3 overlooked heroes in the Diamondbacks recent dominance

Hey, baseball world, the Diamondbacks have the best record in the NL!  Did you see that coming?!

The D-backs are red, and I mean, red hot.  They are winners in 8 of their last 10, 12 of their last 15, and 15 of their last 20.  Baseball is truly a game where anyone can win on any given night, so this stretch of winning shows how much Arizona is firing on all cylinders.

In this fun stretch of seemingly nightly victories, there have been certain players who must have sore backs from carrying the team.  Rookie sensation Corbin Carroll has a .500 OBP over his last 12 games.  Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had 18 RBIs in 19 games before getting bit by the injury bug; and in his last 5 starts, Merrill Kelly is 5-0 with a 2.56 ERA.

There have been noticeable heroes no doubt, but let’s take a look at some players that are helping the team win on a nightly basis, but are probably getting overlooked due to the shining stars.

Diamondbacks Emmanuel Rivera has been overlooked

Emmanuel Rivera is having a season to remember.  He is quietly putting together an outstanding campaign but unfortunately, he gets overshadowed by the likes of Carroll, Gurriel Jr., and Christian Walker.

Allow me to give you some numbers that will jump off the page at you.  In his last 20 games, Rivera has racked up 25 hits, 12 RBIs, and he is getting on base at a .411 clip.  Also, in his last 7 games, Rivera has an OPS of .967.

This man has been a fit for pitchers to figure out.  He looks so comfortable at the plate it seems like he is going to lace a base hit every time he is up there.  The Royals have to be kicking themselves for letting this man go!

Diamondbacks Evan Longoria has been overlooked

This comes with good reason, however, as Longo is not an everyday player.  That being said, he is making such a big impact for this team, that you can’t help but notice and applaud his contributions.

Longoria is on a power surge right now.  After recording a sac fly in the first and then delivering a gut-punching 3-run blast in the 6th last night, Evan continues to stuff the stat sheet.

In his last 6 games, Longoria has 2 doubles, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of .889!  Did I read that correctly?  Yes, .889!  

In 35 games played, Longo leads the D-backs offense in at-bats per home run and is 3rd in slugging percentage.  He may have a batting average below .230, but when he hits the ball, he is prone to do damage.

Diamondbacks Ryne Nelson has been overlooked

Over the last 30 days, the Diamondbacks pitching staff ranks 4th in the National League.  A big reason for that?  Ryne Nelson.

No, Nelson has not been dominant by any means; but he has been steady, which is all you can ask for from a big-league pitcher.

In his last 5 starts, Nelson is 2-1 with a 3.04 ERA.  To be honest, his solid ERA is a little surprising given that his strikeout and walk numbers have been abysmal.  But what does Nelson do really well?  He finds a way to get out of trouble.

Despite not having put away pitches like Braves SP Spencer Strider or the command of Mariners SP George Kriby, no matter how unattractive it is Nelson gets the job done.  

Nelson coming into his own would be monumental for this Arizona pitching staff.  His performance moving forward could greatly add to the devastating 1-2 punch that is Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.