The Arizona Diamondbacks are quietly creating a monster in the National League West, and nobody on the East coast knows about it. After finishing dead last in 2009 and 2010, the D-Backs came from seemingly nowhere to take the NL West crown for the first time since the 2007 season, and just the third time since their World Series run in 2001.
Arizona’s starting rotation, anchored by emerging superstar Ian Kennedy, is an average 26.4 years old. Kennedy, 27, finished fourth in Cy Young voting in 2011 after winning 21 games and posting a stellar 2.88 earned run average.
Kennedy is not the only star in the rotation though. Daniel Hudson is 25 years old. He won 16 games for the Diamondbacks a year ago while Josh Collmenter, 26, picked up 10 big wins in his rookie campaign.
In the offseason, Arizona quietly made a trade for Oakland Athletics top pitcher, Trevor Cahill. He is the young one of the rotation at 24 years old. In just his second year in the big leagues, Cahill won 18 games for Oakland. Considering the National League is a weaker hitting league in general, Cahill’s sinking fastball might just allow him to return to his all-star form again.
Arizona isn’t all about pitching though. Justin Upton swings a big bat, which is followed by another big bat in Chris Young. Following Young is another rookie, Paul Goldschmidt, who in a very short period of time has shown why he is going to be a key part of this team both at the plate and in the field at first base for years to come.
Arizona is very good, but it does help that each team in their division seems to be on the down slope.
Ever since their World Series run in 2010, the San Francisco Giants haven’t been the same. Tim Lincecum won back-to-back Cy Young awards in 2008 and 2009, but since those awards, he hasn’t looked like the same pitcher.
While the Giants do have some young stars like Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval, the rest of their lineup resembles nothing of their World Series team, which by the way was termed “a team of misfits.” Those misfits that came together for that one magical season like Cody Ross, Andres Torres, Miguel Tejada, Edgar Rentería and Pat Burrell have either retired or moved on to another team.
The Colorado Rockies don’t have the pitching they used to have. Ubaldo Jimenez didn’t take kindly to the franchise paying Troy Tulowitzki the big bucks instead of him, evident of him intentionally plunking Tulowitzki in spring training this year. Guys who used to anchor the middle of the lineup like Seth Smith and Brad Hawpe aren’t there anymore. It’s just Tulo, Carlos Gonzalez and an old Todd Helton. Oh and closer Huston Street moved on to division rival San Diego, leaving the duty to lifelong setup man Rafael Betancourt.
Speaking of San Diego, the Padres aren’t going to the postseason any time soon. Heath Bell isn’t around to close out games anymore, and the offense to this point doesn’t have any single player hitting above .294. Enough said.
The only team that could challenge the Diamondbacks in the division is the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their ace, Clayton Kershaw, did win the National League Cy Young last year, and they do have a guy named Matt Kemp in the middle of their lineup who has started the season as hot as any guy can be. But the problem with the Dodgers is who can follow Kershaw in the rotation? Chad Billingsley can pitch. Nobody can take that away from him. But he loses it after the first three months of the season. Maybe Ted Lilly or Aaron Harang, but they’re both well past their prime and getting up there in age. (36 and 33 respectively.) Chris Capuano is the fifth starter, but like Billingsley, he has a history of losing track after the all-star break.
Let’s not forget offense either. Matt Kemp was an MVP candidate before the season even started. But the rest of the offense has a lot to prove if they’re going to contend in the West. Rookie Dee Gordon has speed and a lot of it, but can he have the plate discipline and enough hits to use his speed? Andre Ethier is in a walk year. He is the protection for Matt Kemp in the lineup. A big year for Ethier means Kemp’s hot numbers will continue, but will Ethier stick around in LA? And will Ethier have a big year that will earn him the big contract? That answers probably won’t be answered until the end of the season.
Arizona has all the pieces. The pitching is there, with their top four starters each in the prime of their career. The offense is there. Keep in mind, the D-Backs won the division last season without shortstop Stephen Drew, who went down in June with a fractured ankle, and is still recovering from surgery.
They’re the best team in the NL West, and they could be for years to come, but nobody near the East coast would know it thanks to teams like the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox and Rays.