The Quiet Change That Might Have Unlocked D-backs' Brandon Pfaadt

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt's first start back in the major league rotation could not have gone much better, given the limitations. In fact, it was his most productive start since the tail end of the 2025 season.

Pfaadt pitched 5.1 innings of one-run baseball against the San Francisco Giants, helping secure an 8-2 win in confident fashion. He only allowed four hard-hit balls, and two went for outs.

For a pitcher who has displayed regular struggles as both a starter and reliever, and came into Tueday's game with an ERA just under 6.00, that type of performance stood out even stronger.

And this time, there was a tweak in Pfaadt's delivery. No longer did he raise his hands above his head during his delivery — a motion he had utilized since he was nine years old.

"It's kind of an experiment, going back down to Triple-A," Pfaadt said of the new delivery, speaking to D-backs.TV's Jody Jackson on Wednesday. "I thought, 'Why not, let's try it out,' and it felt good from there and we'll stick with it in the time being, but you never know when it might change again.

Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt's new delivery leads to positive results

Jun 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It's coming along," Pfaadt continued. "It feels more comfortable every day that we that we've been doing it, and it's not... too big of a change, but I think at the end of the day, just going out there and executing pitches is the name of the game and regardless of your mechanics."

Pfaadt made three starts for the Triple-A Reno Aces after being optioned, with the intent of stretching him back out as a starter, following a short-lived attempt at a relief conversion.

"It was almost more of a reset," Pfaadt said of his short time down in Reno. "A few years ago, coming up through the minors, had those same pitching coaches, and it was good to go back and kind of reset and use it as not only a build-up, but a reset as well."

Granted, Tuesday night's positive stat line was just one start, against a struggling Giants club that the D-backs have dominated all season long. He'll have to maintain that type of result in order to inspire full confidence in the remainder of his season.

But it was still more than a welcome sight to see Pfaadt deliver in a big moment, and exit to a standing ovation from the Chase Field crowd after a job well done.

"It was awesome," he said. "Kind of brought back memories from the playoffs in 2023, and it's always good to see the fans like that and the guys in the dugout clapping as well.

"It's just good to be back. Good to be back in the routine of things and kind of getting my rhythm back. Great to see the guys again, and yesterday was great and just roll it over to the next start."

Add us as a preferred source on Google