2021 Diamondbacks Opening Day Roster in Retrospect

With the season soon coming to a close, what happened to the 2021 Diamondbacks Opening Day Roster?

The current roster of the Diamondbacks looks absolutely nothing like the Opening Day roster that debuted. There are hardly any of the same players whether it’s due to injury, ineffectiveness, or trade. The team has shed half of its opening day roster. If you include the taxi guys, then it’s exactly half of the team. That’s crazy.

Alas, the team that plays today is filled with young guys that are eager to prove their mettle. That’s the opposite of the Opening Day team which had mostly older players who were seeking to re-prove themselves this year.

With that, let’s look at the Starting Pitchers that started the year with the club. By the way, I am not including injured players since they didn’t debut with the team on Opening Day. They were earning service time, but they weren’t officially active.

Starting Pitchers:

Madison Bumgarner: Bumgarner has had such a roller coaster of a season. He started miserable allowing 6 runs in 4 innings against the Padres. The best moment of the season for him was his 7-inning No-Hitter against the Braves in late April. He’s been injured twice this year while mixing hot/cold streaks. Right now he’s on a cold streak but let’s hope he finishes the season strong. His overall stat line for the season is 7-10, 129.1 innings, 120 hits allowed, 36 walks, 112 K’s, 21 HRs allowed (insanely high), 4.66 ERA, and 4.63 FIP.

Merrill Kelly: Merrill Kelly was the workhorse of the rotation. He’s been the best and steadiest pitcher for the Dbacks all season. At least, until he contracted Covid and has been out since. Thankfully, he’s close to returning. Perhaps, even this week he could. A lot were expecting Kelly to be traded at the deadline. Thankfully he wasn’t. His stat line this year is 7-9, 24 games started, 142.1 innings, 143 hits, 18 HRs, 33 walks, 118 K’s, 4.30 ERA, and 3.91 FIP.

Caleb Smith: Well, he’s currently suspended after losing his appeal on substances being found in his glove. He started the year in the rotation until he got moved to the bullpen after one start. While in the bullpen, he excelled to the point the Dbacks put him back into the rotation. He fell apart in the rotation. He’s since been moved to the bullpen where he’s found some more success. His aggressive pitching and fastball dominant style play up in shorter stints of 1-3 innings out of the bullpen. He’s a solid weapon for sure if used right. His stat line for the year is a rather meh 4-9, 39 games, 13 starts, 105 innings, 87 hits, 18 HRs, 60 walks, 117 K’s, 5.06 ERA, and 5.05 FIP.

Luke Weaver: Luke started rough but then rounded into great form. He was pitching great until his shoulder injury. That caused him to miss from mid-May to early September. Since his return, he’s been relatively good. He’s avoided the big innings but still is rounding into shape. Luke needs to continue to build up his innings and pitching through the end of the season. Finish on a high note, Luke! Weaver’s stat line this year is 3-4, 10 games started, 51 innings, 43 hits, 15 walks, 45 K’s, 4.24 ERA, and 4.12 FIP.

Taylor Widener: Widener started the season in the rotation. It’s since been a roller-coaster of a season since of course. He got injured twice with a groin strain. When he came back in July-ish, he struggled to get going. He maintained a level of averageness by keeping the Diamondbacks in the game but not winning the game for them. As such, due to injuries, lack of innings last year, and just the Dbacks wanting to see other players, he’s now in the bullpen. Yep, 2/5 of our Opening Day rotation is in the bullpen. Taylor’s stat line for the year is 2-1, 16 games, 13 started, 63.1 innings, 57 hits allowed, 13 HRs, 34 walks, 66 K’s, 4.55 ERA, and 5.64 FIP (NOT GOOD).

The 2 Diamondbacks Catchers are…

Carson Kelly: One of the heartbeats of the team is of course still with us. He’s one of the franchise cornerstones, especially after his excellent performance this year. His bat has come alive and he’s playing terrific defense. Originally acquired from St. Louis in the Goldschmidt trade, Kelly has proven why the Diamondbacks wanted him. He’s our catcher of the current and future. One that I hope stays with us for many more years. Hear that Hazen, sign this man to an extension sooner than later. His career year has been a good time to have as he’s been one of the few bright spots on the team all year long. His batting line for this year is .245, .362, .419, .781, OPS+ of 112 (League Avg is 100), 36 runs, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HRs, 38 RBIs, 43 walks, 62 K’s.

