| Jordan Walgreen. 24th February, 2009 - 3:12 pm
 1. How will the young talent respond after an inconsistent 2008?
Some very good things came from the D-Backs young talent in 2008, as the club began the season with a 20-8 record but finished 82-80.
The youngsters must play to their ability in order for the Diamondbacks to contend for the NL West crown in 2009.
Mark Reynolds cannot lead baseball with 204 strikeouts again.
Chris Young needs to steal bases like he did as a rookie.
Justin Upton needs to hit with constancy.
If this happens the D-Backs will be in position to compete with the Dodgers who are the early favorites to win the NL West.
2. The Rotation
The Diamondbacks have what is arguably the best one-two punch in the Majors with Brandon Webb and Dan Haren. In their first season together last year, they went a combined 38-15 with a 3.32 ERA and 389 strikeouts.
During the off-season the D-Backs picked up Jon Garland, who went 14-8 with a 4.90 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 2008 with the Angels and should be a reliable innings eater all season long.
Following Garland is Doug Davis, who after kicking Thyroid cancer last season has a renewed view of life and looks to capitalize on that spirit this season. Davis went 6-8 with a 4.32 ERA in only 26 appearances last year.
As with most teams in the NL West, the D-Backs are looking to fill the number five spot in the rotation. The front-runner appears to be Max Scherzer, who in his Major League debut last season, turned 13 Houston hitters into 13 outs with seven coming by strikeout.
The only question surrounding Scherzer is how his shoulder hold up, which remains to be seen.
Overall, the D-Backs arguably will have the best rotation in the NL West and if they can get productive innings beyond Webb and Haren, they should be amongst the leaders in ERA.
3. The Bullpen
Last season the bullpen let the club down, posting 23 blown saves and posting a W-L record of 39-62.
There is clearly some healthy competition to fill the one remaining spot in the D-Backs bullpen.
Chad Qualls has already been named the closer; Qualls went 4-8 with a 2.81 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 77 appearances in 2008. He also has eight blown saves, which will not work for the D-Backs during the 2009 Campaign.
If Qualls can stay consistent and limit game ending meltdowns, it will help the rest of the bullpen by allowing them to have confidence in Qualls as a trusty closer.
Here is how the middle relief in the bullpen is shaping up:
- Tony Pena, 3-2 with a 4.33 ERA in 72 appearances
- Jon Rauch, 4-8 with a 4.14 ERA in 74 appearances
- Scott Schoeneweis, 2-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 73 appearances
- Bobby Korecky, 2-0 with a 4.58 ERA in 16 appearances
Pena, Rauch, and Schoeneweis have those spots pretty much locked.
Korecky will compete with Leo Rosales, Jailen Peguero, Billy Buckner, Travis Blackley for the final two spots in the bullpen. |
