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Archie Bradley, 4/11 - MLB debut, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO
It was one of the most eagerly anticipated debuts in Diamondbacks history, and it lived up to the billing. Bradley beat reigning Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw with six innings of one-hit ball, striking out six batters - All-Star Adrian Gonzalez was his first major-league K. Bradley was the first pitcher since 2011 to open his career with such a debut, and the first in Diamondbacks history. Oh, yeah, he also singled off Kershaw in his very first major-league at-bat. Ain't no thing.... [Okay, he was then immediately picked off!]
Josh Collmenter, 4/17 - Complete game shutout, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 SO
Who had Collmenter in the "first CG shutout of the 2015 season" category? Not many, I suspect, and while our Opening Day starter was not long for the rotation, this was the best start by Game Score of the entire year. He faced four batters over the minimum, allowing four hits and a walk, in the only complete-game shutout a Diamondback would throw in 2015. He also got three hits in addition to the CGSO, a combination even Micah Owings never managed. Might Collie repeat in this category?
Vidal Nuno, 5/31 - 5.1 relief innings, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 SO, 92 pitches
In the 140-year history of the National League, only two pitchers have made more starts than Nuno without a win. But it was this marathon relief performance which stood out, also the final appearance before departing for Seattle. He came in with the score tied at six in the bottom of the 12th, and ended up pitching longer than starter Chase Anderson, twirling five innings of one-hit ball before being tagged with the L as he allowed a one-out homer in the 17th inning. It wasn't even his longest relief appearance for us this year, as he worked 6.2 innings on May 11.
Paul Goldschmidt, 5/31 - reaches base seven times, 3 hits + 4 walks
I had entirely forgotten this one, until researching Nuno's performance, but it surely deserves recognition, Goldie becoming the first National League hitter since 2010 (and only the 13th since 1977) to reach safely seven times in a game. Sure, it was a long extra-inning game, but an OBP of .875 in a single contest is pretty impressive. It was, obviously, a D-backs record, and he was also the first NL #3 hitter since Albert Pujols in 2010 to be intentionally walked three times in a game. FEAR the Goldschmidt...
A.J. Pollock, 8/20 - 4-for-5, three RBI, season-high +67.8% WPA
Hard to choose one Pollock performance. We should give an honorable mention to the game against the Rockies in May where he reached base six times in regulation , going 3-for-3 with three BB. But this was the most clutch game by any Diamondback in 2015, with a WPA that just edged a pair of Goldie games. Here, Pollock notched four hits, and drove in three runs, with the particularly key at-bat coming with the bases loaded in the eighth, when he brought home both the tying and go-ahead runs.
Ender Inciarte, 9/27 - 4-for-5, two HR, ten total bases
Inciarte was a one-man wrecking crew for the Diamondbacks against the Padres here, driving in three of the team's four runs in a 4-2 victory, and scoring a pair on his two homers (PetCo Park? No problem!), as well as stealing a base. He was one of five D-backs with a two HR game, and Goldie also had a ten-base game (against the Reds in August) but Inciarte's WP of +44.3% was the best of the bunch. It was also the most bases in a game out of the lead-off spot for the Diamondbacks, since Kelly Johnson's franchise record of 13 in 2011.
Let the debate begin!