How did the Diamondbacks perform at Chase Field this season?
The Arizona Diamondbacks finished with a solid home record in 2026 with some memorable walk-off home runs and blowout losses.
Nolan Arenado #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks watches his grand slam against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Chase Field on September 20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — With a Pavin Smith walk-off home run and a Nolan Arenado go-ahead grand slam, the Arizona Diamondbacks ended their 2026 home slate on a high note last weekend despite the frustrations that preceded back-to-back wins against the New York Yankees.
Arizona finished 45-36 at home this season, the club’s best home record since 2017, which was the first campaign under general manager Mike Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo.
The D-backs played two home games in Mexico City and went 1-1, so their home win percentage remained the best in nearly a decade:
- 2017: 52-29
- 2018: 40-41
- 2019: 44-37
- 2020: 16-14
- 2021: 32-49
- 2022: 40-41
- 2023: 43-38
- 2024: 44-37
- 2025: 43-38
- 2026: 45-36 at home, 44-35 at Chase Field
“One of the things we talk about at the beginning of the year is protect our turf,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I feel like our home record indicates that these guys have been very engaged and played good baseball in front of a home crowd. … I want teams to know when they’re walking down the hall and coming off their bus and into their clubhouse that they’re getting ready to play a tough game and it’s going to be a dog fight.”
It has not always felt like the Diamondbacks were particularly strong at home considering some of their worst blowout losses came in front of large crowds at Chase Field. There was the 17-2 defeat to the Atlanta Braves, the game when Zac Gallen got booed off the mound against the Minnesota Twins and a 14-1 loss to the Washington Nationals.
Even during their last homestand, the D-backs dropped critical and winnable series to Miami and Texas before turning things around against New York.
The Diamondbacks, however, have also won some exhilarating games at home.
There was Jose Fernandez’s debut when he hit two home runs in a win over the Detroit Tigers.
The D-backs have hit more walk-off home runs than any other team in MLB with six. The club’s 10 walk-off victories overall are fourth in MLB and the franchise’s most since 2013 (13).
Ketel Marte blasted two walk-off home runs, as did rookie Ryan Waldschmidt. The D-backs have walked off the Los Angeles Dodgers with home runs twice.
Pavin Smith arguably hit what may be looked back on as the most memorable walk-off home run of Arizona’s season on Saturday, as the D-backs were celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 2001 World Series in a packed ballpark with the Yankees in town.
Arizona’s next home game is scheduled for April 4, 2027, against the Marlins, barring a miraculous playoff run.
“You want to win for (the fans) because I played here on the other side in a playoff game and it gets really rowdy,” Arenado said, referencing the 2017 Wild Card game. “I remember that environment. So I just would love to bring that back.”
Major League Baseball’s looming lockout could impact when Arizona’s next home game gets played.
What about attendance at Chase Field?
The Diamondbacks finished the season with an announced home attendance of 2,288,586, according to Baseball Reference, marking three straight seasons of surpassing two million.
That is down 105,387 from last season’s 2,393,973, about 4%. The 2025 attendance was the club’s most since 2008, a season coming off a trip to the 2007 National League Championship Series.
The D-backs’ attendance numbers this year are slightly impacted by the Mexico City Series. Instead of hosting the division-rival San Diego Padres on a weekend in Phoenix, they played at the smaller Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú, which has a capacity of just over 20,000. That was an opportunity to get in front of new fans and expand the club’s international reach.
Diamondbacks home attendance numbers had grown each year since 2021, with the caveat being that there were no home games in front of crowds in 2020.
The decrease is not surprising considering the D-backs have missed the playoffs in the previous two seasons and hovered around .500 for most of 2026 before picking up the pace around the All-Star break.
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Comments
3 Comments
Not well enough to get into the playoffs. That's all that matters.
Why are people not attending games? That should be the story so that the Dbacks can make changes. Dan Bickley went off on the fans for not supporting the team during their playoff push.
For the 2025 season, we went to 15 games (40 total tickets were purchased...2 or 3 tickets were purchased for each game). This year, we only went to five games (10 total tickets were purchased). We were planning to buy season tickets but after the watching the Dbacks signing Gallen, Kelly, Carlos Santana, etc. in the off-season, we decided not to. We ended up buying Dbacks TV with the annoying announcer(s).
Here are my Chase Field experiences from this season:
a) I left my seat and went to walk the concourse to get some food. There was vomited on the concourse...it was beer induced (can still recall the smell of beer vomit from my college days). I saw two custodians nearby (both were walking to the vomit from different directions). It took me 20 minutes to get our food...the vomit was still there when I walked past with our food.
b) the restrooms had no paper towels, soap in the soap dispenser, etc. (all five games). Note: at the start of the game not the end of the game.
c) one game, the 50/50 ticket seller sat down for a few innings with his girlfriend two rows in front of us and talked to her. For two games, the 50/50 booth was empty by the 5th inning. One game, the 50/50 ticket seller was playing a game on his phone for 3 minutes before acknowledging me and etc.
d) two games, the stadium was 'hot'...I know that it will take two seasons for the AC to be fixed once the new lease is signed.
Why should I pay $20 to $40 for parking; $14 for one Chick-a-fil chicken sandwich; $8 for a soft drink; etc. plus the costs for the tickets to encounter a team where the manager doesn't play to win; vomit on the floor; etc. I am enjoying watching the Dbacks games on Dbacks TV (except for the announcers).
Bottom line: Fire TL and Hazen, I will attend more games!
While the statement of three straight seasons of surpassing two million is correct, the more important issue is the declining attendance. The attendance for 2026 is less than the 2025 and 2024. With declining revenues, it will be harder for the Dbacks to compete.
Season Attendance Avg per game
2022 1,605,199 19,817
2023 1,961,182 24,212
2024 2,341,876 28,912
2025 2,393,973 29,555
2026 2,288,586 28,254
The combined attendance for those two games were 39,301 (was essentially a sellout for the stadium, whose capacity is a little over 20,000). The average attendance for that two-game series was 19,650.5. Those two games in Mexico City cost the Dbacks home attendance by 17,207. (28,254 season avg - 19650.5 MC average = 8,603.50 per game x 2 games = 17,207). Even if the Padres played at Chase Field, the 2026 attendance will still be less than the 2024 attendance number. Stop making excuses. Stop the gaslighting. Stop the selling of the kool-aid and hope-ium.
The 2008 total attendance was 2,509,924 which was an average of 30,987 per game. The 2008 total is 100,000+ higher than the 2025 total attendance.