In 2023, the Arizona Diamondbacks limped to the Wild Card round with an 84-78 record. The D-Backs were quickly dismissed as pushovers. Could they really beat the Brewers, Phillies and Dodgers? As it turns out, they not only did that, but they swept the Dodgers and the Brewers in an epic five game stretch. The Phillies put up a fight but ceded the NL crown to Arizona.
It’s easy to underestimate a team with little power in the lineup, but the D-Backs proved that with great pitching and contact hitting, any feat of baseball is possible. Unfortunately for the snakes, the Texas Rangers had plenty of both as well; and this comes in addition to ample raw power. Now in 2025, can the Diamondbacks make a World Series run again just two years later? According to one D-Backs reliever, they can.
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Kevin Ginkel refutes the idea that the Dodgers are NL favorites
Diamondback’s reliever Kevin Ginkel recently shared his thoughts on the Dodgers. He had this to say as reported by MLB insider Bob Nightengale:
“Every time we play those guys, I feel like they can be beat. They’re deep, but with the guys we have and our pedigree, just get us into the postseason, play those guys in a best-of-seven, and I’ll take our chances.’’
Indeed, Ginkel has given his team something to prove. But while his comments seem like something we can dismiss, we shouldn’t underestimate the D-Backs again.
The Dodgers have built nothing less than a baseball leviathan having acquired Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott, Blake Snell, Hye-Seong Kim, Kirby Yates and Michael Conforto in addition to their re-signings. The D-Backs have acquired Corbin Burnes while replacing Christian Walker with Josh Naylor. However, it is important to note the D-Backs pitching staff suffered a slew of injuries in 2024. Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Jordan Montgomery and Eduardo Rodriguez all spent extensive time on the IL last season. When healthy, the Arizona rotation, now headlined by Burnes, should be formidable. But what about their offense? Can they stack up favorably to the Dodgers? Prepare to be surprised.
In 2024, D-Backs hitters cumulatively posted impressive numbers, leading the MLB in on-base percentage, batting average (tied with the Padres), runs and RBIs. They came second in hits, slugging percentage and OPS while posting the 5th highest home run total. This resulted in an 89-73 record missing the Wild Card round by the slimmest margin possible, tying the bottom two Wild Card teams.
The Diamondbacks are no laggard by any stretch of the definition. But is Ginkel right? Can they beat the Dodgers? We will need to wait for the answer. But in the meantime, keep an eye on the D-Backs. They are a clear under-the-radar threat and a dark horse World Series contender.