Brandon Pfaadt’s dominant return provides the rotation stability the Arizona Diamondbacks need to secure a National League Wild Card spot.
Brandon Pfaadt’s resurgence has become one of the most important developments of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ season, helping the team remain firmly involved in the postseason race.
That turnaround came after Pfaadt was demoted to Triple-A Reno on June 4 before injuries opened another opportunity in the starting rotation.
Entering Spring Training, Pfaadt was competing for a rotation spot on a staff that featured six proven pitchers for five jobs. The early left intercostal nerve irritation injury to Merrill Kelly ultimately allowed him to open the season as Arizona’s fifth starter.
Early difficult results
Pfaadt struggled particularly during the middle innings, battled inconsistent command and had trouble against left-handed hitters. Those issues eventually pushed him into the bullpen.
After posting a 5.92 ERA in 33 innings over 13 appearances (three starts), Arizona sent him to Reno.
Rather than allowing the demotion to derail his season, Pfaadt used the opportunity to refine his six-pitch arsenal, spending additional time working on his curveball.
The move proved valuable.
In his first start for Reno, Pfaadt threw three scoreless innings, surrendered only one hit and retired all nine batters he faced. He posted a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings across three Triple-A starts.
That success helped restore his confidence as a starter, particularly while pitching in a hitter-friendly environment known for producing home runs.
Arizona recalled Pfaadt on June 30 and immediately returned him to the rotation with Ryne Nelson and Michael Soroka both on the Injured List.
Since then, Pfaadt has completely changed the direction of his season.
He owns a 7-0 record with a 1.15 ERA in 54.2 innings across nine starts since returning.
Just as importantly, he has worked deep into games, reduced the burden on an overworked bullpen and provided much-needed stability to a rotation affected by injuries and inconsistency.
Alongside Eduardo Rodríguez, Pfaadt has become one of Arizona’s most dependable starters.
He also owns the third-longest streak of consecutive innings without allowing an earned run in Diamondbacks history.
Pfaadt has reached 32.2 consecutive innings, trailing only Zac Gallen and Brandon Webb.
There will inevitably be difficult outings, and maintaining his recent success indefinitely is unrealistic. He will regress.
What to expect from Pfaadt
What Arizona needs is for Pfaadt to remain competitive, provide length and quickly move past poor performances.
His response to being demoted revealed resilience and maturity. Instead of treating Reno as punishment, Pfaadt used the time to improve his repertoire and rebuild confidence.
His ability to adjust also stands out. Refining his curveball and trusting a deep six-pitch mix has given him more ways to attack hitters and avoid becoming predictable.
September will test that progress.
With Arizona chasing a Wild Card spot and every game becoming increasingly important, reliable starting pitching will be essential.
If Pfaadt continues providing quality innings and maintaining anything close to his recent form, the Diamondbacks have every reason to believe they can make a serious push toward October baseball.
