Arizona Diamondbacks Top Ten: 2001 Lives On
By Tab Bamford
With a swing of the bat, Luis González sealed the transformation of the Diamondbacks from expansion team (1998) to World Series champions in 2001. While clearly a key difference maker on the 2001 Diamondbacks, González was not the sole Latino contributing to that team’s triumph.
Joining the slugging rightfielder were Mexican native Erubiel Durazo (first baseman), Mexican-American Rod Barajas (backup catcher), Puerto Rican Alex Cintrón (shortstop), and Dominicans Miguel Bautista (pitcher), and Danny Bautista (outfielder).
In the two decades since their inception the Diamondbacks have sought to take advantage of player development through scouting in Latin America. The results have been the development of young players from Venezuela like Ender Inciarte and David Peralta, along with talent from the Dominican Republic like Jean Segura and José Valverde.
Which of these Latinos have made their mark on the Diamondbacks franchise to land a spot on their Top 10? To figure that out, we kept it simple by using WAR (as calculated by Baseball-Reference.com) as our metric of choice in composing our ranking. And while this is one measure of the impact of these players, you might have your own opinion as to who deserves to higher (or lower) on that team’s Top 10.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1. Luis González
Eight years with Arizona, 30.1 WAR, five-time All-Star, 2001 World Series Champion
US/Cuba
The man who authored the most memorable moment in Diamondbacks history comes in at number one. González was traded to Arizona by the Tigers before the 1999 season and became arguably the best offensive player in the history of the franchise. González is the Diamondbacks all-time leader in at bats, plate appearance, runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, RBI, walks and home runs (as well as a few other categories as well. But none of his hits are remembered as much as hit single off Mariano Rivera.
2. Miguel Montero
Nine years with Arizona, 13.3 WAR, two-time All-Star
Venezuela
A product of the Diamondbacks’ scouting of Venezuela, Miggy played in 906 games over nine seasons with Arizona, hitting 97 home runs and driving in 448. He hit a career-high 18 home runs and drove in 86 in 2011, the first season in which he was named an All-Star.
3. Miguel Batista
Four years with Arizona, 11.6 WAR
Dominican Republic
A journeyman pitcher who had played for five teams in six seasons, Batista solidified his big league credentials after he signed with the Dbax before the 2001 season. The Dominican posted an 11-8 record that season and started Game 5 of the World Series against the Yankees. He threw a career-high 206 innings for Arizona in 2006 and finished his time with the Diamondbacks with a 40-34 record.
4. Gerardo Parra
Six years with Arizona, 11.5 WAR, two Gold Glove awards
Venezuela
Another product of the Diamondbacks’ scouting of Venezuela, Parra arrived in Arizona as a 22-year-old in 2009 and hit .290 in 120 games as a rookie. He appeared in 787 games over six seasons with the club, driving in 250 runs and scoring 333 with a .721 OPS. Parra established himself as one of the NL’s better fielding outfielders, winning Gold Gloves in 2011 and 2013. Now in Colorado, he gets to face if former team regularly in National League West divisional games.
5. David Peralta
Five years with Arizona, 9.1 WAR
Venezuela
Peralta, 30, is the highest-ranking current Diamondback on this list. He led the league with ten triples his sophomore season with Arizona and has been a productive bat for the Diamondbacks. He has a .292 average in his career.
6. Ender Inciarte
Two years with Arizona, 8.6 WAR
Venezuela
Inciarte was a player on the rise during his two seasons with the Diamondbacks, batting .292 and establishing his credentials as a Gold Glove level centerfielder. Part of a five-player with Atlanta in December 2015, he in now in his third season with the Braves and has batted .290 with a 725 OPS. He was selected to the 2017 All Star team and has won consecutive Gold Gloves his first two seasons in Atlanta.
7. Omar Daal
Three years with Arizona, 6.8 WAR
Venezuela
Daal’s best season in the majors came in 1999 when he won 16 games and threw 214.2 innings, both career-bests. He struck out 235 batters and posted a 4.11 ERA in 473.1 innings with the Diamondbacks.
8. José Valverde
Five years with Arizona, 5.6 WAR, one All-Star Game
Dominican Republic
The only closer to make this list, Valverde led the National League with 47 saves in 2007, his only All-Star Game selection with Arizona and his final season with the club. Valverde saved 98 games in 253 appearances with Arizona, striking out 331 in 250 innings.
9. Jean Segura
One year with Arizona, 5.5 WAR
Dominican Republic
Segura was only in Arizona for one year but he made an impact as a 26-year-old, leading the league with 203 hits and scoring a career-high 102 times in 2016. He also stole 33 bases that year. Arizona traded Segura to Seattle before the 2017 season in a five-player deal that brought Ketel Marte and Taijuan Walker to the desert.
10. Erubiel Durazo
Four years with Arizona, 4.3 WAR, 2001 World Series champion
Mexico
Durazo appeared in 287 games for the Diamondbacks as a first baseman. His best season with Arizona was his final season with the team, hitting 16 home runs and driving in 48. He posted a .918 OPS for Arizona. He collected four hits, including one double, and had one RBI in the 2001 World Series.
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