ESPN reveals the Diamondbacks’ biggest weakness in the home stretch

The NL West has been in high form since the All-Star break, with the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Padres holding the three best records in the National League since July. Notably, the Dodgers have the “worst” record among them at 28-14 (.667). The fact that this is the “worst” performance among the three speaks volumes about how strong the division has been.

Although this season all three teams seem destined to make the playoffs – the Dodgers as the No. 1 seed in the National League, followed by the D-backs and Padres as wild card teams – there are still plenty of games left for an underdog team to make a run. The New York Mets, who have currently won six games in a row, are just half a game behind the Braves in the third wild card spot. The Chicago Cubs, who have a 7-3 record in their last ten games, are 4.5 games out of a playoff spot.

Focusing again on the dominant NL West, if the September 4 standings remain as they are, only one other division, the AL Central, will have three teams in the postseason – the Guardians, Twins and Royals.

ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez examined the three powerhouse teams in the NL West and highlighted what makes them so dangerous. For the Diamondbacks, Gonzalez focused on their offense, which leads the entire baseball league in terms of runs scored. Since the All-Star break, as Gonzalez pointed out, the D-backs have led the league in OPS, and they’ve done that largely without Christian Walker, Gabriel Moreno and Ketel Marte. Gonzalez commented: “Their lineup, which finally welcomed Walker back on Tuesday, has become so strong. Joc Pederson, who signed a one-year, $12.5 million deal in the offseason, was a steal. Josh Bell, brought in as an emergency when Walker went down before the trade deadline, was a godsend. Jake McCarthy, who essentially replaced Alek Thomas, has been a revelation. Adrian Del Castillo, who popped up in Triple-A and replaced Moreno against right-handers, was crucial.”

However, Gonzalez also pointed out the Diamondbacks’ vulnerability in the closing stages, particularly in the bullpen. Since Paul Sewald was removed from the closer’s role, the Diamondbacks have struggled to find a reliable pitcher to finish games. Recently, rookie Justin Martinez has taken over that role, but asking a rookie to finish close postseason games is a tall order – a situation Torey Lovullo would like to avoid. Martinez noted: “Paul Sewald, the closer on last year’s World Series team, had a 7.78 ERA in July and August and is now pitching in low-leverage situations. His replacement is Justin Martinez, a 23-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic who has explosive stuff – a triple-digit sinker, a devastating splitter and, for fun, a highly effective slider – but has also struggled to throw strikes throughout his career.”

Looking ahead, Arizona faces one of the toughest remaining schedules in baseball. Matchups against teams like the Astros, Brewers and Padres will be a perfect test to see if the bullpen can be strong in big games.