For the 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks, there are some things you can predict. They will be re-crowned as NL West champions. They’ll contend for the league pennant and maybe even a World Series title. They’ll have some churn but they have a solid core of players. Read on to find out who to expect this season. You might even learn a few things.
The Arizona Diamondbacks ended the 2011 season with 94 wins, 68 losses and a first-place finish in the NL West Division. They scored 731 runs and allowed 662. Four of their pitching staff members won ten or more games. Ian Kennedy had an outstanding breakout year, winning 21 games with a 2.88 ERA in 222 innings. He finished 4th in the NL Cy Young voting. However, the Diamondbacks also lost a key player in the outfield in catcher Chris Young.
The Diamondbacks have many pieces to improve their starting rotation this season. It’s important to have good starting pitchers. Josh Collmenter was a great starter for Arizona with a 2.65 ERA in 85 innings. But he’s not ranked among Baseball America’s top 30. For defense, Ryan Wheeler and Andrew Chafin have been a plus. The team also added a competitive balance round pick in Andrew Chafin. And the team is also drafting a number of free agents to play first base.