Diamondbacks News
Early Standouts for D-backs Prospects in Arizona Fall League Week 1 by Michael McDermott [D-backs Under Review]
Jansel Luis was the top hitter prospect for the D-backs’ AFL contingent. In the first week, he’s shown why. He’s 4-for-16 in his first four games with two walks and two strikeouts. The .250 batting average doesn’t quite tell the story. Of his 14 balls put into play, 10 have registered an exit velocity of at least 95 MPH.
D-backs Prospects Rank Dead Last in This Pitching Metric by Alex D’Agostino
[SI]
Without getting too far into the weeds of its calculation, the Stuff+ metric essentially measures the “raw stuff” of a pitcher. It takes into account things such as velocity, arm angle, Induced Vertical Break and overall movement.
Baseball Americs has given Arizona’s minor league arms an overall Stuff+ grade of only 96.3, with the highest Stuff+ rating going to the Los Angeles Dodgers with a score of 103.9.
Put into the simplest possible terms, the D-backs’ minor league pitching prospects are the least “nasty” arms of any club.
Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt had a pretty weird season by Alex Weiner [Arizona Sports]
It was a campaign filled with juxtapositions:
Pfaadt finished top 12 in wins (13) with a bottom-five ERA (5.25) in Major League Baseball.
He made 12 quality starts and surrendered at least six runs six times.
Pfaadt was a top 25 pitcher at home (3.24 ERA) and the league’s worst on the road (7.71 ERA).
Around the League
Mariners seize the moment, slug their way to 2-0 ALCS lead by Bryan Hoch [MLB]
Cal Raleigh said Polanco has been “our heart and soul” over the last month, and the switch-hitting 32-year-old has certainly lived up to it — two homers off Tarik Skubal in ALDS Game 2, a walk-off hit to end the 15-inning epic in ALDS Game 5, and now a go-ahead blast off Louis Varland in the fifth inning of ALCS Game 2.
“It felt amazing to see that ball go over the wall,” said Polanco. “My approach was just, I went up there trying to get a good pitch to hit. Simple as that. I was just trying to get a pitch to hit, and I hit it hard.”
Snell shuts down Brewers, Dodgers hold on to win NLCS Game 1 [ESPN]
Brewers manager Pat Murphy referenced the difference in star power between the two teams by joking during his pregame news conference that “I’m sure that most Dodger players can’t name eight guys on our roster.”
Even so, the Brewers had swept their six regular-season matchups with the Dodgers. All those games came in July, while Snell was on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.
Snell showed Monday how much of a difference he can make. The two-time Cy Young Award winner struck out 10 while walking nobody and allowing only one hit — a leadoff single by Caleb Durbin in the third.
Brewers turn insane 8-6-2 double play [MLB] {Ed. Note: When this play happened, I immediately texted my dad and brother and told them to stop what they were doing and look up this double play. Holy cow!}
One Failure After Another by Matt Martell [FanGraphs]
Eric does not see Domínguez as a viable option in center field, which limits what the Yankees can do this offseason, especially if they fail to re-sign Bellinger or Grisham. After those two, the best free agent center fielder is Cedric Mullins. The defensive metrics are mixed on him, with OAA favoring him and DRS down on him considerably, and his offense has settled in right around league average since his career year in 2021. Otherwise, as at shortstop, their best external fallback options would have to come via trade. The good news is that there are more outfielders to go around. Some of the center fielders who could possibly be available include Luis Robert Jr., Brenton Doyle, Jacob Young, Alek Thomas {Ed Note: Emphasis mine}, and Chas McCormick.
Mike Schildt Steps Down As Padres Manager by AJ Eustace [MLB Trade Rumors]
“The grind of the baseball season has taken a severe toll on me mentally, physically and emotionally,” Shildt wrote in a letter to the Union-Tribune. “While it has always been about serving others, it’s time I take care of myself and exit on my own terms.” He went on to thank the Padres organization, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, and the players for his time with the team and wished them future success. In a statement released by the team, Preller said of Shildt, “His dedication and passion for the game of baseball will leave an impact on our organization, and we wish him the best in his next chapter.”
Question of the Day
Of the five Opening Day managers in the NL West in 2025, Torey Lovullo will be one of only two returning to the dugout in 2026 (unless more shocking happenings occur in LA). With that in mind…