Stephen Vogt: Vogt began his second year in the desert with the Diamondbacks as the backup catcher. He’s been in the bigs a long time and is considered one of the best backups in the game. As the season started to fall away, the team ultimately knew it did not need a veteran backstop who was performing just “okay”. As such, and to help Vogt get more playing time/to compete for playoffs, they traded him to the Atlanta Braves in mid-July. He’s still playing up in the Majors with Atlanta. Hope he can make it to the playoffs! His batting line while with the Dbacks looked like .212, .307, .386, .693, 87 OPS+ (LG avg is 100), 17 runs, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs, 18 walks, and 36 K’s. Good Luck Vogt!

The Infielders of the Diamondbacks have changed A LOT

Josh Rojas: Josh Rojas foreshadowed his breakout year by having a massive Spring Training. He was one of the top players in the spring in terms of hits and average. He had to fill in for Nick Ahmed on Opening Day. That meant he played shortstop. I think that’s a big reason why he started struggling a lot. He was playing a different position and just got off to a slump. He was missing pitches, making bad contact, and just looked lost at the plate. In his first 37 at-bats, he had TWO hits. Not Good. Then, on April 18th, he filled in for a player and made a last-minute spot start. He led off the game with a homer and has been fantastic since. Sometimes all it takes is just one swing to fix everything. His overall batting line for the season across 124 games is.269, .346, .428, .774, 109 OPS+, 30 doubles,  3 triples. 11 HRs, 42 RBIs, 7 SB, 52 walks, 119 K’s, and has started games at SS, 2B, RF, LF, and 3B. That multi-position versatility is impressive! In case you didn’t know, Rojas grew up in the valley and supporting the Dbacks!

Christian Walker: Walker, where did everything go wrong? This season has easily been the worst in his pro baseball career. Honestly, I’m not sure that he is truly healthy. He had two separate long stints on the Injured List for oblique issues. Oblique injuries can last a really long time, especially if you come back too soon. After all, Steven Souza Jr. missed 3 months or so with an oblique strain in 2018. He just hasn’t looked right at the plate all year. His timing is off, his swing is off. He isn’t getting that massive power that we know he has. I truly think he is just injured. Now, he’s set to lose playing time to Seth Beer and Pavin Smith. I hope Walker has a big final few weeks to secure his spot on this team for next year. His defense at first has been better than either of the other two. Nonetheless, his batting line for this year is .232, .305, .351, .655, 78 OPS+, 44 runs, 80 hits, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HRs, 38 RBIs, 34 walks, 90 K’s, and has played in 98 games. “Sky” Walker needs to relearn the Force once more.

Asdrubal Cabrera: The old man of the team. The grizzled veteran of 15 years in the big leagues came to the team late in spring training. He started really hot, hitting everything in sight. Then, he suffered a bad hamstring strain. Upon his return a month or so later, he continued to lead the club. He taught our young guys what it’s like to play in the big leagues. I was shocked he wasn’t traded at the deadline. Around mid to late August, the team and Asdrubal agreed to split ways and put him on waivers. This way, he could get on a playoff-contending team and have a chance to make the playoffs. He could be a part of meaningful games late in September. The Reds claimed off waivers and he’s been there ever since. His batting line for the Dbacks over 90 games was .244, .324, .392, 94 OPS+, 34 runs, 21 doubles, 7 HRs, 40 RBIs, 33 walks, and 73 K’s.

Eduardo Escobar: Mr. Smiley! Oh, how I miss his excitement, joy, and smiles! I even miss his fear of cats. Escobar in a lot of ways was the heartbeat of the team. He brought passion, fun, and energy. Alas, the Diamondbacks failed this year in being competitive. As such, due to him being in the final year of his contract, the team knew they would need to acquire something for him. He played from mid-2018 to mid-2021, three good years of 69 HRs, and 240 RBIs. His batting line with the team this year ended as 98 games, .246, .300, .478, .778, 107 OPS+, 50 runs, 14 doubles, 3 triples, 22 HRs, 65 RBIs, 29 walks, and 85 K’s. Our 2021 All-Star will be in the playoffs this year, go Milwaukee!

Nick Ahmed: The ole’ captain of the infield. Our longtime shortstop has had another Nick Ahmed year. That means he’s been excellent on defense and leaves a lot to be expected on offense. This has been one of the worst offensive years in his career. He’s under contract with the team through 2023. With no real shortstop prospects developing yet, Geraldo Perdomo has struggled mightily this year, Ahmed should continue to be the shortstop for the team. Originally acquired in the Justin Upton trade, his batting line this year so far is 127 games, 46 runs, 29 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HRs, 38 RBIs, 7 SBs, 34 walks, 102 K’s, .222, .282, .340, .622, and a 69 OPS+. SlickNick indeed.

