1. How dangerous is the Marte-Partay?
For those of you who don't know, the Marte-Partay is the moniker given to the lethal combination of Starling Marte and Ketel Maret (not related). Starling Marte was acquired back in January by the D'backs. A multiple time Gold Glove winner and MLB all-star, Staling Marte is a toolsy-player. He can steal bases, hit for power, play solid defense, hit for average, there is really nothing he can't do on the diamond.
Ketel Marte has only one year of superstardom under his belt, but he surely showed a lot. He showed us he can be the best offensive player on a competitive baseball team. Marte's insane slashline of .329/.389/.592 helped him earn the 4th most MVP votes of any candidate, solidifying him as one of the best players in baseball.
These two will need to be all-stars/potential MVP candidates if the D'backs want to make a run all the way to the World Series. The NL West is stacked with dangerous duo - Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger (LAD), Fernando Tatis JR and Manny Machado (SDP), and Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story (COL).
The Marte-Partay need to make their impact felt with all the competing talent in the division.
2. Who will step up after Madison Bumgarner?
Even if you think Bumgarner is coming off the worst season of his career, we more or less know what we should expect from him. After him, there are a lot of question marks in this D'backs rotation.
Will Robbie Ray ever revert back to 2017 form or was that an outlier year?
Will arm issues return for Luke Weaver or will he be able to make it through the season unscathed?
Can Zac Gallen or Alex Young build on the flashes we saw in 2019?
I do believe the D'backs have the potential to have one of the most electrifying rotations in baseball. They have the young arms who are fresh, and have actually showcased some of their ability. If guys like Zac Gallen and Luke Weaver can perform to the level we saw in 2019 for a full 60+ game season in 2020, than this rotation can be even better than 2017's.
3. Who is the Diamondbacks closer?
The easy answer is Archie Bradley. He pitched very will in that spot after the All-Star Break, converting 18 of 19 save opportunities for a 1.71 ERA. He was absolutely lights out. The only problem is how horrendous he was in May and June. He posted a 7.30 ERA in May and a 6.59 ERA in June over 23 appearances. How do we know the Archie before the All-Star Break is not the real Archie? He should have first crack at the closing role, but there are other guys who should be given a shot as well.
Kevin Ginkel is a young stud with a fiery fastball. Still only 25 years old, Ginkel pitched in 24.1 innings last year to the tune of a 1.48 ERA. He became one of Torrey Lovullo's go-to high leverage relievers and even turned into the set-up man for Bradley by the end of the season. If Ginkel can continue his trajectory, he might be next in line to take over the closer position this year if Bradley struggles or next season if he walks during free agency.
The pitcher with the most closing experience is newly acquired Hector Rondon.
Rondon broke into the league as a closer with the Chicago Cubs. From 2014-2016, he amassed 77 saves, while posting a 2.42 ERA in the process. Since playing for the Houston Astros the last couple of seasons, Rondon has transitioned from closer to high leverage pitcher, great for tough jams in the 7th and 8th innings. If Bradley falters, and if Lovullo doesn't trust Ginkel to close then maybe he turns to Rondon to get it done.
The D'backs have the talent to compete in 2020, but will the talent live up to the potential is the real question? These questions need to be answered if D'backs want a realistic shot at more than just a Wild Card berth.
