PHOENIX — On April 22, 2024, Brandon Pfaadt took the ball for the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium and was magnificent through five innings.
The 25-year-old did not give up a hit until the fifth, but all of the sudden he walked three straight hitters to lead off the sixth. The Cardinals tagged him with a pair of runs and ended up winning the game. For D-backs manager Mike Hazen, that outing is a showcase of how close Pfaadt is to who he can become.
“You look at that game, and it’s hard not to be super excited coming out of the game for what he was doing,” Hazen said on Friday. “He had a bad inning. I think young players can have bad innings at times, and I think the veteran guys find ways to minimize it a little quicker.
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“That’s what happens with maturity, and what we see in those flashes is very real and very much what what we believe in.”
The Diamondbacks and Pfaadt agreed to a five-year extension worth a reported $45 million with a $21 million club option and $25 mutual option on the back end. The deal, announced on Friday, buys out Pfaadt’s potential arbitration years and cuts at least one year into his previous free agency.
Considering Pfaadt would make nearly $27 million over the final two guaranteed years of the deal, this is a bet by Arizona he will be an important member of the rotation for the foreseeable future.
“Over the last couple of years, there’s been some really big highlights, for sure, but the consistency that he brings to the table, from work ethic and makeup and innings eating, even at a young age, is something that we value tremendously,” Hazen said.
Pfaadt is now 26 and won the final spot in the starting five at the end of spring training. Hazen said he waited until the competition ended so that it would not become a bargaining chip.
Last year, Pfaadt had a few outings reminiscent of his start against St. Louis, the one inning that got away. He finished with a 4.71 ERA in a team-high 181.2 innings, but there are indicators that his subpar ERA does not show the entire picture.
He struck out hitters at a slightly above average clip and hardly walked anybody. His FIP (fielding-independent pitching) of 3.61 and xERA (expected ERA) of 3.78 suggest he was closer to solid. Those metrics don’t guarantee improvements but can be predictors of future performance.
Plus, the runs started to climb in the second half as he set a career high in innings.
His durability came of major value to an otherwise often-injured pitching staff, and that ability to post and attack the zone were keys to landing a deal. He was one of nine NL pitchers last year with 19 or more starts of six-plus innings.
“I think the way he goes out there and pounds the zone, is refining his stuff and hauls innings there’s a huge value to,” Hazen said. “That is a skillset in this game today with the way pitch counts get ratcheted up on guys and what it does to the bullpen and all those things that we talk about. So he has shown those things which we very much value. And he’s going to keep putting it together as he gets older and matures.”
Pfaadt also has a deep arsenal with a four-seamer, sweeper, sinker, changeup and curveball he continues to make improvements to.
Hazen said Pfaadt’s 2023 postseason (3.27 ERA in five starts) did not factor in the extension, although it is not something he takes for granted, either.
Brandon Pfaadt eager to keep building with young core
Pfaadt is one of three younger D-backs to sign an extension this spring joining shortstop Geraldo Perdomo and reliever Justin Martinez.
His excitement for the future of the club, he explained, was a factor in agreeing to an extension, as well as the security and peace of mind that comes with it.
“We’ve always had that young core coming up through the minors,” Pfaadt said. “We’ve all stuck together, and we’ve added some veteran leadership the past few years to tack on that, and I think that goes a long way. So we’re excited for what the future holds, and there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Pfaadt said it has been tough to keep this news a secret the last couple days, walking into the clubhouse not knowing who may have heard.
“I’m happy it’s out now and we can all move on and have a good year,” Pfaadt said.
Pfaadt got married this offseason and now has a fresh contract. How about a career year next?
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