Pitching Staff
Baseball America must predict that the Diamondbacks and Zac Gallen will eventually reach an agreement on an extension as he becomes a free agent after the 2025 season. I believe something will eventually get done, and Gallen will be heading the rotation in ‘27. Gallen has established himself as one of the best SPs in the game, finishing in the top five in Cy Young voting two years in a row now. Last year, he pitched 210 innings and owned a 3.47 ERA, 3.26 FIP, and 1.12 WHIP.
After Gallen, they list Brandon Pfaadt as the D-Backs’ next starting pitcher. The right-hander’s rookie season was unimpressive at best. He had a 5.72 ERA, 5.18 FIP, and 1.41 WHIP in 96 innings. He had about an average 22.3% K-rate and a strong 6.2% walk rate but struggled to limit the long ball with a 2.06 HR/9. The youngster, however, looked like an ace in the Postseason, pitching 22 innings, allowing just eight earned runs, posting a 26:5 K:BB ratio, and only letting three home runs leave the park. Pfaadt also entered 2023 as a consensus top 100 prospect.
The number three starter is listed as Tommy Henry. The left-hander pitched 89 innings last year, working to a solid 4.16 ERA, 4.88 FIP, and 1.36 WHIP. Henry missed a large portion of the season because of elbow troubles. Luckily, it doesn’t look like Tommy John surgery will be needed. MLB Trade Rumors reported in August that there was no structural damage when Henry was placed on the 60-day IL. Hopefully, we can see what the lefty can do in a full season in 2024.
The fourth starter, as of now, is Ryne Nelson. Nelson also struggled in his rookie year, with just a 5.31 ERA, 5.07 FIP, and 1.42 WHIP in 144 innings of work. The righty was a former second-round pick and didn’t look bad at Triple-A. At the very least, Nelson ended his year on a high note. He pitched 5.1 innings in one World Series game, allowing just one earned run via a home run while striking out six and allowing zero walks. Hopefully, Nelson can figure it out going forward.
Rounding out the rotation is Yu-Min Lin. One of the D-Backs’ best pitching prospects, Lin worked to a 3.86 ERA, 3.92 FIP, and 1.19 WHIP in 121.1 innings between High-A and Double-A last season. Lin is a soft-tossing lefty who only averages out around 90-91 MPH but has a strong array of secondary pitches. His curveball and slider both look like above-average offerings, and his splitter has plus potential. Lin is only 20 and won’t turn 21 until mid-July.
Closing games out is Kevin Ginkel. The right-handed reliever broke out to the tune of a 2.48 ERA, 2.86 FIP, and 0.98 WHIP in 65.1 innings. He also had a 50.3% ground ball rate. Ginkel was nearly untouchable in the playoffs, firing off 11.2 scoreless innings across October. Barring a trade or signing, Ginkel may have the closing role to himself next season. However, Ginkel also becomes a free agent before the 2027 season, so we shall see how contract negotiations play out in the future.