[desertrat]

DBacks have won 6 in a row and are now tied with Colorado for 1st. Brandon Webb has stepped up and now looks like an elite pitcher. Jose Valverde has been a solid closer. Miguel Batista has also pitched well. Chad Tracy is a hitting machine and rookie Conor Jackson has been a solid contributor. Shawn Green is hitting and Luis Gonzalez has returned from his shoulder problems and is back to his old self. This team looks like it could compete in the NL West this year, and the future looks even brighter with many of MLB's top prospects coming out of the DBacks system.

[desertrat]

I posted this question a couple of weeks ago and not sure why nobody responded. The Diamondbacks have regained a 1/2 game lead in the NL West which is the only division in baseball where every team has a winning record. (funny how much things can change in 1 year) Who will win this wide open division? Are the DBacks too young or are they ready to contend?

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by desertrat

I posted this question a couple of weeks ago and not sure why nobody responded. The Diamondbacks have regained a 1/2 game lead in the NL West which is the only division in baseball where every team has a winning record. (funny how much things can change in 1 year) Who will win this wide open division? Are the DBacks too young or are they ready to contend?

Hey, sorry man...some of us are slow jumping on the bandwagon...I like the team...Been to Arizona on business trips and been to their place. I think Webb is a great pitcher...had him on my Fantasy team since a rooke...but he is really coming on this year 6-0 2.78 ERA ...great K to BB ratio...I remember his second year he gave up over 100 BB...and now he seems to have found his spot...

Conner Jackson, I like...big upside on that kid...didn' they gamble on him?...He was injured coming out of college ...well the gamble seems to be paying off...

Honestly though... I don't think their rotation is deep enough yet to compete for it all...

[desertrat]

The rotation is a bit short, but the farm system is rich with prospects. The Tucson Sidewinders started out terrible but have been on a roll for the last 3 weeks as they slowly climb their standings. The NL West is a weird division and I think just about every team really has a shot at it right now.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by desertrat

The rotation is a bit short, but the farm system is rich with prospects. The Tucson Sidewinders started out terrible but have been on a roll for the last 3 weeks as they slowly climb their standings. The NL West is a weird division and I think just about every team really has a shot at it right now.

So who do they have down in the farm they can bring up this year if they have a shot at it?

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

So who do they have down in the farm they can bring up this year if they have a shot at it?

Dustin Nippert is 5-0 with a 3.51 ERA and 35Ks to 16BBs in 41 IP. Also there is Enrique Gonzalez who is 4-3 with a 2.35 ERA in 57 IP. He has 29 Ks and only 13 BBs. Russ Ortiz just pitched in his first rehab game and has extensive major league experience. They have a leading candidate for PCL player of the year in Scott Hairston, a LF batting .314 with 9 HRs and 27 RBIs and a top prospect at SS in Stephen Drew who is batting .307 with 7 HRs and 25 RBIs. I go see them play once in a while since their stadium is only about a 15 minute drive from where I live.

[desertrat]

I failed to mention that new pitching coach Bryan Prince has worked with the entire staff to emphasize keeping the ball low. As a result, most of the DBacks pitchers are forcing more ground balls which helps a lot when pitching in a place like Chase Field in Phoenix. Prince is in his first year with the DBacks after serving as the Mariners pitching coach for 6 or 7 years. His value to the team should not be underestimated. Here is a link to his bio: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/...staffid=427406

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by desertrat

I failed to mention that new pitching coach Bryan Prince has worked with the entire staff to emphasize keeping the ball low. As a result, most of the DBacks pitchers are forcing more ground balls which helps a lot when pitching in a place like Chase Field in Phoenix. Prince is in his first year with the DBacks after serving as the Mariners pitching coach for 6 or 7 years. His value to the team should not be underestimated. Here is a link to his bio: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/...staffid=427406

Yeah, I thought that was the key to Webb donig well...I thought he gets a lot of ground balls, I could be wrong...

Hey Desertrat, why did they give up on Troy Glaus so soon? Ithought he was tailor made for your ball park?

[desertrat]

Troy Glauss had too big of a salary for the DBacks, this is the biggest reason they let him go. There were also some rumours that he isn't a good clubhouse guy, translated to possibly being a selfish player? I would love to have Glauss in the lineup but the DBacks have done well without him too.

[MJHMarc]

Troy Glaus is definitely one of the better third-basemen in the league. Last year, he smashed 37 homers and knocked in 97 runs. His .258 batting average is nothing special, but it is decent. According to ESPN.COM, Troy Glaus will be paid a whopping-10 million dollars this year from the Toronto Blue Jays. If he continues the season on pace, he should finish up with 49 homeruns and an incredible 135 RBIs. However, I doubt he will end up with those numbers.