Last season, the Arizona Diamondbacks went 85-77 (.525) and missed a playoff berth. However, after making some offseason moves, the D-Backs are positioned well and our one of the MLB public betting favorites heading into what will most likely be an abbreviated 2020 campaign. DraftKings listed Arizona’s odds to post above a .515 winning percentage at -112, and there are a few reasons to jump all over this MLB over under bet.
Home Cookin’
Due to the fact that Arizona houses 10 Spring Training fields in addition to Chase Field, there’s a chance that many (or all) neutral field games will be held right in their backyard, if not right in their home stadium. Although crowds will almost certainly not be admitted into games this season, there’s a certain comfort of playing close to family and friends, even if the team ends up being quarantined and only permitted to and from the stadium from a designated hotel. Nonetheless, this could end up being a gigantic advantage to jump on before the odds move.
Major Offseason Signings
During the offseason, the D-Backs signed Madison Bumgarner, Kole Calhoun and Hector Rondon and also added centerfielder Starling Marte via trade. All of a sudden, they have a solidified starting rotation consisting of Bumgarner, Robbie Ray, Zac Gallen, Marrill Kelly and Luke Weaver. Closer Archie Bradley will now be supported by Rondon, who will likely take on the eighth inning setup role while Calhoun will most likely be the everyday right fielder and Marte will now man center. Bumgarner made 34 starts last season and managed a 9-9 record and 3.90 ERA for the San Francisco Giants. While those numbers didn’t live up to his sparkling 3.13 career ERA, he’s still regarded as an elite pitcher and will immediately take over as the ace. Calhoun is coming off a career-high 33 homers campaign in which he also knocked in 74 runs. While he hit just .232, he will likely be a source of pop towards the bottom of Arizona’s lineup. Rondon made 62 appearances as a member of the Houston Astros last season and managed a 3.71 ERA and 19 holds over 60.2 innings pitched. He will instantly become a major piece of Arizona’s bullpen. Marte will likely bat towards the top of the lineup based on his ability to hit for average (.295 last season), power (a career-high 23 home runs and 82 RBIs) and serve as a threat on the basepaths (23 steals). All four of these additions answered immediate needs and could even lead the people who make MLB expert picks to start to favor the Diamondbacks.
A Deep And Versatile Lineup
Further, their lineup will give manager Torrey Lovullo a lot of opportunities to platoon his starters including at catcher (Carson Kelly, Stephen Vogt) and first base (Christian Walker, Jake Lamb). The switch-hitting abilities of second baseman Ketel Marte and Eduardo Escobar will also come in handy, while David Peralta, Marte and Calhoun will man the outfield. Shortstop Nick Ahmed is one of the most sure-handed shortstops in baseball defensively and others like Josh Rojas, Tim Locastro and Ildemaro Vargas could also find playing time in utility roles off the bench. Overall, this is a deep offense that shouldn’t be written off.
