Diamondbacks
Brandon Pfaadt Must Make Progress
Brandon Pfaadt must make progress and be the workhorse the Diamondbacks need. He is a vital piece of their starting rotation.
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt must make progress if the team wants to contend for a playoff spot. After struggling with dependability last season, he needs to take the next step in his development to become a trustworthy starter.
Last Season
Last season, Pfaadt started well and looked dominant, winning five of his first six starts. He had a 2.78 ERA and was finding the strike zone pretty consistently. He began struggling in May. In a game on the last day of May, he gave up eight earned runs and could not get out of the first inning. His ERA shot up to 8.10 for the month. Inconsistency followed him the rest of the season. He alternated between a few solid starts and many poor ones. His ERA never got below 5.00.
Command Issues
Pfaadt struggled with command issues. Most notably, his fastball command often led to being pounded with hits all over the diamond. His sinker, which worked early on, was figured out by predominantly left-handed hitters, who took advantage of it. This led to a decrease in ground ball outs. Additionally, he gave up 26 home runs and led the team with 12 HBP (hit-by-pitch).
Despite his struggles, however, he had some quality starts after the All-Star break following some adjustments. He was back to showing flashes of the pitcher he could be and pitched a complete-game no-decision gem in September. Pfaadt ended the season overall with 12 quality starts.
Find his Form
Pfaadt proved his durability, missing no starts in 2025. His fastball and sinker are his best pitches. Nevertheless, he needs to regain his form and sureness, especially against left-handed hitters. Another required development is improving his road ERA. It was the league’s worst at 7.71.
Can be a Force
Pfaadt has shown he can be a force. During the Diamondbacks’ World Series run, he won three games and had a 3.27 ERA. In five playoff starts, he had 26 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched.
Long Term
Brandon Pfaadt must make progress, but the Diamondbacks have confirmed their long-term confidence in him. They signed him to a five-year, $45 million contract extension last March. The front office considers him one of the vital components of their starting rotation for the future.
Performance in 2026
Seen as a significant part of their rotation, the Diamondbacks need Pfaadt to step up as a reliable workhorse for 2026. Pitching coach Brian Kaplan is returning, as is his assistant Owen Dew. The two need to provide renewed attention and emphasis on Pfaadt’s pitch execution. Making modifications to his form, arsenal, and mental focus will be critical to helping him become a reliable and trusted member of the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation.
Should he be able to continue the performance he demonstrated at the end of last season—better yet, be able to improve upon it—he could be a driving force behind a Diamondbacks playoff run.
Jim Marshall
Jim Marshall has been writing about sports for over 10 years. He started his sports career in radio, co-hosting and producing several sports-talk radio programs in Phoenix. He has covered local, college, and national sports, but specializes in MLB. His articles have appeared in several sports-reporting sites, including our own Legends On Deck. Jim is also a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA).
