Wolf & Luke’s midseason awards for Arizona Diamondbacks
Jul 16, 2024, 2:52 PM
(Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
With the Arizona Diamondbacks and the rest of MLB at the All-Star break, it’s time for Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke Show to hand out some midseason awards.
Enlisting the help of nine judges from the Arizona Sports newsroom, the show handed out hardware from team MVP to biggest disappointment 97 games in.
Let’s get right into it:
Wolf & Luke’s midseason Diamondbacks awards
Breakout Player — P Justin Martinez
Others receiving votes:
– Brandon Pfaadt
Wolf: It’s not Brandon Pfaadt? He was the question mark of the rotation coming into the season. He had a lot to prove.
Luke: It’s hard for me to mad with this music playing — it’s so soothing and inspirational — but I did also vote for Brandon Pfaadt.
Most Impactful Injury — P Merrill Kelly
Others receiving votes:
– Alek Thomas
– Eduardo Rodriguez
Wolf: The academy actually got something right. The DNA of this team is pitching and defense. Merrill Kelly may be their best pitcher. You can argue that.
Luke: Merrill hasn’t pitched a game since April 15. Eduardo Rodriguez I’m sure is impactful but I don’t know what he looks like pitching for the Diamondbacks.
Biggest Surprise — OF Joc Pederson
Others receiving votes:
– Justin Martinez
– Kevin Newman
– Jake McCarthy
Wolf: Is Joc Pederson really a surprise? Joc Pederson has done some things in this league. Kevin Newman, ladies and gentlemen, shocking. Seventy games, 195 at-bats Kevin Newman has gotten with the Diamondbacks. He’s hitting .277. I get it, he’s only got two home runs and 21 RBIs, but he’s played a really solid shortstop in lieu of Geraldo Perdomo not being around.
Luke: Pederson’s third on the team in home runs. He wasn’t even supposed to play all that much. I’m surprised with how much he’s done here.
Biggest Disappointment — OF Corbin Carroll
Others receiving votes:
– Jordan Montgomery
Wolf: I went with Jordan Montgomery and it’s only because I believe Corbin Carroll is going to snap out of it. When I look at Jordan Montgomery, I’m not so sure he’s going to snap out of it.
Luke: Carroll has been a disappointment, but this is how disappointing Jordan Montgomery has been: I originally forgot about him. I didn’t think about Jordan Montgomery until a half-hour later of filling out the ballot.
Best Moment — Christian Walker’s HR tear at Dodger Stadium
Wolf: I was not there Basinonians. I did not see it. For me, the greatest moment was Corbin Carroll hitting two home runs. That was huge.
Luke: For Christian Walker to homer in five straight games at Dodger Stadium and to hit seven homers in those five games. Every time he hit one, the look on Dave Roberts’ face was priceless. They just kept pitching to him and he just kept hitting home runs.
Glue Guy — SS Geraldo Perdomo
Others receiving votes:
– Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Wolf: What’s so cool about Perdomo is he starts rallies, he fields his position, he gets clutch hits, makes things happen. He’s beloved in the clubhouse, he’s been an All-Star. To me, he is a glue guy.
Luke: He is the definition of a glue guy, specifically in baseball. That is a guy that produces. He’s fine hitting at the bottom of the order. The way his teammates play better when he is around is very noticeable.
Team MVP — 2B Ketel Marte
Wolf: That’s who I had, Ketel Marte. You could either way — Marte or Walker — on that one. We take Marte for granted. That’s what I think.
Luke: I’ll applaud that. Well done. Christian Walker is a very close second.
Most Pivotal Player in 2nd Half — OF Corbin Carroll
Others receiving votes:
– Zac Gallen
– Merrill Kelly
Wolf: There we go. For me, you tell me that Corbin Carroll looks like Corbin Carroll in the second half of the season, there’s no way in the world the Diamondbacks aren’t going to get into the playoffs.
Luke: That was a really tough one. I went with Corbin, but it was one of those ones where I already turned in my ballot and Paul Sewald came up.