For the second time in the last three seasons, a winning record was not enough to catapult the Arizona Diamondbacks into the National League playoff landscape. 

The Diamondbacks finished with an 86-76 record, yet they finished in fourth place in the NL Wild Card standings. The 2026 MLB season marked the third straight year since Arizona reached the World Series that it had failed to make it back to October. 

For the Diamondbacks, many factors contributed to a season in which they were just not good enough. One such factor was the near-season-long absence of right-handed ace Corbin Burnes. 

Burnes, 31, is a four-time All-Star, a former Cy Young Award winner and a winner of an ERA title. 

His resume speaks for itself and illustrates the type of impact he has on Arizona's pitching staff. It is the reason why he was awarded a six-year, $210 million contract by the Diamondbacks when he was a free agent in December 2024. 

However, Burnes quickly hit a roadblock in his first season with Arizona when he needed to undergo Tommy John surgery. Burns pitched his last game of the 2025 season on June 1, and he did not make his way back to the mound for the Diamondbacks until just weeks ago, on Sept. 8, after a right teres major muscle strain he suffered in June hampered his recovery process. 

Burnes’ return to the mound was understandably shaky after so much time away, and through three starts in September, he only logged 10.1 innings while registering a rough 7.84 ERA. Obviously, Burnes is a much better player than what he demonstrated in September, but the significance of his injuries and time away from the mound is certainly concerning. 

The Diamondbacks' pitching staff was not great in 2026. All-Star left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez was the exception to an otherwise below-average starting rotation. Now, looking ahead to 2027, Burnes' presence is considered to be a bright spot for this team. 

The hope was that Burnes' return to the rotation, even as late as it was, would help spark the Diamondbacks and propel them to the playoffs. However, this was never a realistic bet. 

The good news is that with a full offseason to recover and potentially even more time given the pending lockout in Major League Baseball, Burnes can recapture what made him so dominant in the recent past. 

Arizona's front office has some work to do this offseason, and it certainly should not rely on Burnes to carry so much of the weight of its pitching staff, but his presence will be welcomed back with open arms.