Diamondbacks likely Opening Day lineup with final roster cuts upon us

After a surprise run at the World Series in 2023, the Diamondbacks look to make another run at the playoffs in 2024. They didn't make as many drastic changes to their line as say, the Giants, but they added some good power and made some changes to the depth of the roster.

They're running it back with the stud players that everyone saw in the World Series with some upgrades to parts of the lineup that may have been lacking. They had an exciting offseason in the pitching department, including the recent signing of Jordan Montgomery. While their moves in the lineup may not have been splashy, they definitely made upgrades.

Arizona made a trade to acquire Eugenio Suarez from Seattle in December, which is a definite upgrade at the plate compared to Evan Longoria. He will provide power from third base on an everyday basis. Joc Pederson was their other main addition and will likely see most of the time at DH. While the lineup will mostly look the same as last year, it's still an exciting lineup with some exciting young players.

Projecting the D-Backs Opening Day lineup after final roster cuts

1. Corbin Carroll - RF
2. Ketel Marte - 2B
3. Gabriel Moreno - C
4. Christian Walker - 1B
5. Eugenio Suarez - 3B
6. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - LF
7. Joc Pederson - DH
8. Alek Thomas - CF
9. Geraldo Perdomo - SS

Carroll is one of the league's new, big superstars. The reigning Rookie of the Year compiled a 25-homer, 54-stolen base season in 2023 while also leading the league in triples with 10. After signing a huge contract in the 2022-2023 offseason, he will be a fixture at the top of the lineup for a long time. He will look to repeat his performance in 2024.

Marte has consistently been one of the most underrated players in the league for a long time, and he really showed how good he is in the playoffs, racking up a hit in all but one of Arizona's postseason games, 16 straight. Coming off a season in which he hit 25 homers and had a 128 OPS, look for him and Carroll to lead this lineup.

I think it's easy to peg Gabriel Moreno as one of the breakout stars of 2024. Acquired in the Daulton Varsho trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, he showed what he could do both at the plate and behind the dish last season. While his 104 OPS+ from last season isn't eye-popping, he definitely jumped off the screen during the playoffs. Not only that, but he won the NL Gold Glove and was the best at throwing out base stealers in all of baseball at 48 percent.

Christian Walker is another guy in this lineup who is one of the most underrated players in the league. He has hit 30 home runs and won Gold Gloves in each of the last two years and has been the big power provider for Arizona. Not only that, but he plays nearly every day which is valuable. A free agent soon, he will be a candidate for an extension in the near future.

With the trade for Suarez, they got an immediate upgrade at third. While Longoria was a good clubhouse guy, he wasn't who he used to be. Suarez, on the other hand, is coming off a 2023 when he hit 22 homers and played all 162 games. The two years before that, he hit over 30 homers, as well. Yes, he does strike out a lot, leading the league with 214 last season. That doesn't change the fact that he brings power from a position they weren't getting it from last year.

The re-signing of Gurriel was a little surprising, but it provides stability for the outfield and the middle of the order. He popped 25 home runs and 35 doubles last year after being acquired with Moreno in the Varsho trade. While he may not have the best plate discipline in terms of his strikeout-to-walk ratio, keeping a member of the World Series who hits 20+ homers won't hurt.

Pederson signed a one-year deal in the offseason to become their DH after playing the same role in San Francisco. There's not a lot to say about Joc that everyone doesn't already know: he will hit homers and he will be entertaining. That just adds to what Arizona already does well.

Alek Thomas, while a former top Arizona prospect, is not going to provide a lot at the plate. With a 75 OPS+ in both of the last two years, the bat isn't his strong suit. What is, though, is his center field defense. He is one of the best in the league in that role. You can just keep an eye on his outfield defense and you'll have fun.

Perdomo was the biggest breakout on the team last season, especially in the first half. He made his first All-Star team as he hit .271 with a .787 OPS. Even though his performance fell off in the second half and the final numbers don't look as good, he did take a leap, especially with his plate discipline. And now that Jordan Lawlar is having surgery, he's the no-doubt shortstop for now.

Looking to repeat their exciting playoff run in 2023, Arizona made some upgrades in the lineup that improved it in various spots. Corbin Carroll will lead this team and if their other everyday players can continue to be themselves, they'll be in playoff contention once again.