The D-backs are still here, and still competing.
May results
The last poll came on the heels of an unexpected month of contention, with the team having gone 16-13 through the end of April, and finishing the month tied for first in the NL West. Considering the focus had been on how the schedule over the first month was going to be, that seemed like a real achievement. It always seemed like this would lead into an improvement in confidence. But the question was, to what extent? Because as D-backs fans, we have been burned by months of competence before. As recently as 2021, the team went 14-12 in April… on their way to a final record of 52-110. Might this lead to a certain level of gun-shy, and dampen optimism? Here are the numbers.
- 2% – 1 (not confident in the slightest)
- 0% – 2
- 0% – 3
- 9% – 4
- 12% – 5
- 22% – 6
- 39% – 7
- 11% – 8
- 5% – 9 (very, very, VERY confident)
The improvement is mostly at the bottom end of the spectrum, where almost nobody went with lower than a “4”. Last month, 17% were in those three categories. The number in the 4-5 range combined was not very much changed, but 7 and 8 both saw increases. In particular, “7” took over from “6” as the most popular figure, and by a sizable margin. While “7” was top as recently as December, that was by a much smaller amount. You have to go back to February 2020 to find a higher number at this level of confidence. All told, there was an increase in the average level of confidence of eight-tenths of a point, from 5.55 to 6.37. It’s the best figure since May 2020, after the hot start mentioned above.
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.
June poll
Although the team did drop out of first place, that was mostly due to the Dodgers going on a bit of a tear, with an 18-10 record. Just compared to April, May went even better for the Diamondbacks, as they took advantage of a somewhat easier schedule, which also skewed towards home games. They won six and split one of the nine series played, including all three sets on a nine-game road trip (the first such showing since April 2018). But the back of the rotation still seems to many a cause for concern, and the bullpen took its lumps as well. Or does another month of winning baseball solidify your confidence that this is a team which can contend, unexpected though it may be?
That would be what the poll is for. As ever, feel free to explain your choice in the comments, especially if it has changed from the previous one.