Pitchers and catchers report this month!
January results
No shortage of responses as we turned the calendar over to 2023. The total number taking part was 164, which is the most we’ve had for one of these polls in quite some time. You have to go back approaching three years, to February 2020, to find a greater number of those taking part. There was certainly no shortage of D-backs news, as after a quiet opening to the winter, the team traded Daulton Varsho, signed Evan Longoria and re-signed Zach Davies. But would that all be “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” to borrow a line from the Bard? Here are the results.
- 4% – 1 (not confident in the slightest)
- 4% – 2
- 5% – 3
- 11% – 4
- 13% – 5
- 34% – 6
- 17% – 7
- 9% – 8
- 4% – 9 (very, very, VERY confident)
Let me begin by appreciating the pleasing way, in which the number of votes EXACTLY halved, as we went from categories six through nine: 56, 28, 14 and 7 respectively. It means absolutely nothing, but I just like that kind of thing. The numbers consolidated around a “7”, that increasing from 23% in December, though most of those seem to have dropped down from an “8”, which declined from 25% to 17%. However, the scores at the lower end dropped, while the upper end increased somewhat. That more than balanced things out, and led to an overall increase in the average from 5.25 to 5.65. That’s the highest figure since July 2020, when it reached 6.14, and is the best January score since that same year.
Below, you can see the breakdown for the past 12 polls’ results, followed by the line graph showing the trends over this and previous seasons.
February poll
Not quite the same furious slew of activity to report on. A few non-roster relief arms were added, but it feels increasingly like what we have now, is what the team will go into spring training with. However, there were a few prospect lists released, and the top of the Diamondbacks’ farm system certainly came of those rankings smelling of roses, with several names in the top 20. The team was so excited by this, they even managed to forget how to spell their own name. 🙂
But what do you reckon? As ever, feel free to explain your choice in the comments, especially if it has changed from the previous one.