3 Takeaways From Day 1 Of D-backs' Spring Training

Spring training begins for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Arizona Diamondbacks spring training cap at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick near Scottsdale on Feb. 20, 2024. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Arizona Diamondbacks have kicked off 2026 spring training, ringing in the new baseball year. Pitchers and catchers officially reported, although those two positions were far from the only ones represented at Salt River Fields on Tuesday morning.

With the offseason in the rearview mirror, and a new 162-game season just six weeks away, here are the three main takeaways from the first day of Arizona's spring training.

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3 Takeaways from Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Training

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) during spring training workouts on Feb. 10, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1: The Diamondbacks Are Hungry

February 10 only requires the attendance of pitchers and catchers. But on Tuesday, it felt almost like a full-squad workout.

Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, Pavin Smith and newly-signed first baseman Carlos Santana were there taking ground balls. Corbin Carroll was present, as was Nolan Arenado. Jordan Lawlar did work in both the outfield and infield.

Ketel Marte is here: pic.twitter.com/97aONPKNMH

— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) February 10, 2026

And that's nowhere near the complete list. In fact, manager Torey Lovullo said these activities have been going on for some time.

"Several [players], as I mentioned, have been here through the course of the offseason, so everybody's in a really good spot. The players that are healthy... they're here and ready to go, and it's been very encouraging so far." Lovullo said.

"Ketel and Corbin have been here for three weeks. I love knowing they're D-backs. I love knowing that they're here and setting the tone for the rest of the team."

There are going to be roster battles, and there are going to be different levels of intensity throughout spring. But there's certainly no lack of dedication. The D-backs aren't treating this week as optional.

2: Defense is a Priority

The state of Arizona's defense did not live up to its standards in 2025. Both Lovullo and GM Mike Hazen have been adamant that the D-backs' defense needs to improve.

Lovullo spoke about the tweaks he'll be making to the practice regimen.

"We're going to create some higher-intensity practice. I don't want to be misleading. We always try to do that, but I think things maybe got away from us last year, and we played sloppy baseball defensively in the first month and a half of the season, and we were playing catch-up. I don't like that," Lovullo said.

"I want to get out in front and be a pace-setter and do things the right way at the right pace. I think we're going to ramp up some of the intensity with some of the drill work from a defensive standpoint specifically."

Lovullo said the team will be balancing higher-intensity training days with "de-load" days, similar to an NFL team's "walk-through" practice. Either way, the goal

"We really wanted to solidify the [corner infield positions] for this team moving forward," Hazen said. "from a run prevention standpoint, that's been the reason the last two years we haven't made the playoffs. We wanted to make sure that that wasn't the case going into this year."

3: The Diamondbacks Will be Built on Competition

The Diamondbacks have a decent number of positions locked down, and some pitching slots solidified. But this year's roster is still in a very raw state in terms of roles.

Arizona's bullpen, especially following the injury to Andrew Saalfrank, is almost entirely fluid. Young arms like Brandyn Garcia, Andrew Hoffmann and Drey Jameson will be battling for roles, while minor league signees such as Jonathan Loaisiga and Derek Law will fight to earn a major league roster spot. The only truly solidified pitchers in the D-backs' bullpen for now are Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel.

"You've got to go out there and earn it," Lovullo said of his bullpen. "That's the mindset I want everybody to have this year. Nothing's going to be given to anybody. It will give you that experience to step onto this arena and compete."

It's not limited to the pitching staff, either. The left field position is up for grabs, as is the utility infield role. There will be plenty of competition to go around, and that should make the D-backs better.