ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
CBS’s Snyder: D-backs should sell aggressively
It is safe to say that the Arizona Diamondbacks have been one of the many positive early-season surprises in baseball.
Through the first 24 games, the D-backs sit in a tie for second place in the NL West and have been riding their productive offense that ranks in the top 10 in runs scored, hits and home runs.
A lot of that production has come from the impressive start of outfielder David Peralta, who ranks third in the league in hits (33) and is tied for second in the league in doubles (11). The 31-year-old began the season with a 10-game hitting streak and has filled the middle of the lineup in nicely after the losses of Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock in the offseason.
Along with Peralta, first baseman Christian Walker has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the D-backs order. Walker has burst onto the scene in the first everyday role of his major league career. The 28-year-old leads the team in home runs (7), batting average (.329), slugging (.684) and OPS (1.077).
Taking into account all the team’s recent success, CBS’s Matt Snyder believes the D-backs should sell the players they can to send the team on a complete rebuild.
The upside is flirting with .500.
Even with their offensive success, the D-backs have seemingly been held back the surprising struggles of their starting rotation and bullpen, however, Snyder doesn’t believe that pitching will be the biggest problem for the D-backs.
The pitching overall should be much better and it probably does get better. By the same token, the offense probably then comes back to Earth.
After a year in which the pitching staff finished with the fourth best ERA in all of baseball, the D-back staff is 19th in the MLB in ERA (4.56) and ranks in the bottom half of baseball in walks allowed and runs allowed.
