The Arizona Diamondbacks had a surprising first half in 2011
Not many “experts” thought the Diamondbacks would be a contender in the N.L. West but they have been exactly that the whole first half. The Diamondbacks are 49-43 on the season which has them in second place in the N.L. West, 3 games behind the Giants. The D-Backs are also 5 games behind the Braves in the Wild Card race. The Diamondbacks will likely be on the hunt for bullpen help and a 1B at the trade deadline later this month. Here is a look at the players who made the biggest impact in the first half of the 2011 season:
Team MVP: 23-year old righty swinging RF Justin Upton has really stepped up this season for the D-Backs. Upton has played in 91 games so far this year and he is 102 for 348 (.293 avg, .881 OPS) with 56 runs scored, 15 homers, 46 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. With a strong second half, Upton could be a 30/30 man for the D-Backs in 2011.
Biggest Surprise: 30-year old righty swinging 3B Ryan Roberts and 25-year old rookie righty starting pitcher Josh Collmenter would have to tie for this honor. Roberts came literally out of nowhere to win the starting 3B job for the D-Backs. Roberts has played in 80 games for the Diamondbacks so far this year and he is 69 for 269 (.257 avg, .779 OPS) with 47 runs scored, 11 homers, 37 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Josh Collmenter wasn’t even really considered for a job on the pitching staff in spring training. But, due to injuries and poor performance of pitchers ahead of him, Collmenter has had a big role on the pitching staff. He has pitched in 18 games (11 starts) for the D-Backs so far this year and he is 4-5 with a 2.92 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. He has been aggressive in the strike zone as he only has allowed 61 hits while walking 16 batters in his first 77 innings in the major leagues.
Biggest Disappointment: 25-year righty starting pitcher Barry Enright and 29-year old righty starting pitcher Armando Galarraga were supposed to fill up the back end of the starting rotation for the D-Backs but they are both pitching in AAA right now. Enright has pitched in 6 games (all starts) for the Diamondbacks so far this year and he is 1-3 with a 6.49 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. Galarraga has pitched in 8 games (all starts) for the D-Backs so far this year and he is 3-4 with a 5.91 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. These guys could both be used as trade chips later this month.