It has been less than a week since the Arizona Diamondbacks' 2026 season came to a disappointing end. Now, the organization will have to use the offseason to outline the next steps toward becoming a contender once again. 

Arizona has not been back to the playoffs since going to the World Series in 2023, despite finishing with a winning record in two of the last three seasons. The Diamondbacks demonstrated that they have enough talent to win games, and they even went on a six-game winning streak during their final eight games to try to make a push into the National League Wild Card, but ultimately came up short.

Arizona's failure to make the playoffs once again raises questions about the type of personnel changes that might occur in the coming months, especially those that have been with the team for a long time. Ketel Marte is one such player, but before we discuss his future, let's revisit and grade the type of season he had.

Marte is still a good player, but his decline and the drama that accompanied it during the course of the season make his overall body of work take a hit.

Marte, 32, has been a member of the Diamondbacks since 2017. In that time, he has had both great years and average years.

In recent years, including the 2023 season, Marte has been highly productive. But in 2026, he displayed a regression.

In the 2025 season, Marte posted a .283 batting average, a .376 on-base percentage, a .517 slugging percentage, and a .893 OPS with 28 home runs across 126 games. This season, Marte was more available, playing in 141 games. However, his batting average fell to .249, his on-base percentage fell to .316, his slugging percentage dropped to .432, and his OPS fell to .748.

To make matters worse, Marte was also the center of a dramatic saga that unfolded in August when he failed to appear for a series-opening game against the Boston Red Sox. His absence landed him on the restricted list initially, before he was subsequently moved to the 10-day Injured List after an MRI revealed inflammation in his left knee.

Marte's disappearing act was eventually followed by a video in which he was seen in a casino while he was on the IL. On Aug. 31, Marte made his return to the lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies, which put an end to his tense absence.

Between his drop in production and the situation that unfolded in August while the Diamondbacks were desperately trying to stay in the playoff race, it is hard to grade Marte's season with any more than a C.