Why D-backs' Brandon Pfaadt Could Bounce Back in 2026

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt had a difficult 2025 season, to say the least. A career-low strikeout rate and a 5.25 ERA were the catalyst for a season of extreme highs and lows.

And the D-backs chose to extend Pfaadt ahead of the season last year. Regardless of his results, he's expected to be an important member of an otherwise veteran-filled group of starting pitchers.

A bounce-back in 2026 would go a long way, and Pfaadt is working towards that. Recently, Pfaadt spoke with AZCentral's Nick Piecoro about his outlook for the coming season.

“The stats don’t roll over to the next year,” Pfaadt told Piecoro. “I feel like I’m in a good spot mentally and physically to have a solid year and that’s what we’re going to focus on.”

“I feel like I let it linger too much in my head and kind of didn’t flush it out,” he told Piecoro. “A few bad starts. I think this year, that’s my goal is to move on and go out there and be as consistent as possible and not let things affect you that happened in the past.”

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Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt Making Adjustments for 2026

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann (8) talks to pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) during spring training workouts at Salt River Fields on Feb. 13, 2026, in Scottsdale. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the major components to Pfaadt's success has been his sweeper (or, for the purists, a flat slider).

The pitch generated a .215 opposing batting average and a .287 weighted on-base average (wOBA) in 2024; in 2025, those numbers skyrocketed to a .276 average and .355 wOBA. Pfaadt told Piecoro he's made some minor tweaks to his delivery, in hopes of returning that offering (among others) to its previous effectiveness.

“I feel like we were always tinkering with it last year,” Pfaadt told Piecoro. “But it’s been a great spot the last few bullpens. That’s a big pitch for me. When that’s on, I feel like I can pitch off of that pitch. I feel like last year we were kind of tinkering with it a lot, just searching for it. I think having that pitch and trusting that pitch more is the game plan this year.”

The main tweak is for Pfaadt to increase the efficiency of his delivery, Piecoro wrote. Pitching coach Brian Kaplan called it staying "through the catcher a little bit longer."

If these adjustments are able to sharpen the pitches he's lived off in the past, a much more stable season could be on its way from the young right-hander.

Pfaadt has been a more difficult arm to evaluate due to his volatility. The top-tier, ace-like performances have always been there, but so have the uglier blowup outings. With how critical Pfaadt's sweeper is to his other pitches, maintaining that offering on a higher-quality baseline could easily elevate the rest of his arsenal — which continues to deepen.

Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt Making Adjustments for 2026

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