Diamondbacks fans were devastated to hear that 24-year-old starting pitcher Patrick Corbin had Tommy John surgery this week. The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews Tuesday. So what does this mean for the Diamondbacks?
During the offseason, the big talks for the Diamondbacks were when they acquired Mark Trumbo. Which makes sense. His 34 bombs last season combined with Paul Goldschmidt’s, well everything, makes the offense lethal for that team.
Now, since Corbin’s surgery, another factor has come into play for the D-Backs. An almost worrisome factor. Hitting wise, they have confidence. Going on the bump, some questions need to be answered.
Can Patrick Corbin be replaced? No. Is Arizona going to try? Not exactly.
The Diamondbacks however are not exactly slacking when it comes to pitching, per Bleacher Report. In comes Archie Bradley. The 21-year-old is jumping straight to the Bigs from Double-A Mobile and Advanced-A Visalia, which may seem like a scary thing for Diamondbacks fans, but that’s not the case. So relax everyone.
Archie Bradley’s numbers were still quite beautiful last season. Like, break out the ring and propose beautiful. According to rotoworld.com, with Mobile, Bradley accumulated a 12-5 record, and in 123.1 innings pitched he received a 1.970 ERA. In Visalia, his numbers were similar. a 1.256 ERA in 28.2 innings pitched. Told you, gorgeous. Start the ring shopping now.
In addition to this numbers, Mike Rosenbaum of Bleacher Report calling his mid-90’s curve ball a “plus-plus.”
In the ‘pen, I felt good…I was throwing strikes. I really felt good with where I was at and then at the start of the game just lost it. It’s never good when you’re throwing 90 percent of your pitches out of the stretch. Just never could find consistency or really get comfortable. Just could never find a good spot and get where I felt good throwing the ball.
Just do me a favor and remind yourself spring training is just that, spring training. His numbers according to baseball-reference.com do not show his true potential during his spring outing, but I can promise you give him a few outings for the D-Backs, and he will make you a believer. He still has some work to do, but what guy doesn’t? What human being doesn’t? Imagine what he will accomplish after this season.
Photo: Rick Scuteri/USA TODAY Sports