2009 Arizona Diamondbacks Baseball Preview

There are a few teams that can win the NL West in 2009 and the Arizona Diamondbacks (82- 80) is one of them. Last season, the Backs finished two games out of first and stayed home for the post-season. This is a solid team built on a low budget.

Brandon Webb (22- 7 W/L, 3.30 ERA, .242 BAA) is a durable groundball pitcher with an 89 mph sinker that possesses fine movement. He commands an effective curve and active change. Dan Haren (16- 8 W/L, 3.33 ERA, .247 BAA) is another quality pitcher. He throws a tailing, sinking fastball and a fast breaking slurve. He is durable and smart. Lefty Doug Davis (6- 8 W/L, 4.32 ERA, .282 BAA) uses a cut fastball, a tight curve and a fading changeup. Yusmeiro Petit (3- 5 W/L, 4.31 ERA, .216 BAA) is a smart pitcher with an active 88 mph fastball that can run and sink. He also utilizes a slider, curve and changeup. Tall closer Jon Rauch (4.14 ERA, 18 SV, .256 BAA) uses his fastball, slider and curve to keep batters off balance.

Leadoff batter Stephen Drew (.291 BA, 67 RBI, 21 HR) has an active bat that drives fastballs and Eric Byrnes (.209 BA, 23 RBI, 6 HR), who had an off-season in 2008, is an aggressive hitter. Conner Jackson (.300 BA, 75 RBI, 12 HR) uses his strength and quick wrists to drive the ball, and Mark Reynolds (.239 RBI, 97 RBI, 28 HR) has the potential to crush the ball. Chris Snyder (.237 BA, 64 RBI, 16 HR) is a disciplined hitter but still strikes out too much.

The best part of the infield is the defensive play of Drew, who makes the toughest plays look easy. Catcher Synder has shown improvement but still has a tough time with his throws. Second baseman Lopez possesses good range and an accurate arm but seems to lose concentration. At third, Reynolds is a liability and first baseman Jackson offers uneven play. In left field, Eric Byrnes is solid, making good plays. In center, Young can track down balls and makes good throws. Right fielder Justin Upton is a skilled and talented player.

In 2007, Bob Melvin was the NL Manager of the Year. Although his team didn't finish in the money in 2008, he still did a fine job at the helm. Melvin handles disputes well and connects with his players. He makes smart moves. GM Josh Byrnes has a fine group of advisers and is a smart baseball guy. He's got a low budget ($72 million) but manages to use it wisely.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have a good shot at supplanting the Dodgers as the top club in the West. They possess a fine pitching rotation and a decent pen. There's enough talent on board to get into the post-season.

Read more on the Diamondbacks other NL West division competitors like the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, and San Francisco Giants.

For more info on the Diamondbacks check out the MLB official page for Arizona.