Gabriel Moreno Makes Diamondbacks History With First NL Batting Title

A well-deserved honor for Arizona's catcher.

Aug 6, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (14) hits an RBI against the San Diego Padres single during the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It doesn't exactly take away the sting of missing the postseason for the third straight year, but the Arizona Diamondbacks do have something to celebrate on Sunday.

Star catcher Gabriel Moreno did not play in Sunday's game due to a hamstring injury. That very issue forced him to exit early in back-to-back games.

But with the conclusion of Arizona's season, Moreno's batting average sits at .311 — enough to earn him the National League batting title. He stayed ahead of Phillies infielder Luis Arraez by one percentage point (.310). Arraez did not play the final few games due to an ankle injury.

"Feels good," Moreno. "It's something that you dream when you're playing baseball. ... It means a lot for me and to my family."

Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno wins NL batting title

Sep 24, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Gabriel Moreno (14) celebrates his three-run home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Moreno, with the numbers now final, becomes the first member of the Diamondbacks to ever win a batting title. There have been some close calls in the past, but Moreno has officially earned it. He is also just the third catcher since the 1950 season to win a batting title.

It was a breakout season in every sense of the term for Moreno, who entered 2026 with relatively high expectations to begin. He hit to the tune of a .311/.388/.486 triple slash line and .874 OPS.

Moreno marked career highs in all four of those above-mentioned numbers. He also set highs in home runs (16), doubles (33), RBI (83) and walks (60) in the process. All of that came with high-level defense behind home plate.

The key for Moreno was staying healthy. Despite the way his season ended, he did so in relatively effective manner.

The 26-year-old backstop played in 130 games this season, only missing a minor amount of time on the IL. He had never played in more than 111 games prior, which happened in the 2023 season — his first in Arizona.

Had Moreno pinch-hit in this game and gone 0-for-1, he would have lost the title to Arraez. Manager Torey Lovullo said Moreno "tried" to make it work and play in Sunday's game, but could not.

"He tried. He tried to go. He tried a couple times. He couldn't sit on his legs," Lovullo said.

"He couldn't rotate over his left side, and once I heard that, I just felt like it was the right thing to do is to pull him off the field. I don't want to put him in a situation where he's going to go out there and do more damage and not be able to have a productive at-bat."

Despite that, there's no denying the impact Moreno had on Arizona's often-inconsistent offense.