David Hernandez believes D-backs are ‘deeper’ than 2011 playoff team

It’s been more than half a decade since the Arizona Diamondbacks have last made the postseason. Naturally, the question of how the clubs compare from then to now comes up in the discussion.

D-backs relief pitcher David Hernandez is one of the few familiar faces from the last playoff team in 2011 and exhibits more confidence in this year’s club than the previous.

“Our offense is a whole lot deeper than what it was in 2011,” Hernadez said Bickley and Marotta on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. “We had the two workhorses with Ian (Kennedy) and Huddy (Daniel Hudson). We have (Zack) Greinke and Rob Ray as our one-two.  We’re just a lot deeper as a team.”

In 2011, Kennedy was 21-4 with a 2.88 ERA and 198 strikeouts. Hudson was 16-12 with a 3.49 ERA and 169 strikeouts. A solid one-two punch for the rotation, but this year’s pitching duo offer a little more.

Greinke is 17-7 with a 3.20 ERA and 215 strikeouts. Ray is 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA and 178 strikeouts.

From a hitting aspect, the club has slightly improved compared to 2011. The D-backs are eighth in the league in team runs this season with 812 compared to when they were ninth in the league when they had 731 runs as a collective unit.

The 2011 club was also ninth in the league in home runs with 172 and this year’s team boasts more homers with 220, but are ranked 12th in the league.

What else should be noted is many of the D-backs’ current contributors were still in the early stages of their development from the club’s last playoff run.

“In 2011 a lot of these guys were coming up through the system,” Hernandez said. “Just being in spring training with them over the years, you saw the talent, I saw the talent. I saw the youth and the excitement.  I knew they were going to be good it was just a matter of when and when they were going to gel and bring it together.”

On that 2011 roster was first baseman Paul Goldschmidt who was just called up in the second half of that season and instantly started contributing. In 48 games, the young franchise player had eight homers, 26 RBI and 39 hits.

Tune in to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station starting at 6 a.m. Wednesday as our shows come to you live from Chase Field before the 5:08 p.m. first pitch of the NL Wild Card Game.