ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Skaggs got taste of the big leagues, wants more

Feb 16, 2013, 4:44 PM | Updated: 4:44 pm

There’s already been a lot of talk this spring about the veteran leadership on the Arizona Diamondbacks’ roster, but there’s also a lot of interest in the crop of rising young stars that could carry a lot of the load. One of those young stars is left-handed pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

Skaggs was originally drafted by the Angels in 2009 as the 40th overall pick but was sent to Arizona in 2010 as part of the Dan Haren trade. Skaggs started to make his mark in the Majors last season, and he’s ready to drop the long bus rides and travel of Triple-A altogether.

“Oh no it was definitely motivating,” he said of sticking with the D-backs. “The Major Leagues is a lifelong dream, so nothing gets better than that. I’m coming in confident this year based off my starts from last year.”

The 21-year-old had six starts with the Diamondbacks last season and finished with a 1-3 record and a 5.83 ERA. In the minor leagues he’s 27-17 with a 2.98 ERA.

“I learned a lot of things,” said Skaggs on Friday after their workout. “It was a stepping stone in my career and I know that I have the confidence to know that I’m able pitch in the big leagues and succeed in the big leagues, so I’m excited.”

There’s also some speculation as to who is going to take that fifth spot in the starting rotation. Skaggs isn’t the only one with big league experience, an above average arm and a competitive nature.

“It’s going to be good. Me and (Patrick) Corbin are really good friends and I know Randall (Delgado) is a good pitcher, so it’s going to be exciting. I’m just going to go out there and show them what I got.”

Corbin, who is also a lefty, has 107 innings to Skaggs’ 29 and 22 appearances to Tyler’s six at the Major League level. Corbin was also impressive the second time he was called up from Triple A Reno for Arizona last season in a relief role.

Delgado is another young player, and he arrived from the Braves this off season in the Justin Upton trade. The right-handed pitcher just turned 23 on February 9th, and has spent parts of the previous two seasons in the majors. In his time there he compiled a 3.95 ERA over 127.2 innings with 94 strikeouts.

Skaggs also mentioned the addition of veteran righty Brandon McCarthy from the A’s, yet another solid starter vying for a spot. “I’m just getting to know McCarthy and he’s a really good guy, so it’s exciting.”

The 29-year-old McCarthy has made 153 major league appearances in his career with over 650 innings pitched.

“It’s a phenomenal starting staff. I’d like to put our staff up against any other starting staff in the big leagues. It’s going to be an interesting year,” said Skaggs. “The good thing is that we’re all really close friends.”

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona Diamondbacks

Jordan Montgomery throws a pitch...

Tyler Drake

Hall: Diamondbacks’ addition of Jordan Montgomery ‘made a lot of sense’

The Diamondbacks' addition of Jordan Montgomery puts a bow on a rotation that should be in the conversation for the top spot across MLB.

1 hour ago

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable picks: One Diamondbacks young player to watch in 2024

Which Arizona Diamondbacks player should continue an upward trend in 2024? Gabriel Moreno, Brandon Pfaadt and Alek Thomas are possibilities.

2 hours ago

Chase Field flyover...

Damon Allred

Diamondbacks’ Hall ‘battling’ to keep Chase Field roof open for Opening Day

The roof at Chase Field continues to be a hot button topic, especially after an exhibition game was rained out on Monday.

2 hours ago

Merrill Kelly throws a pitch...

Alex Weiner

Meet the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2024 Opening Day roster

The Arizona Diamondbacks finalized their 26-man Opening Day roster on Thursday ahead of their matchup against the Rockies.

3 hours ago

Manager Torey Lovullo speaks with Corbin Carroll...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable: Expectations, predictions for the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks

What are the expectations for the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks? Arizona Sports show hosts and editors make their predictions.

5 hours ago

Zac Gallen...

Arizona Sports

Diamondbacks agree to TV, cable and satellite channel contracts

The Arizona Diamondbacks will air on linear TV channels as well as streams under an MLB-produced broadcast partnership in 2024.

8 hours ago

Skaggs got taste of the big leagues, wants more