The Arizona Diamondbacks are wallowing after high hopes for this season. Every aspect of the game has contributed to this team’s struggles in May, and they sit in fourth place in the National League West, eight games behind the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers at 28-31. The team’s erratic and inconsistent play has led to displeasure and frustration among fans and the team’s management.
Diamondbacks Wallowing in Fourth Place After Rough May
Offensive Struggles
Although they remain a strong offensive team overall, their inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities with runners in scoring position has contributed to their recent struggles. They are hitting just .239 in those situations. Worse, when runners are in scoring position with two outs, the team’s batting average hovers around .200. They have failed to produce runs when needed and are currently 8-11 in one-run losses.
Defensive Issues
Last season, Arizona was the best defensive team in MLB, committing just 62 errors. They also were seventh in turning the double play. So far this season, however, the Diamondbacks have had issues with both fielding and throwing. They are in the middle of the rankings for fielding percentage and the number of double plays turned. Several fielding errors have led to the opposing team taking the lead, resulting in Diamondbacks losses.
Starting Pitching
Some of the blame for the Diamondbacks wallowing falls on their starting pitching, which has faced some setbacks. Currently, through this past Friday, their starting pitchers’ 4.33 ERA ranks 25th in MLB. While Corbin Burnes, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt have been respectable, Zac Gallen and Eduardo Rodriguez have underachieved and have been disappointing. Gallen has a 5.54 ERA. Through 12 starts, he has allowed more hits and home runs than in his previous seasons. His fastball command has been erratic and unpredictable, resulting in a higher number of walks, a statistic where he leads the NL. This past Wednesday, Gallen gave up five earned runs in five innings and took the loss. He expressed a feeling of frustration with this loss when talking to the media. He isn’t the only one feeling frustrated.
Zac Gallen shares his sense of the Diamondbacks’ frustration with this stretch of losses.
“I get that it’s still a third of the way, the season’s still not over yet, but time’s ticking.” pic.twitter.com/d3gyTAePXt
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) May 28, 2025
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Bounce-Back Season
After missing four months of the 2024 season due to a shoulder strain, Rodriguez was looking forward to a bounce-back season. He pitched well in spring training and looked like he did back in 2023 when he won 13 games. Even with all the positives in camp, he started in a distressing fashion, posting a 1-3 record. He holds a 7.05 ERA over nine starts. Then, he was placed on the IL with shoulder issues.
Bullpen
Through Friday night’s game, the Diamondbacks’ bullpen ERA is 5.51, ranking them 27th in MLB. They looked good early—no blown saves through the middle of April. Then they seemed to fall apart. A.J. Puk went on the IL. He won’t return before the end of June. Justin Martinez missed three weeks due to a decrease in arm strength and velocity. After returning from a stint on the IL, Kevin Ginkel pitched below par in 13 games. He was optioned out to Triple-A with a 12.60 ERA. In his last 10 games, Joe Mantiply holds a 15.83 ERA in 9 2/3 innings and was recently designated for assignment. Ryan Thompson appears to have been pushed beyond his usual limits. He has been unreliable and erratic, with a 6.14 ERA in his 22 games.
Two bright spots, Jalen Beeks and Shelby Miller, hit walls, too. Beeks was a good signing and worked in multiple situations. He had given up just one earned run in his first 15 innings. In his last 13 1/3 innings, however, he’s allowed 12 runs. Miller found his way back to the Diamondbacks as a bullpen arm. He was holding a 2.08 ERA and five saves. Then, he was brought in for several consecutive games due to others struggling, and he has given up six runs in his last nine appearances.
Managerial Concerns
Manager Torey Lovullo has expressed his frustration and emphasized the need for the team to play better baseball. Fans are calling for him to be removed. Lovullo has faced disapproval in the past and is frequently the target of blame for the team’s underperformance. Remember, he can only work with the players he’s given. It is up to the players to perform at a high level. They haven’t held up their end of the bargain consistently this season.
Outlook
The Arizona Diamondbacks are wallowing, but surprisingly, the outlook remains optimistic. In the end, the players all need to overcome their debilitated play—and the mental anguish that comes with it. They need to get back to their full abilities and start playing fundamentally sound baseball again. All the players know they’re capable of figuring this out; they just have to do it.
The team has a strong core of offensive players, including Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, Josh Naylor, and Eugenio Suárez. Together, they could lead this team’s turnaround. With Corbin Burnes and Merrill Kelly continuing to provide quality starting pitching, this turnaround is still a real possibility. Now they, along with the rest of the players, need to make it materialize into wins and get out of this downward-slipping spiral while there’s still time. If they can regain their form and begin winning again (and soon), there’s still a possibility of making the postseason.
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