The Arizona Diamondbacks can really use the help of a specific player in the second half of the 2026 MLB season.
The second half of the 2026 Major League Baseball season is in full effect, and the pressure is ramping up for teams to improve or sell at the upcoming Trade Deadline, depending on their individual outlooks the rest of the way.
Among those teams are the Arizona Diamondbacks who, at 53-49, are second in the National League West Division and third in the NL Wild Card hunt heading into Thursday’s one-off against the St. Louis Cardinals, which is a makeup game from June 25.
The Diamondbacks have experienced several ups and downs this season, and if they want to be one of the teams playing in October, it is going to take more consistent winning over the next two-plus months. It will also take the return and production of a certain player.
Diamondbacks need Burnes
For the Diamondbacks to reach their goals, they need more from their pitching staff. Specifically, they need Corbin Burnes back in the starting rotation.
Recently, The Athletic put together another list of MLB power rankings, and it took one player from each team that must play like an All-Star to help ensure their respective team’s success. The Diamondbacks landed at No. 17 out of the 30 MLB teams, which was the same ranking they held in the previous list.
With Burnes, the problem has not been production, but availability. In June 2025, Burnes underwent Tommy John surgery that ended his season. A year later, he suffered a right teres major strain during his rehab from the procedure that will likely keep him out of the rotation until September.
When Burnes returns, he won’t have much of a runway to get acclimated after not pitching in an MLB setting for more than a year. However, that does not change the type of impact he can and will need to make for the Diamondbacks.
The 2026 season for right-handers Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen has been rough. Gallen is currently on the injured list, but when he has been healthy, he is a lowly 3-9 with a 6.34 ERA.
Kelly has not been much better. At 37 years old, it looks like Father Time is catching up to him, and he is 8-8 with a 5.12 ERA. Their lack of production is hurting Arizona, which puts more emphasis on Burnes’ return.
Before Burnes’ 2025 campaign ended, he had a 3-2 record with a 2.66 ERA. It is hard to say if he can replicate that level of production upon his return, but if he does, the Diamondbacks will be in a better spot.
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