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Countdown to Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day: D-9, Patrick Corbin

Signs point to Corbin returning to the rotation for Opening Day this year.

By Jim McLennan
Arizona Diamondbacks Photo Day Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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 9: Patrick Corbin

  • Date of birth: July 19, 1989
  • Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 219 lbs
  • Position: Pitcher
  • Status: 40-man roster
  • Bats/Throws: L/L
  • 2016 MLB numbers: 36 games, 155.2 IP, 5.15 ERA, 131:66 K:BB
  • SnakePit Rating: 6.79 [breakdown of votes below]

In terms of disappointing seasons, there’s an argument that Patrick Corbin’s 2016 was little if any worse than Zack Greinke’s, forming part of the triangular vortex of suck that was the top of Arizona’s rotation. Having apparently returned successfully from Tommy John, with his sixteen starts the previous season at a 3.60 ERA, much was expected of Corbin. But instead, he was unceremoniously yanked from the bullpen in mid-August, after 24 starts and a 5.58 ERA, climaxing in a horrorshow performance at Fenway Park, where Patrick faced 16 batters while recording five outs. And with an FIP as a starter of 5.13, he can hardly disclaim responsibility.

Things went much better for Corbin in the bullpen, re-discovering his mojo there. Over 23.1 relief innings, he had a 2.70 ERA and 26 K’s, and over his last 19 IP, Pat’s ERA was 0.95, with a K:BB of 22:6. A solid spring now sees him in line for the fifth spot in Arizona’s rotation, and if he can maintain anything close to his relief level of performance, it will do nicely, to say the least. But that “if” remains a big question. Can Corbin deliver the necessary combo of stamina and effectiveness? For he hasn’t thrown even 160 major-league innings since 2013. A return to that vintage of Pat, would alone be worth close to four wins more than last year. So, fingers crossed.

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