ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS 5-YEAR SCORECARD 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 WINS 81 81 94 65 70 RUNS PER GAME 4.23 4.53 4.51 4.40 4.44 RUNS ALLOWED PER GAME 4.29 4.25 4.09 5.16 4.83 OPENING-DAY PAYROLL (millions) $86 $75 $56 $75 $73 2014 STRENGTHS: • Depth in starting pitching 2014 WEAKNESSES: • Lacking protection in lineup • Bullpen depth One man looks at an 81-81 team—the mark of the last two Arizona squads—and sees a glass half-full, seeing the payroll increase ($110 million) and remembering the divisionwinning days of the 2011 Diamondbacks. While another man—namely us, in this case—sees the glass half-empty, wondering how a team banking on pitching—undoubtedly the team’s strength—plans to have a winning season when only one starter in their five-man rotation had a winning record in 2013. HITTING Paul Goldschmidt was quite the metal medal star in 2013, winning a Silver Bat, Gold Glove and the National League Hank Aaron award as the best hitter in the NL. The 6-3, 245-pound first baseman was all about big numbers: league-leading 36 homers, 125 RBI, .551 slugging percentage and .952 OPS. Because of the potential pitch-around factor—the 26-year-old Goldschmidt had 99 walks last season—the Diamondbacks signed Mark Trumbo, who had 34 homers, 100 RBI and .747 OPS with the Angels in 2013. Aaron Hill, when healthy, and even ROB LEITER/GETTY IMAGES SPORT NL WEST
2014 Arizona Gameday HQ
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