The Diamondbacks are a team on the rise after unloading some star players the last couple of seasons with players like: Paul Goldschmidt and Zack Greinke. Goldschmidt in particular was the face of the D'backs franchise over the course of 8 seasons. With his departure from the team, who is going to step up and take the torch that Goldy left behind. Well, there are three players who have a real case to call themselves 'the face' of the franchise: Archie Bradley, Madison Bumgarner, and Ketel Marte.
Archie Bradley
Bradley's fastball is as fiery as his personality. His first couple of season's in the big league's was a struggle. The D'backs tried to utilize him as a starting pitcher, but the results were poor - with the resulting ERA flirting with the 6's. He was moved to the bullpen in his third season, from there a star was born. Archie Bradley had one of the most dominant relief season's we've seen in recent memory. Pitching to a dazzling 1.73 ERA in 73 innings pitched. Bradley was quickly one of the most recognizable faces, not just on the D'backs, but in baseball. With a big personality, and even bigger beard, Bradley was one of the only players in baseball who could be recognized in a grocery aisle. Bradley's popularity was at it's peak with D'backs fans quickly anointing Bradley as their new favorite player outside of Goldy. The love affair didn't last that long however; Bradley has been solid the last couple of seasons, but no where near the level of dominance he showed back in 2017. With struggles during the 2019 season, fans were left wondering whether Bradley's 2017 season was just a fluke. If Bradley ever want to re-capture the hearts of the fans again, he's going to need to play like he did back in 2017, consistently.
Madison Bumgarner
The 5-year, $85 million dollar man is bringing a lot of pedigree to the Valley. As a three-time World Series champion and World Series MVP, Bumgarner has all the credentials to be the face of the franchise. No one else on the team comes close to the level of success Bumgarner has under his cowboy hat. As the highest paid player on the team and the most accomplished, it's easy for Bumgarner to take over the role. Only problem...he's coming off his worst season as a pro and he's over 30, so his best days might be in the rear-view mirror. Not being a hometown kid and not coming through the farm system hurts his case as well. D'backs fans have spent years despising Bumgarner when he was on the mound for the Giants. Now the fans are expected to turn around and welcome Bumgarner with open arms. If Bumgarner can assert his dominance for the D'backs like he did so many years against the team, he will surely be one of the favorites to take the torch.
Ketel Marte
Acquired as the secondary piece in the trade that netted Taijuan Walker, Marte has quickly established himself as one of the premiere second basemen since joining the team. With numbers improving every year, it all culminated this past season for Marte. He made his first all-star appearance, while also finishing 4th in MVP voting. Hard to find a baseball expert right now who doesn't think Marte is top-5 player at his position or better. The fact that he is younger than 27-years old bodes well for fans growing a personal investment in him. Marte has captivated D'backs fans the last couple of seasons, similar to how Bradley did it in 2017. Both putting up statistical dominant seasons, but Archie Bradley has turned into an unspectacular player the last couple of years, will Ketel Marte do the same?
Conclusion
After dissecting the cases for these three players, there is only one obvious answer to be the face of the franchise - Ketel Marte. He's a position player, so he can make his impact felt every game. He's coming off a MVP worthy season, so we don't have to dive deep into any history books to remind us how great he is. And he has the underdog story as the throw-in piece in the Taijuan Walker trade that people can rally behind. Marte has cemented himself as a stud for the time being. If he duplicates his production from this past season consistently, he will hold on to the torch for years to come, regardless of what Bumgarner or Bradley does. If the team continues to ascend as Marte does, then he might not just be the face of the Diamondbacks, but the face of Phoenix sports.
