After contentious discussions, the MLB lockout is over and teams have begun their spring training schedules. Opening Day has been pushed to April 14, which gives teams some extra time to finalize their rosters and rotations. In this series, TGH will be summarizing each team’s 2021 season and predicting their Opening Day pitching rotation.
Here is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ projected 2022 pitching rotation.
Summary
The Diamondbacks had an abysmal season in 2021. They had the worst record in the National League and were tied for the worst record in the entire MLB, at 52-110. The Orioles had the exact same record. Arizona had a 17 game losing streak during the season, which was a franchise record. They tied the MLB record for consecutive road losses at 24.
There were a few bright spots, though, as Tyler Gilbert threw only the third no-hitter in Arizona Diamondbacks history in August. They also received some cool new “City Connect” jerseys (which not all teams did), if that can be counted as a bright spot.
The D-Backs surely hope to move onward and upward from their MLB-worst record in 2021. Here are the pitchers that they could roll out to make it happen.
1. Madison Bumgarner
The three-time World Series Champion will obviously be the Opening Day starter, barring injury. He went 7-10 and had a 4.67 ERA last year, with 124 strikeouts.
2. Merrill Kelly
Kelly went 7-11 with a 4.44 ERA, which are nearly identical numbers to what Bumgarner put up last season. But the difference is close enough to start the superstar over him.
3. Zac Gallen
Gallen pitched 158 innings last year, and appeared in 27 games. All 27 of his appearances were starts. He put up a 4.44 ERA and managed to strike out 130 batters. He could move up the rotation as the season drags on.
4. Luke Weaver
At 3-6 over 13 starts, Weaver’s workload was not nearly equivalent to the three pitchers listed before him so far. He does own the best ERA so far, however, at 4.25. But, again, given more innings he may have ended up with worse numbers. Regardless, he is a veteran who fits nicely near the bottom of the rotation.
5. Zach Davies
Davies was a Chicago Cub last season, starting in 32 games and finishing with a huge 5.78 ERA. This is partly due to his high walk rate, which sat at an MLB-high 75 batters. He was a member of a combined Cubs no-hitter, however.
Stay tuned for more breaking MLB content, including projected 2022 opening day pitching rotations for every team.
Featured image courtesy of Rob Schumacher/The Republic
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