Happy Tuesday! I hope your week is off to a good start.

In light of today’s Diamondbacks-themed issue, I want to make sure to congratulate Eugenio Suárez, who recorded his 900th career RBI with a ninth-inning solo shot in last night’s win over the Giants. The homer, by the way, was his 11th home run this month, and he is now tied with Lou Brock and Steve Brodie for the 400th-most RBI in MLB history.

Congrats, Geno!

On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

Grading the Diamondbacks At the Midway Point

It hasn’t all been bad.

Yes, the Diamondbacks have been massively disappointing throughout the first half of the season, but the team’s current mark of 42-42is actually one game better than their 41-43 mark at the same point last season.

Remember, that was a team that missed the postseason despite winning 89 games, which was five more than the 2023 NL-pennant winning team.

Expectations were (rightfully) elevated heading into 2025, but the Diamondbacks have been mediocre, at best, and it shows in the standings.

Assigning Grades As the All-Star Break Approaches

Stellar hitting has been dwarfed by inconsistent — if not maddening — pitching. The bullpen’s struggles have been well documented throughout the season, but is it really as bad as it seems?

Here’s how each facet of the Diamondbacks’ season stacks up.

Hitting: A

Arizona’s plate presence is honestly one of the only reasons why there’s still hope this season. The Diamondbacks rank fifth in the league with 120 home runs, third in total RBI (423) and runs (433), and ninth in batting average (.254). Add to it that the team has struck out the fifth-fewest times while taking the fifth-most walks, and there’s not a whole lot anyone would change on the offensive side of the ball, even after the injury bug has taken its first bite out of the club.

Starting Pitching: D

If this were based solely on strikeouts, the Diamondbacks would be in business, as starters have fanned the eight-most batters in the league. Unfortunately, the Arizona rotation has also allowed the sixth-most earned runs (223), fourth-most overall runs (247), and has the seventh-worst ERA at 4.45. Diamondbacks starters have also issued the 10th-most walks, and have been heavily impacted by injuries, as ace Corbin Burnes and starter Jordan Montgomery both required Tommy John Surgery.

Shoutout to Ryne Nelson, who pitched an absolute gem against the Giants yesterday.

Relief Pitching: F

It has been even worse for the bullpen. The Diamondbacks’ relief pitchers have combined for the third-highest ERA (5.31), fifth-highest WHIP (1.44), and fourth-highest earned runs against (170), putting the team in a tough spot regardless of how the starters have performed. Late-inning collapses have been especially prevalent as of late, but if there’s any sort of silver lining, the division-leading Dodgers have also struggled on the mound.

Injuries have taken their toll on the bullpen, as well, as Justin Martinez underwent Tommy John surgery, while A.J. Puk underwent surgery to repair his UCL, ruling both out until late 2026, at the earliest.

Defense: C

The Diamondbacks’ defense is tied for 15th with a .986 fielding percentage, a surprising development considering they led the league just a season ago. Still, it hasn’t exactly been the team’s achilles heel — most of that blame resides with the pitching staff.

Overall Performance: C-

It doesn’t matter how well the offense has performed, the Diamondbacks are 11 games out of first in the division and 4.5 back from the Wild Card, which is far lower than anyone had imagined heading into the season. There’s still half a season to put things together, but considering the July 31 trade deadline is looming, the runway is short for the purposes of determining how the roster will shape up this summer.

Alive Again: The Diamondbacks snapped their four-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Giants last night, rallying for two runs after blowing yet another late-inning lead. No matter, as Arizona secured a big division win over San Francisco, as the teams prepare to lock horns for three more games this week.

It’s Official: The Suns officially announced the arrival of center Mark Williams today, less than a week after dealing Vasa Micić, the draft rights to Liam McNeeley, the 29th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, as well as a 2029 first-round pick (least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota, Utah) to Charlotte in exchange for the big man. When healthy, Williams has been a force on the court, and should pair nicely with the recently drafted Khaman Maluach out of Duke.

CP3-U-Again?: Could Chris Paul really be on his way back to The Valley? That’s the word around town, and our very own Gerald Bourguet breaks everything down as general manager Brian Gregory enters his first free agency period with the Suns. Gregory has been active already, though, inking two-time All-Euro League selection Nigel Hayes-Davis, who last played in the NBA in 2017-18.

No Doubter: Congrats to Satou Sabally, who was named a frontcourt starter for the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis next month. Sabally, who has led the Suns in scoring for the entire season, is averaging 19.1 points and eight rebounds this season, and will now be making her third All-Star appearance. Congrats, Satou!

Tip Of The Hat By Branded Bills

Seriously, this could happen.