Arizona Diamondbacks 2025 offseason preview: Can the D-backs get back to contention in '26, or is a rebuilding year in store?

2025 season: Eliminated Sept. 26

With the Diamondbacks eliminated from the 2025 postseason, let’s take a look at the season that was in Arizona, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for next year.

Read more: MLB offseason previews 2025: What’s next for the White Sox, Rockies, Twins and more?

Things that went right

Although they couldn’t match their 2024 offense, which led the majors in runs scored, the D-backs still featured a productive lineup. This was especially true prior to the front office trading Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor, as the team ranked third in the National League in runs scored when the deadline passed on July 31. Suárez greatly enhanced his trade value by going deep 36 times in 106 games with Arizona. Overall, the lineup was the biggest reason that Arizona stayed in the postseason race until the final weekend of the season.

Elsewhere in the lineup, Corbin Carroll took a step forward as a power hitter and has already blown past his career high in home runs. Ketel Marte improved his plate discipline and continued to be one of the best hitters in baseball. And Geraldo Perdomo improved his plate skills so much that he went from hitting near the bottom of the lineup to being one of the most important players on the team. He ranks second in the NL in WAR and will be on many MVP ballots.

There were also some positives on the mound, albeit fewer than at the plate. Merrill Kelly was easily the most reliable starter on the team until he was shipped to Texas at the trade deadline. And after struggling out of the gate, Ryne Nelson became an effective reliever who eventually returned to the rotation and replaced Kelly as the team’s top starter.

Things that went wrong

Arizona’s pitching staff ranked among the least effective in baseball throughout the season. The biggest letdown was Corbin Burnes, who signed a $210 million contract in the offseason, then made 11 starts before being shut down due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. The organization will now get next to nothing from its new ace during the first two years of his deal.

While injuries led to the disappointment from Burnes, there was no such excuse for Zac Gallen, who entered the season with a lifetime 3.25 ERA before struggling to push his 2025 mark under 5.00. Gallen didn’t lose any velocity, but his strikeout rate dropped, and walks were a problem for a second straight year. The expectations coming in were lower for Brandon Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodriguez, but like Gallen, they struggled to maintain ERAs under 5.00.

The bullpen fared even worse than the rotation, as most of the key relievers were lost to injury. Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk were expected to compete for the closer’s role. Instead, Martinez threw 15 1/3 innings before requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery, and Puk tossed just eight frames before being shut down due to an elbow injury that eventually required internal brace surgery. Kevin Ginkel was supposed to be a key setup man, but his ERA jumped by more than four runs before he was lost for the season due to a shoulder injury in early August.

Offseason outlook

The infield is in a state of transition after the trades of Suárez and Naylor. The team is set behind the plate with Gabriel Moreno, who is a solid hitter and above-average defender at a premium position. Durability remains the elusive trait for Moreno, who has spent time on the IL each of the past three seasons. Adrian Del Castillo is a skilled young hitter who can back up Moreno and log plenty of starts at DH. The middle of the infield will remain strong with the returns of Marte at second base and Perdomo at shortstop. The uncertainty is at the corners, where Tyler Locklear and Jordan Lawlar are prospects who seem ready to assume full-time roles. This could be a stellar group, but relying on two rookies carries obvious risks.

The outfield has a strength, a weakness and a hole. The strength is Carroll, an excellent defender who raised his power game this year and is one of baseball’s best all-around players. The weakness is center field, where Alek Thomas is an effective defender who still needs to make improvements as a hitter. Jake McCarthy was ahead of Thomas at this time last year but got off to a slow start to ‘25 and spent time in the minors. The 28-year-old might be out of time to break through as a regular and instead hope to be a fourth outfielder who can play all three outfield spots. The hole could be in left field, as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. might opt out of his contract, or he could have the start to his 2026 season delayed due to the torn ACL that he suffered Sept. 1.

The rotation needs plenty of help, with Burnes set to miss most of the season and Gallen heading to free agency. Nelson, Rodriguez and Pfaadt will hold three of the rotation spots, but there isn’t another pitcher on the roster who is under contract for 2026 and made at least five starts this season. And of course, Rodriguez and Pfaadt can’t be counted on after producing poor results this year.

The bullpen is in dire straits as well. Hopefully Puk and Ginkel can return to prominent roles next year because there isn’t much behind them. Ryan Thompson and Kyle Backhus can eat some innings, but there truly isn’t a reliever on the roster who can be counted on to be healthy and effective in 2026.

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Prospects on the horizon

Lawlar and Locklear will soon shed their prospect status, which is a good thing for young players who are ready to stick in the majors. The team’s first-round draft pick in 2021, Lawlar is the jewel of Arizona’s prospect system. His development has been significantly slowed by injuries the past two years, but he remains an effective fielder with elite speed and strong batting skills.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many players in Arizona’s prospect pool who will be ready to help in 2026. Tommy Troy is someone who could contribute, as he recently reached Triple-A. A middle infielder, Troy was Arizona’s first pick in 2023 and is blocked by Marte and Perdomo. Still, he could become a utilityman by the summer.

The biggest problem by far is the lack of MLB-ready pitchers for a team that desperately needs help in that area. Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt and Cristian Mena could all log big-league innings in 2026 but are unlikely to make much of an impact.

Goals for 2026

Arizona could rejoin the postseason race next year, which will surely be the goal for general manager Mike Hazen and the front office. But to make that happen, the organization will have to spend plenty of money to fix its pitching staff. Ideally, the team will sign a pair of starters and a couple of relievers. They will also need an outfielder to replace Gurriel. Going the trade route is an option, but it’s tough to see what the D-backs can offer, given that their prospect pool isn’t strong and their MLB position players are needed more than ever after the departures of Suárez and Naylor.

There’s also a chance this organization treats 2026 as a transition year. It would make sense, given that Burnes will return in 2027. Most of the team’s top players are under team control until at least 2030, which could lead ownership to put a one-year pause on spending and regroup for an aggressive offseason the following winter.

Fantasy focus

There are plenty of Arizona hitters who will be coveted in 2026 drafts. That list is headlined by Carroll, who will be a first-round pick in most leagues. Fantasy managers can dream of the possibility that Carroll combines his recent power stroke with the baserunning aggressiveness he showed when swiping 54 bags in 2023. Marte will come off the board in the range of Round 3-4, and Perdomo’s balanced skill set makes him a viable option in the middle rounds. Lawlar will be a popular late-round pick, assuming he looks good in spring training. On the pitching side, Nelson is the only player currently on the roster who projects to be drafted in most leagues.

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