of the season opener series against the Chicago Cubs, and notched a strikout (Matt Shaw), a fly out (Carson Kelly) and induced a ground ball (Ian Happ), on 10 pitches. True, the Diamondbacks were already up 6-1 in the 7th inning, and perhaps the Cubs’ hitters were already thinking about the next game.
His second appearance would be two days later, and was a disaster. The Cubs were up 3-2 and Mantiply was supposed to keep the game close. Miguel Amaya reached out on a ball well wide of the strike zone that went just over Marte for a single. A perfect bunt from Happ then puts two men on base. Seiya Suzuki seems to ground into a double play, but is ruled safe after review, though Happ on second base is ruled out. With two men on base, Kyle Tucker crushes a hanging curveball into the stands and the Cubs walk away to a 6-2 lead. Lovullo relieves Mantiply from his misery. Miraculously, the Diamondbacks would score 8 in the bottom of that inning, to take the game in epic fashion.
Mantiply’s poor performance could have been just an unfortunate one, like he had had in 2024 as well on occassion, evidenced by two scoreless outings against Yankees and Nationals after the Cubs’ game, before giving up a run again against the Nationals on April 6.
But from that moment on, things go very sour for Mantiply. The rolling stones become huge mountain blocks. Giving up 4 runs in Milwaukee, when the Diamondbacks are already down 3 in the 9th and have hardly been able to get something going against the Brewers’ pitching, does not really hurt that much, but doesn’t inspire any confidence either.
Giving up 2 against the Marlins in his following outing, however, gets our shoulders shrugging “whatever”, but it does not prevent the eventual blow out 10-4 win.
But when Mantiply needs to take the mound again in a more high leverage situation, he once again falters, for the third consecutive time.
It is the Chichago Cubs again, and in yet another crazy game, the Diamondbacks score 10 runs in the 8th inning and are leading 11-7. Bryce Jarvis pitches crap and gives up 3 runs before getting his first out. Mantiply comes in with the bases empty, but his first batter, Ian Happ, reaches base on a line drive on an 87.8 mph flat sinker (that statcast comes to grade as a fastball). Kyle Tucker launches an 87.7 mph sinker into the stands, knocking the Cubs into the lead. Suzuki does the same with the sinker in the following at bat, popping it out of the field, and the Cubs now lead 13-11.
The bleeding does not stop. Busch, Swanson and Hoerner hit singles to load the bases and Mantiply seems destined to drink the poison until the very last drop. However, he gets Crow-Armstrong to strike out and Carson Kelly to ground out, but his fate is signed: Mantiply is optioned to Reno the following day.
Mantiply gets another shot in the big leagues on May 11. He is added to the roster to get a fresh arm up, after Christian Mena pitches 3 scoreless innings. He hadn’t done that bad in Reno, pitching 5 scoreless outings after giving up 4 runs in his first game for Reno, but expectations certainly were not high. He pitches 1.1 innings against the almighty Dodgers and gives up 1 run, but picks off Shohei Ohtani to compensate.
Two days later, though, his exit is sealed by the San Francisco Giants. Our other NL West rival tags Mantiply with 3 runs in the 8th inning, walking away to a 10-4 lead. It is clear that Mantiply is not going to help the bullpen much this season and he is moved to Reno again, to make place for Scott McGough (or Christian Montes de Oca, if you want to give it less drama).
Mantiply pitches in 4 games in Reno, giving up 5 runs in his final outing for the Aces, before he is designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks, ceding his 40-man roster spot to Jeff Brigham.
Mantiply is released by the Diamondbacks on June 2 and it takes more than a month for him to find a new team. He signs with the Blue Jays mid July and needs to ramp up, not making his debut with the Buffalo Bisons in AAA until July 30. He does not get a call-up to the major leagues and becomes a free agent on November 6.
2026 outlook
The concerns we had in our 2024 player review became reality. Mantiply’s velocity dimished even more, losing an additional 0.5 mph on his already soft sinker. His sinker is pretty much garbage now.
Mantiply will be 35 years old in March next year and you might wonder if the sinker will get any better than this season. It is possible that he finds a new home, on a minor league contract, to give it one final try, but it is hard to imagine a team is willing to take a flier on Mantiply in 2026.
