Arizona Diamondbacks: lineup and rotation patterns
What 2023–2025 Retrosheet data tells us about how the Arizona Diamondbacks set their lineups and used their pitchers.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
Our read on the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona's lineup leaned on matchups. Three regulars swung sharply with the opposing starter's hand: Alek Thomas started 92% of games against right-handers but 33% against left-handers, Pavin Smith 60% against 9%, and Randal Grichuk the reverse, 10% against right-handers and 63% against left-handers. The DH spot rotated among 14 players, with Smith the most frequent at 40 starts (25%).
The rotation was among the steadiest: Arizona used nine starting pitchers, a figure only St. Louis (eight) undercut, and Zac Gallen and Brandon Pfaadt made 33 starts each. The leadoff spot was not settled: the same hitter led off consecutive games only 55% of the time, third lowest, and Corbin Carroll led off 72 times. Gabriel Moreno made the most starts at catcher with 66, so no catcher started half the games.
Where the Arizona Diamondbacks ranked in 2025
| Arizona Diamondbacks | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 80 | 81.0 | 18 |
| Different batting orders | 129 | 135.9 | T-22 |
| Same order as previous game | 2.5% | 4.8% | T-19 |
| Most uses of one order | 6 | 4.8 | T-4 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 55% | 75% | 28 |
| Players in the lineup | 24 | 24.4 | T-14 |
| Games vs LHP | 46 | 42.6 | T-11 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 3.7 | 3.6 | 15 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 1.9 | 2.0 | 18 |
| Starting pitchers | 9 | 13.2 | T-26 |
| Top-five starters' share | 86% | 76% | 3 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 37% | 31% | 8 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 4% | 5% | 21 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 41% | 58% | T-27 |
| Players at DH | 14 | 10.7 | T-7 |
| Top DH's share | 25% | 51% | 27 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 84–78 | 113 / 49 | 135 | 23 | 14 |
| 2024 | 89–73 | 105 / 57 | 123 | 21 | 14 |
| 2025 | 80–82 | 116 / 46 | 129 | 24 | 9 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Gabriel Moreno (94) | Gabriel Moreno (83) | Gabriel Moreno (66) |
| 1B | Christian Walker (150) | Christian Walker (126) | Josh Naylor (73) |
| 2B | Ketel Marte (139) | Ketel Marte (109) | Ketel Marte (100) |
| 3B | Emmanuel Rivera (54) | Eugenio Suarez (154) | Eugenio Suarez (100) |
| SS | Geraldo Perdomo (97) | Geraldo Perdomo (95) | Geraldo Perdomo (160) |
| LF | Lourdes Gurriel (89) | Lourdes Gurriel (120) | Lourdes Gurriel (114) |
| CF | Alek Thomas (104) | Corbin Carroll (75) | Alek Thomas (121) |
| RF | Jake McCarthy (65) | Corbin Carroll (71) | Corbin Carroll (132) |
| DH | Lourdes Gurriel (50) | Joc Pederson (105) | Pavin Smith (40) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 30 | 16–14 | 8 | 25 | 5 | – |
| May | 28 | 11–17 | 8 | 19 | 6 | Jordan Lawlar |
| June | 26 | 15–11 | 6 | 16 | 6 | Aramis Garcia, Ildemaro Vargas, James McCann |
| July | 25 | 9–16 | 8 | 24 | 6 | Adrian Del Castillo, Blaze Alexander, Tristin English |
| August | 29 | 17–12 | 9 | 27 | 7 | Connor Kaiser, Tyler Locklear |
