Spring Training Legends Part 1

Honoring the DBacks Spring Training legends of the past

Every year a Spring Training hero emerges. As the 2024 Spring Training started today, I want to go through the prior Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Trainings and retroactively name a MVP & Cy Young from every season. This article will start with the last 10 seasons, 2014-2023.

2023

MVP: Kyle Lewis - Cy Young: Miguel Castro

These all are going to be so funny and maybe the entire lesson of this article is that Spring Training stats REALLY don’t matter. For MVP, Kyle Lewis and PJ Higgins were extremely close. With 16 less AB’s, Kyle Lewis had the same amount HR’s, 2 more RBI, and a higher OPS. Kyle Lewis built a lot of momentum heading into the season, unfortunately got sick a week into the season, missed time in April/May, and never was able to regain this form. Surprisingly, he is still a free agent as of February 23rd as I thought for sure someone would have given him a MiLB deal by now.

Miguel Castro was lights out in 8 games, 8 IP, 8 K, 0.38 WHIP and no runs allowed. The entire rotation struggled last Spring besides Brandon Pfaadt. From the relievers, Scott McGough, Kevin Ginkel and Jeurys Familia all had 6+ appearances and ERA’s under 2, but just 1 other pitcher went scoreless with more than 1 IP (Tyler Ferguson 4.1 IP) besides Miguel Castro.

2022

MVP: David Peralta - Cy Young: Merrill Kelly

David Peralta led the Spring Training D-Backs in his final Salt River Fields season with 5 HR, 9 RBI and 1.320 OPS (min 10 AB). David Peralta ended up having a normal solid Diamondbacks season with a .777 OPS before being dealt to Tampa.

The Cy Young was trickier as Merrill Kelly had just 2 starts, but was nearly unhittable. In Kelly’s 7 IP, he had 13 K’s (2nd on team) with 0 ER, 0.14 WHIP (1 H, 0 BB) which was good for an opponent .043 batting average. Sean Poppen gets an honorable mention with 7.1 scoreless innings, 10 K’s with 4 hits and 2 walks.

2021

MVP: Christian Walker - Cy Young: JB Bukauskas

Christian Walker, Josh Rojas & Ketel Marte had a phenomenal MVP race all Spring.

I give C Walk the edge since he led in HR, tied for the lead in RBI and had 9 more than Ketel. While Ketel had a higher OPS, the counting stats do give Walker the edge. Trayce Thompson, who usually is a Spring Training star, striking out 25 times in 61 AB’s is pretty hilarious, but his 3 homers were absolute nukes.

On the pitching side, JB Bukauskas looked like the closer of the future for the Diamondbacks. 8 games, 7.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 14 K’s! The Diamondbacks started JB in Reno, brought him up in mid April, went 4 scoreless outings before starting get hard and eventually going on the IL with an elbow injury. JB made 1 more stint with the Diamondbacks but battled effectiveness and health in 2021 & 2022 before being DFA. The 2021 Spring Training was the peak of the Zack Greinke trade as Corbin Martin was progressing well from Tommy John, Bukauskas was dominate, Rojas was raking and felt like the 3B of the future, and Seth Beer was still crushing minor league pitching.

2020

MVP: Trayce Thompson - Cy Young: Keury Mella

Trayce Thompson struggled in 2021, but his 202 was legendary. Thompson hit 4 HR with 3 doubles in just 26 AB’s before COVID shut down the season. Thompson was well on his way to sneaking on the Opening Day roster, but as shown by track record since then and still striking out 11 times in 26 AB’s, he probably was due to cool off soon anyways.

Keury Mella was used late in Spring Training games and just got the job done every time. 5 GP, 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 9 K’s with 0.35 WHIP and .105 batting average. Gallen & Ray had solid Springs, but Keury Mella took advantage of his opportunity this Spring and got 10 appearances in season with a nice 1.80 ERA, 9.0 K/9. 2020 was Mella’s peak season as he got lit up in his 2 2021 MLB appearances and hasn’t made it back since.

