Snake Bytes 6/6: Expectations are Rising

Diamondbacks News

[MLB] D-backs’ Robinson happy to be back on the field

“I was jumping up and down in the dugout, couldn’t stop shouting and yelling for him,” Robinson said. “I had to remember that we were up by a lot, and I didn’t want to disrespect the other team. I had to quiet myself down, but yeah, I’m the biggest cheerleader for my teammates and it’s fun celebrating with them.”

[SI] Yu-Min Lin Leads This Week’s Top Prospect Performances

LHP Yu-Min Lin had an amazing start with Hillsboro on Saturday. Facing 17 batters, he struck out 13 in five scoreless innings. While the D-backs are limiting his pitch count this season, Lin has been very effective with a 45/9 strikeout to walk ratio in 32 2/3 innings. After the pitchers in Reno, Lin is easily the organization’s best pitching prospect. His 36.3% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate is tops between the top three pitching prospects in Hillsboro.

SS Jordan Lawlar had struggled for much of the season, but may be showing signs of figuring things out. His season strikeout rate has dropped from 31.6% just two weeks ago down to 27.6%. More contact is a welcome sign for a player who depends on speed and the ability to spray the ball from line to line. In the past week Lawlar hit .333 with two doubles, two home runs, and a 1.078 OPS.

[theAthletic] Diamond Sports vs. MLB: Breaking down details of last week’s marathon hearing PAYWALL

Judge Chris Lopez ultimately concluded the court was not the forum to set market prices, and the fact that MLB had testified it offered to assume the contracts meant they must be at fair market in any event. He ordered DSG to pay the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Guardians, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers full fees.

[MLB] These are the latest Cy Young favorites

1) Zac Gallen, D-backs (23 first-place votes)

Gallen was No. 1 in the NL in the first Cy Young poll and retains the top spot. He’s leading the way for the surprising D-backs, who are tied with the Dodgers atop the NL West, with a 7-2 record (tied for first in the NL in wins), 2.75 ERA (fifth) and 88 strikeouts (tied for third).

[theAthletic] Bowden: My early All-Star team picks for the American League and National League PAYWALL

Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks (starter) – Carroll has lived up to the high expectations, slashing .286/.373/.523 with 10 home runs and 16 stolen bases while playing above-average defense in left field. He also ranks in the 99th percentile in sprint speed. On this team, Betts and Carroll would serve as the backups in center field.

Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks — Gallen (7-2, 2.75 ERA) is one of the most consistent starters in the game. He has allowed no earned runs in five starts, and two earned runs or fewer in nine of 13 starts. He has premium control and command of the strike zone.

Baseball News

[MLB] deGrom transferred to 60-day IL as timeline pushed back

The Rangers were well aware of the risks when signing Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal in December.

And while the risks were worth it, they have manifested themselves early in the right-hander’s Texas tenure as the club announced on Monday that deGrom had been moved to the 60-day injured list.

The announcement comes after weeks of deGrom working to return from right elbow inflammation, diagnosed after he left an April 28 start against the Yankees with right forearm tightness. He was placed on the injured list the next day. June 28 is the first day he’s eligible to be activated.

[MLB] Abbott’s historic MLB debut ‘a dream come true’

Abbott, ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the organization and No. 95 overall by MLB Pipeline, is the first Reds pitcher since 1893, when the mound was moved to its current distance, to record at least six scoreless innings while allowing no more than one hit in a Major League debut.

[Fangraphs] Arraez and Let Us Swing

Back in mid-April, I took the opportunity to gawk at Luis Arraez’s hot start — he’d gone 24-for-51 in his first 15 games — under the assumption that he’d cool off and stop being so interesting fairly soon. Well, Arraez has cooled off, but not as much as you’d think. On Saturday, the Marlins second baseman went 5-for-5 with three doubles to break out of a slump: He’d gone 1-for-6 with one strikeout across the previous two games. Before that, he’d had multiple hits in his previous three games.

Sunday against Oakland, Arraez added two more hits to bring his seasonal batting line to .392/.445/.485. After that hellacious 15-game start to the season, Arraez has hit .362 in his cooldown period and has struck out just seven times in his past 40 games.

Power Rankings

[theAthletic] MLB Power Rankings: Big week for Marlins, Pirates and haikus, Top 5 sees some shuffling by Zach Buchanan, Nick Groke & Stephen Nesbitt PAYWALL

9. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 35-25

Last Power Ranking: 8

The Diamondbacks went 17-10 in May, but it was a bit of a pattycake month. They began June by dropping a series to an actual good team in the Braves. Nonetheless, they’re tied with the Dodgers for the lead in the NL West, and it would be foolish to think they’re going to fade away as the competition gets tougher. Arizona is for real, which is why the Diamondbacks just extended manager Torey Lovullo. — ZB

Going first to third

Corbin Carroll ran faster

than I could type this

[CBSsports] MLB Power Rankings: Rangers, Diamondbacks look like they’re for real; all AL teams in top five by Matt Snyder

8. Man, that Eddie Rosario grand slam in the ninth Sunday was a guy punch. The D-Backs were set to enter this week with the best record in the NL. 35-25, up 2 spots

[MLB] As June gets going, here’s where Power Rankings stand by Manny Randhawa

7. D-backs (8)

[B/R] MLB Power Rankings: New No. 1 Team Knocks off Rays After 9 Weeks, Red Sox Plummet by Joel Reuter

8. Arizona Diamondbacks (35-25)

Previous Rank: 9

Last Week: 4-0 vs. COL, 1-2 vs. ATL

Two months into the season, the D-backs look like the real deal with a well-balanced lineup and one of the best starting rotations in baseball. NL Rookie of the Year favorite Corbin Carroll has three home runs in his last eight games as he starts to find his power stroke, and he’s one of only five players leaguewide with at least 10 home runs and 10 steals on the year.