The Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2026 season may have ended in disappointment, but it was not without the unexpected joys that accompany a 162-game regular season.

Although Arizona ultimately spent the postseason at home for the third consecutive year, the team still produced several encouraging developments worth reflecting on during the offseason.

The Diamondbacks finished 86-76 last year and still missed the postseason, but manager Torey Lovullo will return this year.

Anyone who follows the entire 162-game schedule understands that baseball cannot be predicted. That uncertainty remains an important part of MLB’s appeal.

Arizona fans primarily wanted to see improvement from a bullpen that finished among the bottom five in reliever ERA during both 2024 and 2025.

The lack of dependable relief pitching contributed to numerous frustrating blown leads and consistently placed pressure on the rest of the roster.

The Diamondbacks made several smaller additions in 2026 and received significant improvement from multiple relievers.

Arizona signed Taylor Clarke, who posted a 2.96 ERA in 73 innings, and Jonathan Loaisiga, who recorded a 2.42 ERA in 67 innings.

The Diamondbacks also received major second-year jumps from Juan Morillo and Brandyn Garcia.

Morillo finished with a 2.24 ERA in 64.1 innings, while Garcia recorded a 1.93 ERA in 51.1 innings.

However, not every member of the bullpen moved in a positive direction.

Closer Paul Sewald posted a 6.23 ERA in 39 innings, while Kevin Ginkel finished with a 4.12 ERA in 67.2 innings and Ryan Thompson recorded a 4.43 ERA in 40.2 innings.

Those three pitchers either regressed or failed to meet expectations.

Arizona designated Sewald for assignment on Aug. 10, while Ginkel and Thompson are unlikely to return.

Overall, the Diamondbacks improved to 16th in MLB with a 4.07 bullpen ERA.

The progress came from relievers accepting different responsibilities and consistently handling important innings.

Clarke and Loaisiga gave Lovullo experienced options, while Morillo and Garcia showed that internal development could strengthen the pitching staff without requiring major acquisitions.

Morillo and Garcia also demonstrated the composure needed to protect narrow leads and recover from difficult appearances. Their improvement gave Arizona more flexibility when determining how to navigate the middle and late innings.

Clarke provided stability through regular availability, while Loaisiga gave the bullpen another dependable arm capable of entering demanding situations.

The bullpen was not dominant from beginning to end, and the struggles of Sewald, Ginkel and Thompson prevented the group from climbing higher among MLB teams.

Still, moving from consecutive bottom-five finishes to the middle of the league represented meaningful progress. Arizona must continue strengthening the bullpen, but Clarke, Loaisiga, Morillo and Garcia provided a more reliable foundation for 2027.