Update: Madison Bumgarner has reportedly been released by the Diamondbacks. This article was written before the news broke…
Have you ever read something and you think, “Wow, that took the words right out of my mouth.” Well here is a perfect representation of how all of us D-backs fans are feeling today.
I’d rather have Phoenix reach 140 degrees in the summer and live outside and lay down shirtless on a baking hot asphalt road and get run over by a car then watch another Madison bumGardner start
— Azsportsrealtor (@AZSportsRealtor) April 19, 2023
It’s easy to understand why fans are so frustrated. The Diamondbacks are currently in first place in the highly competitive NL West and each game seemingly matters more and more at this point.
So when manager Torey Lovullo runs out Bumgarner once every 5 games, it feels like an automatic loss. It feels like Arizona might as well throw up the white flag and forfeit the game because their starting pitcher probably couldn't even succeed in double-A.
Maybe I seem dramatic but trust me. Ever since Madison signed with the D-backs he has been awful. We have maybe, and I mean maybe, seen one or two glimpses of the heroic Madison Bumgarner that helped win World Series titles for the Giants. But other than that, we have been watching a 30-year-old man that has no idea how to get hitters out consistently for the past 4 seasons.
So how bad has Madison really been? Keep reading to find out…
Madison Bumgarner hasn't just been bad with the Diamondbacks; he's been horrible
Let’s take this painful journey year by year. On December 15, 2019, former San Fransico Giants ace Madison Bumgarner signed a 5 yr/$85 million contract with Arizona. From 2018-2019, Madison went 15-16 with a 3.66 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. Oh, how things changed in a hurry.
In Bumgarner’s first season with the D-backs (2020), he made 9 starts in the (shortened) covid-plagued season. He went 1-4 with a 6.48 ERA and a .276 batting average against. Among qualified starters, Bumgarner had the second-worst ERA in the MLB. Not a great start for MadBum in the desert.
Fast forward to the 2021 season and Madison is not pitching horribly, but he isn’t pitching well either. In the 21’ season, Madison went 7-10 with a 4.67 ERA. The sad thing is, to date, 2021 was his best season in a Diamondbacks uniform. A 4.67 ERA has been Madison’s best… wow.
In 2022, Madison went 7-15 with a 4.88 ERA and a .281 batting average against. The only starting pitcher that had more losses than Bumgarner last season was former D-backs pitcher Patrick Corbin.
Now to the present. In 4 starts this season, Bumgarner is 0-3 with a 10.26 ERA and an abysmal .347 batting average against. He also has a WHIP of 2.40 and a walks per 9 innings rate of 8.10. For a man that is earning $18 million this season, this should almost be illegal. Bumgarner should have to pay the Diamondbacks for what he has put them through. Oh, the agony of watching this man pitch…
When it is all said and done, the Diamondbacks will pay this man over $80 million. $85 million to be exact. There is a good chance that the Arizona front office will buy out his contract for next season, and 2023 will be the last time Bumgarner ever steps foot on a big league mound. Thank the Lord above.
Overall, 69 starts with the Diamondbacks, 15-32 record, 5.23 ERA, and immense pain caused to the hearts of this fan base…