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The series kicked off with a brisk start in San Diego, delivering an easy 8-0 win, but the momentum quickly collapsed from the first inning on Tuesday when Zac Gallen surrendered a three-run home run. Wednesday brought an all-around ugly game, with the pitching, defense, and offense all struggling. Despite occasional flashes of competence, and with hoped-for reinforcements not arriving, it’s looking more and more likely that Arizona might head into the trade deadline as sellers. There are simply too many holes. We currently have only one active starting pitcher with an ERA+ around 90, we’re near the bottom of the league in offensive production at three positions, and even though the bullpen has improved, it’s still only average.
So which position is the biggest problem? That was this week’s survey question, and it turned into a two-horse race. Brought to you by FanDuel, eighty-six percent of the votes pointed to either first base or Gallen as the biggest issue, with Gallen narrowly edging out first base. There’s no doubt that both have been problematic. Gallen stands at a -1.6 bWAR, the worst figure posted by any Arizona pitcher since Chad Qualls’ infamous run in 2010, when he recorded -2.2 bWAR over 38 innings (and Qualls went on to play seven more seasons in the majors). No previously qualified D-backs starter has posted an ERA+ as low as 68; even Brandon Pfaadt’s 81 from last year was worse. Fans openly dread Gallen’s next outing.
Being the worst in franchise history is one thing, but right now Arizona’s first baseman is posting the lowest OPS in more than a century. In the three weeks since I first highlighted this issue on June 18, the OPS has fallen another seven points to .554. The 2026 D-backs have slid below the 1920 Pirates (.557) and, in the live-ball era, sit above only the 1920 A’s (.530). And to put that in perspective, in 1920 the MLB-wide OPS for first basemen was 46 points lower than in 2026 (.734 vs. .780). As Jack noted, Pavin Smith is more a symptom of the problem than the cause, since he accounts for only about 14% of the plate appearances at first base.
Identifying the problem is one thing; solving it is quite another. Torey has essentially had to run Gallen out there every fifth day due to the lack of alternatives—especially with Michael Soroka and Ryne Nelson out, and Corbin Burnes not returning anytime soon. The same goes for first base. If you look at the last two months, the three most-used 1B options this season—Jose Fernandez, Ildemaro Vargas, and Pavin Smith—each have OPS starting with a “4.” As Jack noted, we have absolutely no clue who will man first base for Arizona in 2027.
I’m aiming for better SEO with this update, and I’m keeping the focus on the big-picture issues facing the club as we approach the trade deadline.