The Arizona Diamondbacks completed an enigma of a 2025 season. For those who did not endure each and every heartbreak (along with each and every thrilling win), the theme was simple: inconsistency.
And yet, within that inconsistency there is a relatively stable bottom line. The D-backs ended their season 80-82, and could have finished at or slightly above .500 if they had not been already eliminated by game 160.
It was a year full of injury, disappointment and underperformance. But are the D-backs truly a bad team?
Arizona’s final landing position on Bleacher Report’s end-season power rankings emphasizes exactly what was so frustrating about the year.
According to Joel Reuter, the D-backs end 2025 ranked 15th among 30 MLB clubs. That number is somewhat surprising, given the overall feeling of disappointment about Arizona’s season.
Here’s what Reuter had to say:
“The offseason addition of Corbin Burnes raised expectations for the Diamondbacks’ rotation, which also included Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt. Paired with the highest-scoring offense in 2024, hopes were high. Ultimately, a 29-24 finish brought the team close to a .500 record.”
It’s easy to look at expectations and be extremely disappointed. Fans, coaches, players, executives (and even the owner) should feel that way.
But in a strange way, the D-backs perfectly balanced two separate seasons, coming out ultimately around even.
The D-backs simply played poor baseball for the first half of the year.
They pitched poorly, they played poor defense, and they did not execute at the plate despite overall positive offensive numbers. They endured devastating injury after devastating injury.
Arizona’s front office made the decision to salvage what they could from what looked like a lost season. They sold off veterans, fan-favorites and high-level contributors for prospects.
But then, something began to happen. A team that was eight games below .500 to open August rallied in the absence of expectations.
They went five games above .500 in their final two months despite finishing the season on a disappointing five-game losing streak. Young players began to show positive signs of development, both at the major and minor league levels.
In truth, if there were no expectations on this team, there might have been a decent level of optimism about 2026, even with the injuries. The high-energy feeling from the 2023 and 2024 seasons felt like it made a comeback.
For as dismal as the first half felt, the second half felt like a new team — a young, hungry team just a few pieces away from truly contending. Add those two together, and 15th somehow feels about right.