No. 15 Tigers | No. 13 Yankees | Nos. 20-11
No. 14: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Last Season: 79-83
Projected record: 82-80 (third in NL West)
BBTN video preview: NL West | Betting guide
After a disastrous 2014 season that netted them the first pick in last year's draft, the Diamondbacks shed their cellar-dwelling skin and ascended to respectability, finishing 2015 just four games below .500. They were third in the National League in wOBA (weighted on-base average), behind only the NL West-winning Dodgers and elevation-aided Rockies. They've added Zack Greinke (6 WAR in 2015) and Shelby Miller to a pitching staff that was worth just 8 WAR in aggregate last season, while 2013 All-Star Patrick Corbin will be back for a full summer of work after missing half of 2015 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
While the Diamondbacks seem to be closer to contending, pitching prospect Archie Bradley, who Arizona took No. 7 overall in the 2011 MLB draft, seems less likely to be the missing piece to Arizona's puzzle. -- ESPN.com (graphic from Dan Szymborski)
Not only do the Diamondbacks have a potent offense, they can flash the leather as well. Arizona led MLB in defensive runs saved in 2015, an effort spearheaded by shortstop Nick Ahmed (who was so raw defensively in college at UConn that scouts thought he might have to move to second base), 1B Paul Goldschmidt and CF A.J. Pollock. Pollock's ascension to five-tool MVP candidate is real, brought on by a swing change and good health. He joins Greinke and Goldschmidt as contenders for personal hardware.
Expect the team's defensive performance to regress toward the mean. Defensive stats are traditionally volatile, and the club sent Gold Glove-caliber right fielder Ender Inciarte (+13 DRS in 2015) to Atlanta in the Miller deal. The decision-making of Arizona's front office has been questioned by both public-sector pundits and industry insiders alike, as the list of arguable missteps is long -- chiefly, the inclusion of the top draft pick in the 2015 draft, Dansby Swanson, in the Miller trade. The front office either has a talent valuation issue or meddlesome, shortsighted ownership, or both.
No. 13 Yankees | No. 15 Tigers | Nos. 20-11
