The Arizona Diamondbacks split a four game series with the New York Mets over the weekend, and it’s been a tough start of the season for the defending National League champs. The Diamondbacks are 27-32, and in fourth place in the NL West. This, of course, follows their improbable run to the World Series last year.
With The Show now to take stock of the Diamondbacks about two months into the season is Brad Cesmat, CEO of Sports360AZ.com.
Chase Field in downtown Phoenix in March 2024.
Full conversation
MARK BRODIE: So I guess we kind of have to start with injuries, right. The D-backs have had more than their fair share probably of injuries. How much has that played a role in what their record is right now?
BRAD CESMAT: Well, I think it's a lot, I'll take you even a step further back. A year ago Saturday [June 1], two days ago, Philadelphia Phillies were 26 and 31, 26 and 31. What happened to the Phillies? Ended up getting hot, ended up getting healthy. Diamondbacks last year at this time, 11, 12 games above 500. Everything was smooth sailing.
The injuries as you referred to you, look at Geraldo Perdomo, their shortstop, one of the top players in All-Star from last season, hasn't played a minute, haven't played one at bat this year. Alek Thomas been exciting in the World Series last year and against the Phillies, hadn't played much at all this year. Zach Gallen, on the disabled list. Merrill Kelly, hadn't thrown a pitch. Eduardo Rodríguez, big lefty they brought in as a free agent, hadn't thrown a pitch.
Now, they're all scheduled to come back and you look at it and say, well, that should help, but Corbin Carroll has to do better at the plate than hitting just a buck 90. And I'm not putting it all on Corbin. He's a terrific player and he's struggled mightily, that's an understatement this season, Mark. But I think if Corbin is able to be even half of what he was last season, he's not even that right now. And what is, what is going on with him? Diamondbacks can get this thing turned around.
They're only two games out in the Wild Card. That's where it is just, you make the wild card, you make the postseason, you get hot at the right time. They're only two games out.
BRODIE: Right, which is basically what happened to them last year, right? You mentioned this time last year they were in pretty good shape, but of course, they had a pretty rough stretch there in the middle of the season. And then as you say, made the Wild Card, got hot at the right time and made a run to the World Series. So, is there a sense that, you know, all is not lost at this point? That yes, it's not a great start to the season, but a lot of baseball left to play, guys coming back this, you know, they could still turn this thing around.
CESMAT: Mark, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. I'm probably the dullest one here. But I would tell fans that through the years, what I've learned, the great Joe Garagiola would told me that once when I was travel buddies with Joe doing Diamondback games, look at where they are on Memorial Day, then look at where they are on the Fourth of July, and then look at where they are on Labor Day. Just take the holidays. You're gonna get a pretty good idea, by the time you get to the Fourth of July, do we need to break this thing up or not?
You know, get to Memorial Day, a little bit of concern? Sure. But is it fixable? Yeah, it's injuries in this case. But let's see where we are a month from now. Like this week, let's just get very local here. This week, they have three with San Francisco starting tonight and four with the Padres starting Thursday here in downtown Phoenix. So if there was ever a time to get a litmus test just to see. OK, none of the troops are coming back yet that have been injured outside of Perdomo. Perdomo is close, OK. But beyond that, it's use the holidays. Don't get too high, don't get too low.
I think that's what makes baseball so great. And even perhaps the greatest sport that's out there because you could lose a game in May and it ends up costing you the Wild Card. You lose an NFL game in September, so what, if you get hot at the right time. If it was an NBA game or an NHL game in December, January. That's, but it's one of those where in baseball there's 162 of these bad boys and the best team usually gets to the top.
BRODIE: So, Brad, you mentioned Corbin Carroll, of course, the Rookie of the Year from last year, an MVP candidate as well. Is there a sense in the Diamondbacks organization, what exactly is going on with him? Why this sophomore slump seems to be so bad?
CESMAT: Well, I haven't had anybody specifically tell me this is what is going on. All I know is there's a lot of theories downtown about what is going on. And if his, his shoulder is still not quite right, is it just teams know how to pitch him better? Torey Lovullo has got to be the one that pick, fixes the button and pushes the button and says, OK, you're my leadoff guy, but you can't have a leadoff guy that goes 0-4. Like, Mark, without Ketel Marte, this team is in last place and it's not even close. Yesterday, he bailed them out. Ketel Marte has easily been the MVP of this team this season easily.
And if you get Corbin going even a little bit, Torey's moved him around the lineup. Torey is never one to say, man, this is bad. This guy can't play dead. We're not gonna use him. That's just not him. Torey's Mr. Optimistic, it's why he's hung in there all these years with the organization and I, I think it's so early still in the season. Yeah, they're past Memorial Day, but the blueprint's pretty much there if Corbin can get going and does he get going, because he has Perdomo behind him or does, does Torey drop Corbyn down the seventh hole and Perdomo is hitting eight, then there's more offense there than presently? Is it that Zac Gallen is spinning a two hitter in the seventh inning?
There's not as much pressure on Corbett, they can't score runs. That's what's hard. That's what's really hard about watching this team is their, their pitching's been pretty good, 23 quality starts but man, they are dull as paint drying in the middle of July on a wall sometimes because they can't hit the ball.
BRODIE: Yeah, which is tough and, you know, I wonder if also Brad, there's a sense that, you know, there are a lot of expectations coming into the season after making it to the World Series last year. Does that maybe amplify some of the early season struggles, do you think?
CESMAT: Oh, I think there's something to that. Sure. I think that, do you have the expectation that Corbin was gonna be leading the league and hitting her in the top 10? I was more along the lines of, he's gonna be hitting 300 this season. Well, now he's not even hitting 200 as we're sitting here talking. You know, has Christian Walker been more consistent this year? Yeah, I don't see him putting pressure on himself. Marte has been Marte. He's been great, but there's been some other players that they have brought in.
[Eugenio] Suárez over third base has not really given them the big bat that they had hoped in my opinion. So the offense has a lot of holes in it right now and I think when they get everybody back or most everybody back and I keep going back to Perdomo, he's an All-Star and a big bat in there for them. They're gonna find their way to get some offense and then this pitching, you have three of your starters on the shelf right now. You know that there's, no team is gonna be able to get through it without their ace, their number two and their number three, which Rodriguez was scheduled to be. [Brandon] Pfaadt's been really good. Jordan Montgomery, who came over one-year deal, wasn't good the other night in New York, but he's a big time, big time arm. Just get this team together. And let's see where they are right about the middle of July at the All-Star break.
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