Sunday Snakes: Role Call

The Diamondbacks have weathered the early storm, winning five of their first nine games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Last season, the D-backs were 10-28 against the two National League West favorites, so it's a step in the right direction.

In the team's first nine games, we've already gotten a pretty clear snapshot what the key roles on the roster will be. This is how they've set them up.

Lineup and Bench

Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Christian Walker have started all nine games so far. If healthy, we can assume they will play 140+ games and get 600+ plate appearances this season.

Third base and shortstop have been in a strict platoon so far. This may be due to the team having different reasons to limit the number of games for Josh Rojas, Evan Longoria, Nick Ahmed, and Geraldo Perdomo. Rojas and Perdomo have gotten starts against right-handed pitchers while Longoria and Ahmed have started against lefties. The platoon works out nicely for Arizona, as it allows them to keep their veteran infielders fresh and reduce the wear on two players who've had their share of injuries the past couple seasons. For Perdomo, it can also work to build him up from his better side of the plate before assuming a full-time role at short.

D-backs manager Torey Lovullo has admitted he has a habit of overplaying veterans, citing the example of Asdrúbal Cabrera in 2021. Cabrera played in 34 of Arizona's first 38 games that season, hitting .289 with an .866 OPS over that stretch, but suffered a hamstring injury and was never the same afterwards.

Kyle Lewis has only been in the lineup against lefties, with either Alek Thomas or Jake McCarthy being taken out of the lineup. While Lewis will spend the next 10 days on the injured list with an illness, that dynamic likely plays out when he's feeling better. Gurriel's position on the field has also been impacted by the handedness of a pitcher, as he's been the designated hitter against a righty and in left field against a lefty.

Through the team's first games, Gabriel Moreno has started all seven night games and José Herrera has started both day games. It's pretty clear that while Carson Kelly is out with a fractured forearm that Moreno will handle at least 60-65% of those starts moving forward. He has flashed the ability to be a potential frontline starting catcher, with his arm erasing three baserunners and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. While the D-backs were hoping to ease him into a starting role, this trial by fire could actually benefit the team in the long run.

Bullpen

The D-backs are using a combination of Miguel Castro, Scott McGough, and Andrew Chafin to get big outs late in the game. Their usage has come down to matchups, considering not only the handedness of the upcoming hitters but also the parts of the lineup.

Castro has taken on the "fireman" role, tasked with navigating the toughest parts of the lineup in close games. In his three appearances, twice he's entered in a tie game and the third entered with a one-run lead and has gotten more than three outs in two of them. He's thrown 3.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and two walks. Due to those high leverage situations, he's already got 48.4% win probability added.

Lovullo said this about Castro in yesterday's pregame media session. "I think our front office does a great job of identifying guys that are still climbing, learning, and growing. He's obviously had some very productive years and the fact he landed on us, we were very fortunate. We feel like we do a good job of teaching and coaching here, and the sky's the limit especially learning from Brent Strom and his group of pitching coaches. I saw quickly the command of his stuff in Spring Training, the shape of his pitches, and I felt like he was going to get some big outs and it's been translating."

As expected, Chafin has become the go-to lefty out of the bullpen. In his four appearances, he has a win and finished two ball games. He has been effectively wild with two walks in 3.1 innings, but has recorded four strikeouts. Some of the hitters Chafin has faced so far include Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Matt Carpenter, and Jake Cronenworth. Left-handed hitters so far are 0-for-5 with a walk.

McGough has been a mixed bag so far. He features some interesting stuff with a mid-90s fastball and a pair of quality secondary pitches in a slider and splitter. However he's gotten in trouble when he fails to locate to the edges of the zone. He's already allowed three home runs in his four appearances, something to keep an eye on as the season progresses. While they've all been of the solo variety, it could prove to be problematic if they happen with runners on base.

After those two, Drey Jameson as been the go-to-guy in the middle innings to bridge the gap between a short start and the backend of the bullpen. The team still views him as a starter long term, with manager Torey Lovullo reiterating that yesterday, although that could be subject to change depending on the roster dynamics at play.

The combination of Cole Sulser, Kevin Ginkel, Carlos Vargas, and Kyle Nelson has served as the team's middle relievers. Of these four pitchers, Nelson has gotten the most important situations, as a matchup lefty to get some tough outs and hand the game over to the backend of the pen. Luis Frias has been recently called up from Reno when Sulser was placed on the injured list with a teres major strain in his right shoulder.

Joe Mantiply's impending return could have some ramifications on the bullpen and its potential usage, but it seems like everyone has settled into a role. It's possible he plays a setup role, especially with a string of left-handed hitters due up in the seventh or eighth inning. We'll have a better idea once he's back from the injured list.

Sleeper Prospects

The D-backs farm system is one of the best in baseball, especially at the top between Corbin Carroll, Druw Jones, Jordan Lawlar, and Brandon Pfaadt all being consensus Top 100 prospects. With the amount of depth in the rotation, outfield, and shortstop positions, it should come as no surprise they are a consensus Top-5 system in baseball.

With the minor league season now in full swing, there are a handful of prospects outside the Top 30 worth paying attention to. Here's the rundown on each of them.

RHP Yilber Diaz

Diaz stands at a sturdy 6'0" 190 who can touch 100 MPH with his fastball and also flash a potential above-average breaking ball. The 21-year-old is currently with High-A Hillsboro, where he finished the 2022 season. Last year he recorded 99 strikeouts in 77.2 innings, with most of the damage coming with Low-A Visalia where he recorded a 35.5% strikeout rate while on the mound. Diaz is currently going up the system as a starter, but is a candidate to be moved to the bullpen once in the big leagues.

OF Caleb Roberts

Roberts quietly had a solid year with Hillsboro last season, putting up a 110 wRC+ before getting promoted to Double-A Amarillo. A college catcher who has converted to an outfielder due to his athleticism, Roberts profiles as a potential fourth outfielder who is likely better suited to play the left-handed half of a platoon in a corner outfield spot.

LHP Kyle Backhus

A left-handed reliever who comes with a tough angle for left-handed hitters, Backhus could be a decent middle relief option who sees mostly left-on-left matchups. He had some solid outings in the fall league, where his sinker was around 90 MPH and an upper 70s slider as his primary secondary pitch. He has some closer experience with Hillsboro and Amarillo last season.

RHP Luke Albright

Albright dropped a bit after posting a 5.49 ERA with High-A Hillsboro last season, but the organization saw enough progress to promote him to Amarillo to start 2023. He has the typical starter build and three potentially average offerings, so he could project as either a long man or a No. 5 starter in a big league rotation.

C Adrian Del Castillo

Del Castillo played through a hand injury last season, which heavily affected his 2022 numbers between Visalia and Hillsboro. His stock has taken a massive hit in the last two seasons as a result, but could bounce back in Amarillo with a healthy season. The bat itself likely isn't good enough for him to make a positional change, so it's make-or-break as a catcher.

RHP Jacob Steinmetz

Steinmetz brings an interesting combination of length and upside. He's 6'6" and still very raw with his mechanics, but due to high spin rates on both his fastball and curveball could develop into a potential reliever down the road. He hasn't quite put it together yet in the complex yet, appearing in 11 games last year with a 7.88 ERA. This may be the year he finally gets out to an affiliate.