Diamondbacks: Taijuan Walker and Robbie Ray Dominating Spring Action
Arizona's Taijuan Walker and Robbie Ray are off to dominant starts this spring. Could this be a sign for great things to come in the 2017 regular season?
The Arizona Diamondbacks were one of MLB's most disappointing teams in 2016. After signing Zack Greinke and trading for Shelby Miller, the team felt its pitching staff was primed for playoff contention. However, the season did not go accordingly. Arizona concluded the 2016 campaign with baseball's highest ERA (5.09) and the fourth-worst record in the NL (69-93). Thus, 2017 is a time for Arizona to reassess its approach.
The offense looks promising, but the starting pitching staff must prove 2016 to be a fluke. They invested a lot of money in Greinke and forfeited a lot of talent for Miller; however, maybe they should look elsewhere for rotation help.
The young and still evolving arms of Taijuan Walker and Robbie Ray have impressed this spring. Walker has tossed nine innings across three starts. He has yet to give up an earned run and has fanned 13 batters. Ray has earned two wins in three starts this spring. He has a 1.17 ERA and five strikeouts in 7.2 innings. Dominant performances for each of them, but their predicted success will be more telling once they stack up more innings. Reason being, Walker averaged only 5.3 innings per start in 2016; Ray averaged 5.4 per start.
The Diamondbacks gambled this offseason when sending shortstop Jean Segura to the Seattle Mariners. In return, they gained shortstop Ketel Marte and starting pitcher Taijuan Walker. Walker is a former top prospect of the Seattle Mariners, but he has not fared well in his brief time in the major leagues. He pitched to a 4.56 ERA in 2015 and a 4.22 ERA in 2016. He's struggled with giving up the long ball, allowing at least 25 home runs in each of the last two seasons.
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Regardless of statistics, the Diamondbacks acquired Taijuan Walker based on ability and potential. The 24-year-old possesses a live arm with a good repertoire. His struggles have resulted from poor fastball command in the early stages of his career. A little coaching and Walker could become a top-tier MLB starter. He certainly looks fantastic so far in spring training.
Robbie Ray emerged last season as one of the league's strikeout leaders. He ranked ninth in baseball in the strikeout category, totaling 218. Ray pitched the fewest innings of any pitcher with over 200 Ks. Much of Ray's strikeout success results from his wipeout slider. The 25-year-old has dominant stuff, but he doesn't always control it. His 71 walks ranked 19th in the majors. A combination of his high strikeout totals and high walk totals explain his short starts. Bottom line: He throws too many pitches.
The Diamondbacks will look to refine Ray's approach this spring, in hopes he can become slightly more economical on the mound. He's proven his dominance; he now needs to go a step further in 2017.
The ball club certainly needs Zack Greinke to return to ace form, but any help beyond Greinke would be just as appreciated. Taijuan Walker and Robbie Ray look very promising this spring, and we'll see if they can transfer their success to the main show.
