Jake McCarthy is Quickly Making the Diamondbacks Regret Risky Trade

The Arizona Diamondbacks new they were going to have to deal from their outfield depth ahead of the 2026 season, the question was simply who would be the first to depart.

And so, GM Mike Hazen opted to deal left-handed-hitting speedster Jake McCarthy to Arizona's NL West neighbors — the Colorado Rockies.

Somewhat ironically, the team would later decide to DFA and trade Alek Thomas to the Dodgers, parting with both of their primary young outfielders not named Corbin Carroll.

But after a less-than-incredible start to the season, McCarthy has come on strong. Suddenly, he's become a strong offensive contributor for the Rockies, while the Diamondbacks continue to struggle immensely at the plate this season.

Jake McCarthy is making the Diamondbacks regret trade

Jun 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy (31) is dumped by infielder TJ Rumfield (7) and outfielder Tyler Freeman (2) after hitting a game-winning triple in the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

McCarthy's raw numbers are quite impressive. He's slashing .294/.335/.471 with five home runs, 13 doubles and four triples. He's tied for the third-most triples in the sport.

Granted, the elevated environment of Coors Field can do wonders for a hitter. McCarthy's 107 wRC+ and 112 OPS+ suggest he's benefiting somewhat from that, but those are both still solidly above-average figures. McCarthy's .805 raw OPS might be a touch inflated, but he's swinging the bat well.

Just this week, McCarthy took two massive swings. He recorded an incredible inside-the-park home run off former NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, and came through with a three-run triple on Monday night, clearing the bases to walk off Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman in a game Colorado trailed 2-0.

Jake McCarthy is having a week.

He just walked off Aroldis Chapman with a bases-clearing triple. pic.twitter.com/7x2nAEAVZq
— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) June 23, 2026

In his last seven games, McCarthy has a .987 OPS. In his last 30 games, he's hitting .306.

Is there a reason to believe he'd be the perfect solution to the D-backs' offensive woes? No, not exactly.

But at the same time, some chaos, speed, and a little bit of pop from a left-handed batter might have done wonders for Arizona had they opted to stick with McCarthy over Thomas this offseason.

An .805 OPS would rank third-best among non-injured Arizona hitters as it stands, but that still holds up beyond his situation. His 112 OPS+ would also rank third among active Diamondbacks.

McCarthy's return was an intriguing pitching prospect named Josh Grosz. The hard-throwing right-hander has shown flashes of excellence for Double-A Amarillo, pitching to a 4.50 ERA in a hitter-friendly environment.

He's struck out 44 batters in 30 innings, so there is a notable swing-and-miss ability there, but he's also had some walk issues, handing out seven free passes in his last 5.2-inning start for Amarillo. That start came on May 19, and he was placed on the club's Development List a few days later. He has yet to return to an affiliate club from that designation, as he presumably works on honing his command.

Would holding on to McCarthy have been the elixir for a more successful 2026? Maybe not. After all, Arizona has had a chance to get a heavy dose of Tommy Troy and Ryan Waldschmidt, both of whom have shown potential.

But it's hard to not wonder if the D-backs' offense might have benefited from the spark McCarthy has been providing to Colorado.

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