While the Arizona Diamondbacks may not have captured the Silver Slugger for Team of the Year (dynastic Dodgers ... darn them), they did show exactly why their lineup is set to be feared in 2026 and beyond (as long as they ... well, you know). The D-Backs had not one, not two, but three winners announced exclusively on FanSided's The Baseball Insiders on Thursday night: Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo up the middle, and Corbin Carroll in a crowded outfield picture. It was the first such honor for both Perdomo and Carroll, and Marte's second trophy in as many years.
Carroll, metronomically consistent and the NL leader in triples three years running, edged out Kyle Stowers, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and James Wood to be elevated alongside Juan Soto and Kyle Tucker. Perdomo beat out Francisco Lindor and Trea Turner, two veterans of the award; even though the D-Backs youngster was snubbed as an MVP finalist, he earned this honor by hitting .290 with a clean 20 homers and 100 RBI (136 OPS+).
And then there's Marte, whose 145 OPS+ has him in his own stratosphere among NL second basemen. He's 32 years old, and is a perfect piece to shepherd Carroll, Perdomo, and the rest of the D-Backs core into whatever this era is about to become.
Diamondbacks clean up NL Silver Slugger Awards with trio of winners: Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Geraldo Perdomo
And yet ... there was a moment of midsummer dissatisfaction that left his fate in Arizona uncertain. If anything, it seemed more likely than not in mid-August that he would wind up elsewhere by the time the Winter Meetings had concluded.
If Marte is really finished in Arizona, and keeping him would be a moody detriment, then so be it. But, if all else is equal, the Diamondbacks should retain him in perpetuity. Look no further than their trio of Silver Slugger winners for all the evidence you need to understand how crucial his participation in this dynamic offense is.