Today marks the one-year anniversary of Gerardo Perdomo signing a long-term contract with Arizona. At the time, he had played four seasons for Arizona, and while there was some concern about this blocking Jordan Lawlar at the shortstop position, it was generally received warmly. Perdomo had played just over 400 games for the Diamondbacks at that point, putting up a total of 6.5 bWAR. Then 2025 happened: he surged past that tally in 2025 alone (7.0), his OPS+ jumping thirty-five points on the previous year. He won the Silver Slugger at short, and came sixth in MVP voting – he should certainly have been much higher, arguably runner-up. So…
Which Diamondback will break out in 2026?
As Perdomo shows, it doesn’t even have to be a rookie – he lost his rookie status three years before his breakout campaign. It could be a player who has been quietly performing reasonably on the roster, who suddenly takes the next step forward. The bar for breaking out depends on current performance too. We can’t really expect the likes of Corbin Carroll or Ketel Marte to do it. Possible contenders might include Brandon Pfaadt, Pavin Smith, Jordan Lawlar, Tim Tawa, Yilber Diaz, Andrew Hoffman, Cristian Mena or Jorge Barrosa. So who have you got, and why are you choosing them?