The Arizona Diamondbacks turned in a pair of impressive victories and had a good chance at a third in their series win over the San Francisco Giants.
Not only did Arizona win its first series over San Francisco since 2019, it did so behind the play of the team’s young guns, with Daulton Varsho, Alek Thomas, Buddy Kennedy and Josh Rojas also playing a part.
At the midway point of the season, their growth continues to be a bright spot for an organization looking to stay competitive in a brutally tough division.
“I think it’s the development of these young guys for sure,” D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Thursday. “And the fact that we certainly started off so strong with our pitching staff and we couldn’t hit a lick and now you’re seeing us really stay in games, take over games.
“Even (in a 7-5 loss), we had a chance to win that game when you know a long ball or even a base hit ties it up so it’s fun to watch these guys believe in themselves. And you see a player like Daulton Varsho who started out so hot and then he stumbled a little bit and now he’s back on track. That’s a great sign.”
In the series win over the Giants, Varsho was among the key catalyst in the team’s success, hitting .500 with five hits (including a home run and a double), six RBIs and two runs scored in 10 plate appearances. He also slugged .900 with a 1.400 OPS.
Varsho’s homer on Tuesday also set a new franchise mark, with his eighth-inning bomb coming off a 101.8 mph pitch. It’s the fastest pitch a D-backs player has homered on since the Statcast Era began in 2015.
In addition to Varsho’s play, Thomas showed off his defensive prowess and chipped in two RBIs. Rojas and Kennedy also combined for five RBIs and added four hits apiece.
And on top of what the young D-backs are doing in the majors, there’s also something brewing down at the minor-league level, especially following prospect Corbin Carroll’s 2022 All-Star Futures Game nod on Wednesday.
“I’m hearing from them how excited they are each night to watch Varsho and Rojas and Thomas and not to mention in the minor leagues, we have guys like (Jordan Lawler) and Carroll,” Hall said. “I mean wait until you see Corbin Carroll. He might be the best player in all minor leagues for all 30 teams. There’s a lot of excitement and his future looks bright.
“And for this team to be as competitive as they are as poorly as we played in our division and especially against the Dodgers. But I think overall, I really like what I’m seeing in these guys. And I think our fans do too.”
The D-backs are back in action Thursday night against the Colorado Rockies with a 6:40 p.m. first pitch. Tune to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.