| September | 24 | 12–12 | 7 | 20 | 6 | none |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Corbin Carroll (72); 2. Ketel Marte (81); 3. Pavin Smith (42); 4. Josh Naylor (67); 5. Eugenio Suarez (49); 6. Lourdes Gurriel (27); 7. Alek Thomas (39); 8. Alek Thomas (63); 9. Jose Herrera (53).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Jose Herrera (56) | 5 | 70% |
| 1B | Pavin Smith (34) | 6 | 39% |
| 2B | Tim Tawa (20) | 7 | 46% |
| 3B | Blaze Alexander (49) | 6 | 16% |
| SS | Garrett Hampson (1) | 3 | 2% |
| LF | Jake McCarthy (35) | 5 | 37% |
| CF | Jake McCarthy (12) | 7 | 42% |
| RF | Randal Grichuk (17) | 4 | 15% |
| DH | Adrian Del Castillo (26) | 14 | 83% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.2 |
| Left-handed | 1.9 | 4.5 | 2.7 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alek Thomas | left-handed | 92% (107) | 33% (15) |
| Randal Grichuk | right-handed | 10% (12) | 63% (29) |
| Pavin Smith | left-handed | 60% (70) | 9% (4) |
| Jake McCarthy | left-handed | 45% (52) | 13% (6) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zac Gallen | RHP | 33 | March 27, 2025 | Sept. 26, 2025 | 5 | 12 |
| Brandon Pfaadt | RHP | 33 | March 29, 2025 | Sept. 28, 2025 | 5 | 14 |
| Eduardo Rodriguez | LHP | 29 | March 30, 2025 | Sept. 27, 2025 | 5 | 11 |
| Ryne Nelson | RHP | 23 | May 5, 2025 | Sept. 24, 2025 | 5 | 7 |
| Merrill Kelly | RHP | 22 | March 28, 2025 | July 26, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Corbin Burnes | RHP | 11 | April 1, 2025 | June 1, 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| Nabil Crismatt | RHP | 5 | Aug. 17, 2025 | Sept. 14, 2025 | 5 | 1 |
| Anthony DeSclafani | RHP | 4 | July 6, 2025 | Aug. 12, 2025 | 4.5 | 1 |
| Rest before start | Arizona Diamondbacks | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 37% | 31% |
| 5 days | 52% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 7% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 4% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 41% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 44 | 20% | 44% |
| All other games | 118 | 48% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| Pavin Smith | 40 | 25% |
| Adrian Del Castillo | 26 | 16% |
| Randal Grichuk | 23 | 14% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used 6 times, more than the club average of 4.8.
Lineup 1 (6 times, last on June 17, 2025): 1. Corbin Carroll RF, 2. Ketel Marte 2B, 3. Geraldo Perdomo SS, 4. Josh Naylor 1B, 5. Eugenio Suarez 3B, 6. Lourdes Gurriel LF, 7. Pavin Smith DH, 8. Alek Thomas CF, 9. Jose Herrera C.
Lineup 2 (5 times, last on May 12, 2025): 1. Corbin Carroll RF, 2. Ketel Marte 2B, 3. Pavin Smith DH, 4. Josh Naylor 1B, 5. Eugenio Suarez 3B, 6. Gabriel Moreno C, 7. Lourdes Gurriel LF, 8. Alek Thomas CF, 9. Geraldo Perdomo SS.
Lineup 3 (5 times, last on June 14, 2025): 1. Corbin Carroll RF, 2. Ketel Marte 2B, 3. Geraldo Perdomo SS, 4. Josh Naylor 1B, 5. Eugenio Suarez 3B, 6. Lourdes Gurriel LF, 7. Pavin Smith DH, 8. Gabriel Moreno C, 9. Alek Thomas CF.
Top nine vs RHP (11/116): Alek Thomas, Corbin Carroll, Eugenio Suarez, Gabriel Moreno, Geraldo Perdomo, Josh Naylor, Ketel Marte, Lourdes Gurriel, Pavin Smith.
Top nine vs LHP (3/46): Corbin Carroll, Eugenio Suarez, Gabriel Moreno, Geraldo Perdomo, Jake McCarthy, Josh Naylor, Ketel Marte, Lourdes Gurriel, Randal Grichuk.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.