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Hazen and Lovullo are still searching for a closer for the 2026 season.
Despite a disappointing 2025 for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where they missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season, the defense shone bright.
It has a great chance of shining bright again.
MLB.com’s Mike Petriello did an exercise where he projected the top defensive teams in the league for 2026. Those teams were the Toronto Blue Jays, the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox, the Cleveland Guardians, and the Diamondbacks.
Despite having several Gold Glovers on the team already, the Diamondbacks are a newcomer to this list, according to Petriello.
Why are the Arizona Diamondbacks Set to Have a Top 5 Defense?
Arizona currently has a great defensive roster. According to Petriello, the Diamondbacks have no obvious defensive weaknesses.
“It’s pretty easy to point to ‘they traded for Nolan Arenado,’ because while he’s not the peak elite defender he once was, he should still be pretty good,” Petriello wrote.
“(And certainly an upgrade over Eugenio Suárez and those who followed him.) You like Gabriel Moreno, Geraldo Perdomo, and Corbin Carroll all well enough, and Carlos Santana’s glove is still strong even if his bat isn’t, but really, this is less about superstar fielders and more about no obvious weaknesses.”
Acquiring Arenado was a major defensive upgrade, even if the bat is no longer there. A 10-time Gold Glove winner and six-time Platinum Glove winner, Arenado is one of the greatest defensive third basemen of all time.
While his Outs Above Average was still above-average (+3 per Baseball Savant), he is no longer the player he once was.
Arenado replaces fan-favorite third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who was one of the worst defenders in baseball last year.
As for Perdomo, his bat wasn’t the only thing that propelled him into the National League MVP race. He accumulated +5 OAA during the 2025 season on top of an elite season at the plate.
Moreno is a strong defender behind the dish, winning a Gold Glove in 2023. As for Santana, he won a Gold Glove in 2024 and is still a quality defender at first.
Who Are Other Impact Defenders on the Diamondbacks?
Carroll, although he has never won a Gold Glove, has steadily improved each year defensively. While his elite speed certainly helps, his fielding was also elite in 2025, with a +10 OAA.
Second baseman Ketel Marte, although known more for his elite bat, still has an above-average glove. In 2025, he accumulated +1 OAA, good for the 74th percentile.
With the Diamondbacks trading outfielder Jake McCarthy this offseason, there seemed to be a hole in centerfield. However, Alek Thomas can fill that hole defensively with an average OAA.
While there is a question as to who will fill the hole in left field left by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. due to his ACL injury, the Diamondbacks have options.
As Petriello said, there isn’t really a weakness on the defensive end for Arizona. The offense will likely be superb as always.
While the pitching certainly needs improvement, Arizona’s defense will be sure to save some runs and headaches from the pitching staff.
Matthew Singer Matthew Singer is a sports reporter covering MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2025, and has two years of experience covering local professional, collegiate and high school sports, including writing for Cronkite News and Arizona PBS. More about Matthew Singer
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