Arizona Diamondbacks
Established: 1998
Other Names:
None
2016 results: 69-93,
4th in the NL West
2017 Prediction: 3rd
World Series Titles: 1
Most Recent: 2001
Last World Series
Appearance: 2001
Last Division Title: 2011
Ballpark: Chase
Field
Est: 1998
Best Season: 2001
While the New York Yankees over
the past 15 years have proven how NOT to spend money to try and with a
championship, the 2001 D-Backs were the prime example of spending wisely to win
a championship. In only their fourth year of existence, Arizona finished the
regular season with a 90-72 record to win their division, took out the
Cardinals in five games in the NLDS, knocked off the Braves in the NLCS, then
survived the aura and mystique of Yankee Stadium to win a thrilling seven-game
World Series on a walk-off RBI single by Luis Gonzalez in the bottom of the
ninth in the deciding game. The players the D-Backs wisely bought to lead the
club were pitchers Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. Helping Gonzalez in the
everyday lineup were Matt Williams, Mark Grace and Reggie Sanders.
Best All-time Player:
Randy Johnson
It’s hard to believe that the
Big Unit had already pitched ten full seasons in the Majors before signing with
the D-Backs prior to the 1999 season. But the best days of his career were yet
to come. He would win the N.L.’s Cy Young Award in each of his first four
seasons with Arizona, winning a total of 81 games over those years. In eight
total seasons with the club, Johnson would win 118 games, post a 2.83 ERA and
strike out 2077 batters. Over his 22-year MLB career, he won 303 games while
striking out 4875 batters, second only to Nolan Ryan in baseball history.
Best Player on the
Current Roster: Paul Goldschmidt
Playing in relative obscurity in
the desert, Goldschmidt has silently established himself as one of the best
first basemen in baseball. The four-time All-Star finished 2016 with a .297
batting average, 24 home runs and 95 RBIs, while also stealing 32 bases—a
rather high amount for a first baseman. In his six years in the big leagues,
Goldschmidt has also won two Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards. His
best season was 2013 when he led the N.L. with 36 homers and 125 RBIs.
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