👋 GOOD MORNING
Happy Wednesday! What a Wednesday it is too, as pitchers and catchers officially report for D-Backs workouts today! Remember, you don’t need to wait until games start to go see your favorite players, as fans can go to Salt River Fields to catch a glimpse of the stars beginning today — doors are open (and it’s free!) from 9 am – 12:30 pm each day.
One last callout — HUGE congrats to Kevin Durant, who became just the eighth player in league history to eclipse 30,000 career points. What an accomplishment — congrats, KD!!
On to the show!
What to Watch For as Spring Training Kicks Off
It’s about that time.
Arizona Diamondbacks pitchers and catchers are holding their first official workouts today! They’re in an interesting position heading into the 2025 campaign, as they actually won five more games in 2024 than they did in their 2023 World Series season, but failed to qualify for the playoffs despite the year-over-year improvement. 2025 isn’t shaping up to be any easier given the big-spending Dodgers in the NL West, but the D-Backs spent some money this offseason, as well, offering reason for optimism this Spring.
New Faces Can Have an Immediate Impact: Arizona made a few offseason splashes, most notably trading for a few well-established impact players. There is opportunity for some of Arizona’s youngest prospects to also earn some favorable playing time, offering the same mixture of youth and experience that D-Backs fans have come to know over the past few seasons.
- RHP Corbin Burnes: The crown jewel of the D-Backs’ free agency haul, the righty is sure to help a rotation that was expected to do big things last year. The four-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner (2021) was 15-9 with 181 strikeouts,
- 1B Josh Naylor: The 27-year-old was acquired from the Guardians this offseason, and his arrival will cushion the blow from Christian Walker’s departure. He’s a career .262 hitter, recorded 108 RBI and 31 home runs last year in an All-Star season, and he brings a veteran presence, having participated in Cleveland’s postseason runs in 2020, 2022 and 2024.
- SS Jordan Lawlar: The young prospect is ranked as the top prospect in the D-Backs’ system by Baseball America, as well as the 13th overall. Injuries have slowed his development, but he’s poised to have a breakout year. The 22-year-old has 31 career MLB at bats, and one in the playoffs (2023 NLCS).
Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley
Vaulting Out Front: ASU gymnast Jada Mangahas was named the Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week after winning the vault and bars titles in the Sun Devils’ win over Texas Women’s University last Friday.
Sun Down: The Suns fell to the Grizzlies 119-112 last night, dropping them to 26-27 on the season. The loss overshadowed Durant’s incredible night, in which he notched 34 points en route to eclipsing the 30,000 point mark on his career. Truly amazing.
Wildcats Stumble: The Arizona men’s basketball team lost for the first time since Jan. 28, suffering a 73-70 defeat to Kansas State in Manhattan, Kans. There’s no rest for the weary, as the Wildcats host No. 6 Houston on Saturday in what could be an instant classic.
🧢 Tip of the Hat
Here’s a sight we have been waiting to see: Hear from Josh Naylor, one of the newest D-Backs!
