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Countdown to Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day: D-48, Daniel Gibson

A left-handed reliever, Gibson walked his way into trouble with the Aces after his promotion to AAA.

By Jim McLennan
MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks-Spring Training Media Day Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

We asked you to rank the 40-man roster along with the 16 non-roster invitees to spring training, and every day between now and the eve of Opening Day, we’ll have a profile of one of those Diamondbacks.

D minus 48: Daniel Gibson

  • Date of birth: October 16, 1991
  • Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 215 lbs
  • Position: Pitcher
  • Status: Non-roster invitee
  • Bats/Throws: R/L
  • 2016 MLB numbers: DNP
  • SnakePit Rating: 3.02 [pattern of votes below]

A 7th-round pick on 2013, Gibson’s 2016 season truly was one of two halves. He was almost impeccable pitching for the Double-A Mobile Baybears, allowing only one earned run over his 24 relief appearances and 22.2 innings for them, despite a somewhat middling K:BB ratio of 17:8. The problems came after his promotion to Reno, where his ERA ballooned to 6.86 over 21 innings and games, with the K:BB ratio becoming a highly problematic 17:14. In his defense, half the earned runs allowed there came in a pair of especially ugly outings, where he faced a total of 11 batters and retired only two. But it will be important for the 25-year-old left-hander to regroup and take the next step in 2017.

Being a southpaw will give him a longer rope than otherwise, but it’s the control which needs to improve, if Gibson is going to go anywhere. In 2016, Daniel definitely saw his peripherals drift in the wrong direction compared to the previous year. His walk rate went from 3.6 to 4.5 per nine innings, while the K’s dropped significantly, from 10.0 to 7.0. As a result, his K:BB ratio plummeted from 2.76 to 1.55, and that won’t get it done at any level. As we’ve said before, there is a vacancy for a long-term D-backs LOOGY, and we’ll get a chance to see what he looks like this spring. Here’s an interview Gibson did for Fox Sports Arizona last winter, when he was pitching in the Arizona Fall League.

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