The MLB season is only about three weeks in, and the NL West is already one of the more exciting watches in the league. It has been the most competitive division so far — the only one where three teams have 10 or more wins entering play on Tuesday.
The Arizona Diamondbacks sit fourth in the division at 9-7, trailing the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.
ESPN MLB writer David Schoenfield ranked the most fun teams to watch this season, grading clubs on a 40-point scale that includes categories like star power, young talent, baserunning, defense, minutiae and bonus points.
Arizona lands in the top 10, coming in at No. 10 with a total score of 23.
How the Arizona Diamondbacks scored in fun team watchability
Here’s how Arizona faired in each of the categories:
Star Power: 8 | Young Talent: 2 | Baserunning: 4 | Defense: 3 | Minutiae: 3 |
Bonus (3): +1 for Zac Gallen’s goggles, +1 for Corbin Carroll’s exit velocities, +1 for Ketel Marte “underrated” references
Several of the Diamondbacks have graduated from youth to veteran, so they lose points in that category, dropping them in the overall rankings. Carroll remains one of the game’s most exciting players, although he’s not stealing bases this year and might never come close to that 54-steal season he had as a rookie. Marte is one of the game’s hidden gems, and Corbin Burnes helps give the rotation some star power. Josh Naylor is a fun player and even leads Carroll in stolen bases, 4 to 1. I love watching Gallen and his ability to change speeds and Justin Martinez throwing flameballs out of the bullpen.
While the bonus category is subjective, there’s no ignoring the disappointing start from Arizona’s starting pitching. What was supposed to be one of the top rotations in the league currently carries a 5.00 starter ERA, 28th in MLB, although the group is trending in the right direction after a solid homestand.
Fortunately, the offense has been a different story.
Arizona’s 82 runs scored are tied for the sixth most in the MLB and they are tied for first in team doubles with 36. Carroll, Naylor and Pavin Smith all have six doubles on the year.
The D-backs’ 80 RBIs are tied for fifth overall.
There’s little doubt that Carroll drives their high star power score — he’s off to a strong start, as he’s hitting .333 with five home runs and 10 RBIs and he owns the fourth-best OPS in MLB at 1.123.
Defensively, the Diamondbacks rank 10th in defensive runs saved this season with five, thanks in large part to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Carroll, who each tie for the team lead with three runs saved. The team also has nine errors, tied for ninth most in MLB.
And among the young players, Martinez has been one of the fun relievers to watch — his 42.9% strikeout rate is the 11th highest in all of baseball.
David Schoenfield’s list of top 10 most fun teams to watch in the MLB this season
Here’s how the top 10 pans out:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Chicago Cubs
5. San Diego Padres
6. New York Mets
7. New York Yankees
8. Atlanta Braves
9. Milwaukee Brewers
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
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