Who will the Diamondbacks Call Up in September?

50/50

Mar 1, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Aaron Blair (70) poses for a portrait during Photo Day at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Blair*

• Blair is the one that everyone’s aching to see. According to MLB.com’s Prospect watch, Blair is the #3 prospect in the Arizona organization and he’s only behind Bradley among pitching prospects. Blair cruised by Double-A Mobile and is currently having similar success in Triple-A Reno.
• When a spot opened up, the fan’s consensus was Blair but whether it was Chacin, Godley or Allen Webster, Blair kept getting passed over. The talent is undoubtedly there, but an obstacle still remains: The 40-man roster. It has yet to be seen whether Arizona is comfortable DFA’ing someone to make room for Blair this season. We’d love to see him in Arizona this year before he aims for the rotation in 2016.
• 2015 stats
  • AAA: 11 G, 6-2, 3.55 ERA, 51 K
  • AA: 13 G, 6-3, 2.70 ERA, 64 K

May 11, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Enrique Burgos against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Enrique Burgos

• Burgos became Enri-K in no time due to his tendency to strike hitters out. A quick domination of Double-A competition earned him a call up to Arizona. After racking up the strikeouts, even at the major league level, Burgos was called upon to make back-to-back saves after Addison Reed was ousted from the job and Brad Ziegler was resting.
• After converting on both opportunities, the Dbacks thought they had late inning arm on their hands. Instead a trip to the DL and continued struggles forced Burgos back to the minors. With Reed departing, the Dbacks need an arm to fill out the 7th/8th inning set up man role. Look for Burgos to get another shot.
• 2015 stats
  • MLB: 22 G, 1-2, 5.14 ERA, 32 K, 2 SV
  • AAA: 15 G, 0-1, 6.00 ERA, 23 K 5 SV
  • AA: 10 G, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 15 K, 6 SV

Apr 19, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Dominic Leone (52) throws against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Dominic Leone

• Leone was part of the Mark Trumbo Welington Castillo trade and while Beef has been an absolute steal, Leone’s time in Arizona leaves much to be desired. After one disastrous appearance with the Dbacks, Leone was optioned to Double-A Mobile. Leone returned in late July, but he was still unable to gain momentum.
• Leone’s rookie campaign in 2014 shows that he’s got promise. Last season, he was 8-2 with a 2.17 ERA and struck out 70 hitters in 66.1 innings. Arizona should continue investing time in the 23-year old. If he replicates anything resembling his rookie year, this trade could go down as one of the best ever in Arizona history.
• 2015 stats
  • MLB (Seattle/Arizona): 13 G, 0-5, 8.40 ERA, 9 K
  • AAA: (Tacoma): 8 G, 1-1, 7.71 ERA, 8 K, 1 SV
  • AA: 19 G, 1-2, 3.90 ERA, 28 K

Mar 3, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Braden Shipley against the Arizona State Sun Devils during a spring training baseball game at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Braden Shipley*

• Immediately after the 2013 MLB Draft, Shipley was considered ‘the guy’ and Blair was considered ‘the other guy’. A couple of short years later and the roles have been reversed. While Blair is steamrolling through the farm system, Shipley is tossing the ball in Mobile. While he has improved as of late, he’s a tad behind in the pecking order at the moment.
• If Blair is a tough sell, Shipley might not get many looks this season. Shipley is definitely in the mix for the 2016 roster, but at the moment he has to compete with at least Bradley, Chacin, Godley and Blair for a handful of starts this September.
• 2015 stats
  • AA: 26 G, 9-9, 3.29 ERA, 105 K

Sep 23, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Matt Stites (37) pitches in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Minnesota Twins win 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Stites

• Out of all the players in my “50-50” section, Stites has the most experience. Last season, he appeared in 37 games and sported a less-than-attractive 5.73 ERA. A preexisting injury prevented Stites from being a factor in the beginning of the season. In July, Stites finally appeared in a game for the Dbacks.
• After two games, he was optioned back to Triple-A. Stites was recalled again in late July, but again was optioned after two appearances. Stites holds the “I’m part of the 40-man roster” advantage as well as the “I’m a natural bullpen arm in an organization that needs them” advantage.
• 2015 stats
  • MLB: 4 G, 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 1 K
  • AAA: 23 G, 1-1, 3.86 ERA, 14 K
  • A: 2 G, 0-0, 13.50 ERA, 5 K

Peter O’Brien*

• The Arizona hype machine begins and ends with O’Brien, the hulking 25-year old outfielder. Many believed that O’Brien would’ve already made his MLB debut by now, as a catcher. After it was discovered that O’Brien wasn’t entirely compatible at the backstop, he transitioned to the outfield. He can mash, but the Arizona outfield is absolutely stacked at the moment.
• O’Brien participated in the Triple-A All Star Game and even competed in the Home Run Derby. He almost made the club coming out of Spring Training, so the Dbacks wouldn’t be hard pressed to make some room on their 40-man roster for him. The hope here is that O’Brien could possibly spell Goldy at first base during September.
• 2015 stats
  • AAA: 121 G, .285 AVG, 24 HR, 96 RBI