With spring training on the horizon, it is time to take a trip down memory lane. Spring training is a time for players to shine before the regular season. These players did exactly that...
2018: OF Rey Fuentes
It amazes me how quickly things can change. In 2018, outfielder Rey Fuentes was raking in spring training; in the same year, Fuentes was done with professional baseball…
Fuentes had a red hot bat during spring training in 2018. In 19 games, Fuentes hit 3 HRs and 10 RBIs. He also slashed .361/.439/.750; bringing his OPS to 1.189. Doesn’t get much better than that. Although Fuentes had an impressive spring, he was unable to make it to the bigs that season. He played 85 AAA games in 2018 and finished the season with 6 HRs, 39 RBIs, and an OPS of .739. 2018 marked the last time Fuentes played professional baseball. He is currently a free agent…
2019: SP Luke Weaver
This a name Diamondbacks fans know well. Coming over in the Paul Goldschmidt trade, Luke Weaver had high expectations from day one in Arizona. Unfortunately, those expectations were not met, not even close...
During spring training in 2019, Weaver was lights out. In 4 starts, Weaver posted a 1-0 record with a 1.04 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP over 17.1 innings. Thankfully for the Diamondbacks, those numbers carried over to the regular season. In the 19’ regular season, Weaver started 12 games and posted a 4-3 record with a 2.94 ERA over 64.1 innings. 2019 was the most successful time of Weaver’s career…
The last 3 seasons have been anything but successful for Weaver. Over the last 3 seasons (2020-2022), Weaver’s ERA is 5.59 over 153 innings. Things got so bad the Diamondbacks traded Weaver before the 22' trade deadline and amazingly, got Emmanuel Rivera in the deal. Hopefully, for Luke, he can find his footing this season with the Cincinnati Reds. This season might determine the future of his big-league career...
2020: IF Ildemaro Vargas
Vargas enjoyed a solid 2019 regular season with the Diamondbacks. Over 92 games, Vargas hit 6 HRs, 24 RBIs, and finished the season with a .712 OPS…
He followed up his solid 2019 campaign with a top-notch 2020 spring training. In 14 spring training games in 2020, Vargas slashed .395/.425/.605; bringing his OPS to an impressive 1.030. Ever since the spring of 2020, Vargas has not been the same. Over 121 regular season games from 2020-2022, Vargas has a .555 OPS and a 0 OAA. Not great offensively, and not great defensively…
Vargas is currently on the Washington Nationals roster. Last season with them he slashed .280/.308/.398; bringing his OPS to .706 over 53 games. Vargas was with the D-Backs from 2017-2020 and will now look to revamp his career with the Nationals…
2021: IF Ketel Marte
The only player on this list that is currently with the Diamondbacks, Ketel raked during the 2021 spring training season…
In 16 spring training games that season, Marte hit 3 HRs, 6 RBIs, and scored 11 times. He also slashed .341/.449/.732: bringing his OPS to 1.181. He was a force to be reckoned with, no doubt. He didn’t slow down once the regular season came either. In the 2021 regular season, Marte hit 14 HRs, 50 RBIs, and scored 52 times over 90 games. He also slashed .318/.377/.532 for an OPS of .909. A .909 OPS ranked him in the top 15 in all of baseball…
Marte struggled at the plate last season, but with a better team around him, look for those numbers to start rising again for Ketel…
2022: OF David Peralta
Before the trade deadline a season ago, the Diamondbacks traded veteran outfielder David Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays for a minor-league catcher. For the Diamondbacks, this move created some space for the up-and-coming stars that are in a crowded Arizona outfield. But this move was a tough pill for most Diamondbacks fans to swallow. It is hard to put into words how impactful David Peralta was for this organization. He has been the definition of a solid ball player year in and year out…
In today’s world of sports, suiting up for one team for 9 seasons is quite the achievement. From 2014-2022, David Peralta proudly wore a Diamondbacks uniform. In those 9 seasons, Peralta played 961 games, hit 110 HRs, knocked in 468 runs, and averaged an OPS over .800. Peralta will surely be missed…
In the 2022 spring training season Peralta was on fire. In 12 games, Peralta hit 5 HRs, 9 RBIs, and scored 8 times. He also slashed .323/.417/.903 for an OPS of 1.320. He followed that up with a solid 2022 regular season. Over 134 games between the D-Backs and Rays last year, Peralta finished with a .731 OPS and a 5 OAA. Once again, David Peralta has been a solid ball player year in and year out. There are rumors Peralta is heading to the Dodgers on a 1-year deal. If that is true, good luck in LA David, we wish you the best…