Why the Diamondbacks' Closer Battle Isn't As Open As It Looks

The Arizona Diamondbacks are very close to settling who will be part of the bullpen to start the season March 26. Earlier we presented a comprehensive breakout of who were the locks and who are the most likely pitchers to grab the final few spots.

Summarizing that article: Paul Sewald, Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Taylor Clarke are locks. Philip Abner, the lone lefty, along with Juan Morillo and Andrew Hoffmann are the favorites to capture the final three spots. Kade Strowd, Brandyn Garcia, and Joe Ross are long shots.

Projecting Paul Sewald to be the Diamondbacks Closer

Paul Sewald and Gabriel Moreno clasp hands after closing out game vs Atlanta Braves July 11, 2024 at Chase Field — Jul 11, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (14) and pitcher Paul Sewald (38) celebrate after defeating the Atlanta Braves at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

We project that Paul Sewald will be the closer to open the season. Signed to a major league deal for just $1.5 million during the offseason, Sewald has come to camp with a revitalized fastball after working at Driveline, and more importantly, has a clean bill of health. He also has the experience, and based on comments from Torey Lovullo on Sunday, it seems the confidence of his manager.

"Sewald is in a really good spot, 93, 94 mile an hour four-seam fastball, top of the zone, nice secondary stuff. He has been very committed to making these moments happen by having a healthy offseason and a great workout routine," Lovullo said.

Pressed on whether Sewald will be the closer Lovullo said, "I really like what I saw. It's the personality. It's the confidence. It's not looking glossy-eyed in a very critical situation. Those are the things that I know of, and the stuff is matching right now. So what does that mean? It looks really good."

Lovullo's final comment on the matter seemed to all but name Sewald the closer, albeit he came up just short of that.

"We're going to count on Paul. We're definitely going to count on Paul."

Should Sewald falter at any point and cannot hold the role, then it will be a merry-go-round situation with Ginkel, Loaisiga, and Thompson taking turns getting chances to close while waiting to see if A.J. Puk can return at the end of May and claim the role. Justin Martinez is not due back until mid or even late August.

The Diamondbacks' Troubled History Closing Games

The Diamondbacks do not have a good track record when it comes to closing games in the ninth inning and beyond during the Mike Hazen/Torey Lovullo era.

Since 2017 in 9th inning or later save opportunities, the Diamondbacks rank last in MLB in Save Percentage (81.5%) and ERA (4.38). MLB average during that span is 86% save percentage and 3.16 ERA.

Note: This is different than the save percentage numbers typically seen on most websites. A reliever can be charged with a blown save prior to the ninth inning, but can only be credited with a save in the ninth inning or later.

It was even worse in 2025, as the bullpen, decimated by injuries to Puk and Martinez, struggled to an 80.8 save percentage and 11 blown saves in the ninth inning or later. The ERA in those situations was a league worst 4.94.

Payroll is no excuse for this level of failure in the most critical points of the game. The Cleveland Guardians (2.33) Kansas City Royals (2.53) and Milwaukee Brewers (2.53) have three lowest ERAs over this span. Their save percentages are 89.3, 88.9 and 87.0 respectively.

Paul Sewald's Track Record Closing for Arizona

Paul Sewald had a lot of success closing games in the ninth inning from 2022 to 2024. He also famously had two blowups in the World Series in 2023, one in a save situation, one while his team was trailing 1-0. But the Diamondbacks would not have made it to the Fall Classic without his efforts in the first place.

In 2023 Sewald was 13-for-15 in the regular season for Arizona, and then reeled off six in a row in the playoffs before his infamous blown save against Texas in game one of the World Series. In all he was 19-for-22, 86% success rate for Arizona in 2023.

In 2024 he was 16-for-20 in save chances, for an 80% success rate. He lost the closer's role after blowing three in a row in early July that year.

For the two years combined, Sewald was 35-for-42, 83.3% as a Diamondback. That would be middle of the pack among full-time closers but a slight improvement over the D-backs' last nine-year track record.

2025 was a lost season for Sewald pitching for the Guardians and the Tigers. Now he is looking for a comeback. Listening to his manager, it sounds like Sewald is going to have a chance for full on redemption.