As Major League Baseball teams go, the Arizona Diamondbacks are the new kids on the block. Yet, they’ve achieved a lot more than many have as a ball club. Literally, with less than ten years as a team, they won the 2001 World Series in seven games to the powerhouse New York Yankees. This was also one of the most heartfelt fall classics ever played as it was on the heels of 9/11. The Diamondbacks that year were America’s team. They did it with exceptional players as well, many of which are mentioned on this list.
Luis Gonzalez
I’d be a terrible person to not include Luis Gonzalez. He was the offensive spearhead of the 2001 team and produced one of the greatest offensive seasons ever. He hit 57 home runs, batted .325, and drove in 142. Gonzalez perhaps would’ve been the Most Valuable Player had it not been for Barry Bonds setting the world on fire. Especially with what he did in the World Series. Gonzalez not only beat Mariano Rivera in the 9th inning of game seven. He won it all for Arizona slapping a bloop single into left to give them their first and only title. This was his shining moment. Gonzalez went on to hit 224 home runs as a Diamondback as well as hitting .298 for them during eight seasons.
Randy Johnson
Yes, another member of the legendary ’01 team. Randy Johnson almost made the list for the Mariners but won that elusive ring instead with Arizona. Randy was exceptional in the desert. Between 1999-2004 he averaged 17 wins, a 2.65 earned run average, and around 300 strikeouts. He had the hardware to show for it too, earning four Cy Young awards and five all-star nods. The man was downright frightening on the mound with a triple-digit fastball throwing it at an awkward three-quarter angle. Johnson is now a Hall of Famer for very good reason.
Paul Goldschmidt
When Goldschmidt played for Arizona, he was a model of consistency. The powerful first baseman hit 209 home runs for the Diamondbacks in eight seasons. He finished runner-up in MVP votes twice, made six all-star appearances, and won four silver slugger awards. His best season came in 2015 batting .321 with 33 homers, 110 runs batted in, and a 1.005 on-base plus slugging. Although he doesn’t play for Arizona anymore, the man is fun to watch as a Cardinal.
Brandon Webb
Here is the first and only player on this list to have played his entire career for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, it was short-lived, making his final major league appearance at age 30. He was an ace for the team in the latter half of the 2000s. He won the Cy Young award in 2006 leading the league in wins at 16 and posting a 3.10 ERA. The next two seasons he finished runner-up in Cy Young voting and was an all-star all three seasons. In his second to last Major League season, he led the majors in wins at 22. Injuries sadly derailed his career and it makes you really think of what could’ve been.
Conclusion
Given the fact the Arizona Diamondbacks are the newest team in baseball, it wasn’t easy picking players for this list. I had to resort to a few players who played for many other teams, one who still plays, and one who had his career tragically cut short. Regardless, these are still great ballplayers and positively benefitted past Diamondbacks teams.
