| Douglas Benton. 26th May, 2006 - 3:38 pm
 In five short years, the Diamondbacks went from being a team powered by the two-headed monster of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling and winning the world series, to being a team still trying to find its identity, all while staying competitive. One place to start this identity change is the battery combination of Brandon Webb and Johnny Estrada, who should be classified as one of the best young players at their respective positions.
Webb first burst onto the scene in 2003, when he helped keep the Diamondbacks afloat during a rash of summer injuries. He won 10 games that year and had a sub-3 ERA, but struggles were on the horizon as he scuffled through a terrible 2004 season for the franchise and a 2005 year that saw him succumb to the pressure of being the ace after the departure of Randy Johnson to New York.
2006, however, has been what everyone expected of Webb and more as he sits with a 7-0 record and a 2.44 ERA. He is quickly becoming known for his devastating sinker that leads some to believe that he is the best groundball pitcher in the game. Over his career, he has compiled a 3.83 ground ball to fly ball ratio. To further illustrate the point, he has only 36 fly ball outs in 73.2 innings of work on the year. He highlighted his dominance in a recent complete game, four-hit shutout against the Atlanta Braves that saw him get 20 ground ball outs, compared to just one fly ball out.
His catcher, Johnny Estrada on the other hand, has fought his entire career for a chance to start and stay with one organization. He was a prized prospect for the Philadelphia Phillies, but grew tired of waiting for his chance behind Mike Lieberthal and was eventually traded to the Atlanta Braves. In Atlanta, he made the All-Star team and won a sliver slugger award in his first year, but injuries and the emergence of Brian McCann eventually sent him to Arizona for bullpen help.
Now with the Diamondbacks, Estrada is healthy and hitting again, to the tune of a .315 average and a slugging percentage over .500. Always known as one of the better clutch hitters in the game and he has continued the trend this season with a number of big hits for the Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks are currently 27-19, atop the National League West, and winners in eight of their last 10 games. |
