Diamondbacks Christian Walker has been scorching hot this August

The Diamondbacks and surging at the right time and it’s thanks in large part to Christian Walker. Since Aug. 12, which is when Arizona’s recent 9-2 stretch started, he’s slashing .357/.438/.738 for a 1.176 OPS with five HR and 13 RBI. Better yet, that stretch has extended to the beginning of August.

Since the turn of the month, he’s had his second-best month of the season with a slash line of .329/.388/.603 for a .990 OPS with six HR and 16 RBI. While not as high as his 1.026 OPS during June, he has undoubtedly been the best bat in the lineup that has dealt with struggles from Corbin Caroll and Ketel Marte. 

With 28 HR and 84 RBI on the year, he will finish the year with at least 30-35 HR and over 100 RBI, barring an extensive slump or injuries, both of which would derail the team looking to make a deep playoff run with a strong core. 

Not only has he been good with the bat, his glove has stayed elite throughout the entire year. With a 97th percentile outs above average, he solidifies the less-hot corner to relieve stress defensively. 

His August has been a part of the larger successful 2023 season for the reigning Gold Glove winner. He has jumped his OPS up .072 points and his OPS+ up 10 percentages from last season, making the jump from a good bat to one of the better ones in the National League. 

Increasing his production has gone hand-in-hand with the greater success of the Diamondbacks as a whole, being a major driving force in their relatively overachieving success this season.