2019

MVP: Wilmer Flores - Cy Young: Robbie Ray

Wilmer Flores slashed a strong .357/.440/.548 with 1 HR & 8 RBI. Alex Avila believe it or not comes in a close 2nd by slashing .320/.400/.680 with 3 HR, but Flores had 15 hits vs Avila’s 8. Additionally Flores had 6 extra base hits to Avila’s 3 (5 doubles for Flores).

Robbie Ray struck out 32 batters in just 16.2 IP! From 2019-2023 this is by far the most strikeouts anyone has had in Spring Training. Ray had a solid 3.86 ERA this Spring, but the strikeout totals were eye popping. Ray had a then career high 235 K’s in 2019, but 84 walks and 30 homers allowed. Extremely talented with great stuff, but Ray could never regain 2017-18 in the pre-Brett Strom era before being traded to Toronto for nothing and instantly winning the 2021 Cy Young… sigh.

2018

MVP: Rey Fuentes - Cy Young: Zack Godley

Rey Fuentes is a name I haven’t thought about in a long time, but his 2018 Spring Training made it feel like we had our next Ender Inciarte. Jake Lamb and Paul Goldschmidt had close MVP candidacies, but the 3 SB’s from Fuentes gives him the MVP.

Fuentes appeared in 64 games for the DBacks the year prior but struggled to a .235/.278/.338. Fuentes didn’t make the Opening Day roster and sadly never made it back to the majors as his great Spring did not translate to AAA Reno in 2018.

Zack Godley had a breakout 2017 posting a 3.37 ERA and 165 K’s in 155.2 IP. Godley’s 2018 Spring of 20.1 IP, 19 K’s, 2.21 ERA felt like he was ready to become a consistent SP2, but mechanics and control issues started in 2018 and Godley never came close to his 2017 form. It was a tough Spring for most Diamondbacks pitchers, as only Fernando Salas with 11 games, 11 IP, 8 K’s, 1.64 ERA had a strong Spring.

2017

MVP: Jake Lamb - Cy Young: Taijuan Walker

Jake Lamb mashed this Spring with 4 HR, 15 RBI, 1.103 OPS in 51 AB’s. Rey Fuentes also had a strong Spring going 11-19 with 2 HR, but Lamb raked and carried it into the 2017 season.

Taijuan Walker matched 2019 Robbie Ray with 32 K’s, just in more inning (27.2). Rare to see this much work from a starter in the Spring, but Walker was great with a total 3.29 ERA, 1.10 WHIP. Honorable mention to JJ Hoover who had 10 scoreless innings, 12 K’s, 0.90 WHIP which was good enough to get him an Opening Day spot. Walker’s production over a large Spring Training workload though gives him the Cy Young award though.

2016

MVP: Welington Castillo - Cy Young: Patrick Corbin

Beef had a monster 2016 Spring with 5 HR, 9 doubles, 19 RBI in just 40 AB’s. This may be the best offensive Spring from 2016-23.

Patrick Corbin had a crisp Spring with 21 IP, 24 K’s, 1.71 ERA in 5 GS. This was probably the best Spring from the pitching staff to point as a lot of the main guys threw really well. Unfortunately, that largely did not carry over into the season.

2015

MVP: Mark Trumbo - Cy Young: Enrique Burgos

This is probably the closest MVP/Cy Young year yet. Mark Trumbo wins MVP by raking up the counting stats in comparison to Jake Lamb & Brandon Drury. 19 RBI in 57 AB’s is incredible, but Lamb & Drury mashed this Spring too.

Enrique Burgos, Archie Bradley and Rubby De La Rosa had extremely similar great Springs, but Burgos had a better ERA, K/9 and had a save while appearing in a team high 12 games.

2014

MVP: Martin Prado - Cy Young: Josh Collmenter

This Spring there was a serious lack of counting stats as no one hit more than 2 homers or double digit RBI. Martin Prado went 22-50 (.440) with 1 HR and 8 RBI, earning the MVP.

Josh Collmenter as we will learn was awesome in Spring Training. In 2014 Collmenter tossed 12.2 scoreless innings while holding hitters to a .125 batting average. I’d also like to take this time to remind everyone how consistently great Josh Collmenter was.

Looking ahead, 2006-2023 will be out next. MLB.com does not have Spring Training stats saved 2005 or earlier so that’ll take some investigating….

-@GoldyHappens