Josh VanMeter: He came to the Diamondbacks in the 2020 season by being included in the Archie Bradley trade. He is a pure second baseman and pinch hitter. He struggled early on in the season and ended up being sent back down to Triple-AAA Reno. While there, he showed a lot of improvement and got called back up in late June. He’s been up with the club ever since showing off good power. Overall for the year, he’s hitting at a clip of .207, .298, .362, .660, 79 OPS+, 23 runs, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HRs, 32 RBIs, 2 SBs, 30 walks, 69 K’s, and has done that in 98 games.

Wyatt Mathisen: I’m not sure anyone truly expected much from Wyatt, a career Quad-AAAA player. What that means is he’s too good for Triple-AAA but not good enough for the MLB. In his case, he’s had a down year throughout multiple systems. He got demoted from the team after struggling in limited at-bats across 23 games. From there, he got purchased by the Rays. The Rays then sold him to the Mariners after he struggled for the Rays. The Mariners released him after he failed to get much going in Triple-AAA for them. Most recently, he signed a minors deal with the Giants. Hopefully, he can get back on track there. His line with the Diamondbacks this season is .119, .255, .190, .455, 24 OPS+, 3 runs, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 5 walks, and 21 K’s. He simply struck out way too much while making no contact.

Our Outfielders are mostly the same minus one fan-favorite player

Pavin Smith: A darkhorse top-5 rookie of the year vote-getter perhaps? Pavin started amazing this year. He showcased great patience, power, and fielding. Despite never playing in the outfield much, he learned it on the fly and did better than many could’ve hoped for. He’s played all the outfield positions and first base. That’s really good for a first baseman, a spot many consider to be for the defensively challenged. Pavin has established himself as a franchise building block for the team. What a great first-ever pick by Mike Hazen as GM of the team.

David Peralta: The Freight Train and heart of the team since he came in 2014. He’s rumbled around the bases so many times in his time with the team. I can’t not think of Peralta when I hear a train horn. After all, Chase Field plays it every time he gets a double, triple, or HR. He’s had a subpar year by his standards. Additionally, he isn’t playing as much since the team is wanting to get some younger players look. They know what Peralta can do and how much he means to the team. Plus, the team has him signed through 2022. I have faith that Master Peralta will do well in 2022. His 8 triples currently lead all of the MLB. He’s hitting at a rate of .263, .327, .414,  .741, 100 OPS+, 53 runs, 26 doubles, 8 HRs, 56 RBIs, 2 SBs, 39 walks, and 82 K’s.

Ketel Marte: The Franchise Player. The one that the team is building around. The player who NEEDS to be playing at 2nd. Mike, keep this man healthy, stop throwing him in the outfield. We are overloaded with outfield prospects but little in terms of infield prospects. I digress. Ketel is the player that the Dbacks are beyond happy to have. He’s our favorite, the current-Goldy. We need Ketel to stay healthy after learning what a year without him in the lineup for most of it is like. Ketel’s having an extremely good year despite the injuries. I can’t wait for the team to continue building around him. He’s under contract with the team through 2024. His batting line over 74 games this year is .319, .378, .523, .901, 142 OPS+, 44 runs, 22 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HRs, 42 RBIs, 1 SB, 25 walks, and only 49 K’s.

Tim Locastro: Crash Test Dummy! The speedy man who set an MLB record with the Diamondbacks by stealing the most bases to start a career before being caught. Unfortunately, he eventually got caught and dislocated his finger to make it worse. After his return, he just never got back on track whether it was stealing or hitting. He continued to struggle to make contact or being the speed threat on the bases. In early July, he was traded to the Yankees who were in desperate need of outfielders. To make matters worse for Locastro, a few games into his Yankees career, he suffered a torn ACL while making an incredible play in the outfield. He’s out until Spring Training 2022 at the earliest. His batting line while with the Dbacks over 55 games is .178, .271, .220, .491, 36 OPS+, 11 runs, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 5 SBs, 6 walks, and 26 K’s.

The Diamondbacks roster has changed so much throughout this season. In fact, 63 different players have appeared on the Dbacks roster this season. That’s A LOT for one season. There’s been 28 different position players and 35 different pitchers. 16 different pitchers have combined to start all the team’s games. That’s far too many. That’s 3+ MLB starting rotations. The injuries and poor performances have been far too many. In this off-season, all the players need to go to spas and do yoga. Get ready for next year. Stay healthy.

As always,

May the Force be with You…