What does 2026 have in store for the D-backs?

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It has been both an exhilarating and heartbreaking past three seasons for Diamondbacks fans, filled with a 2023 World Series run and two playoff near misses in '24 and '25.

What's in store for 2026? No one knows for sure, but based on the past three years it seems a safe bet that it will be filled with twists and turns that leave us wondering right up until the end.

Here's a look ahead at what's to come for the Diamondbacks in 2026:

What Needs to Go Right?

It's a big year for the starting rotation to step up. The Diamondbacks will be six deep in the rotation when Merrill Kelly returns in April and seven deep when Corbin Burnes comes back in July, and that depth will be important because they could use the rotation to set the tone for the pitching staff.

If the starters can pitch relatively deep into games, that would take a lot of pressure off the bullpen and allow manager Torey Lovullo to line it up the way he wants. It will also help take some pressure off the offense, which has carried the team for the past few seasons and lacks some of the thunder it had last year with the departures of Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor.

Great Unknown

Did the Diamondbacks do enough to shore up a bullpen that struggled last year?

GM Mike Hazen received some criticism for not doing more, but several of the higher-profile closers on the market were out of Arizona’s price range. Instead, the Diamondbacks tried to be opportunistic, getting Paul Sewald on a one-year deal after seeing his velocity increase this past offseason and adding hard-throwing Jonathan Loáisiga, who has looked good this spring.

Those are all encouraging signs, and the bullpen will get a boost in the first half of the season when A.J. Puk returns and in the second when Justin Martinez is expected to return.

Team MVP Will Be ...

There is no shortage of candidates to choose from, with Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte leading the way, but while all three project to have outstanding seasons, we'll go with Marte.

The second baseman was mentioned prominently in trade rumors all offseason, and it would be surprising if he isn't extra motivated this year to post big numbers. While Marte has accomplished a lot in his career -- National League Championship Series MVP, two straight starting spots in the All-Star Game -- there are two big items he hasn't accomplished that he would like to. The first is a Gold Glove Award, and the other is the NL MVP Award. When he's hot, he can carry a lineup for weeks. 

Team Cy Young Will Be ...

If you know anything about Zac Gallen, it's that he pitches better when he has a chip on his shoulder. And while in the past he may have had to search hard for one, this year he won't have to.

Gallen turned down a qualifying offer last fall and then watched other starting pitchers sign multiyear contracts while he stayed on the market. After signing a one-year deal just after Spring Training opened, Gallen will no doubt use the offseason snub from other teams to help fuel him. Look for him to have a bounceback season in a major way.

Bold Prediction

After being picked by many to make the postseason the past two seasons, less seems to be expected from the Diamondbacks in 2026.

These are the types of seasons in which Arizona seems to thrive. No one expected its magical 2023 season, and it wasn't on experts' radars in '11 and '17 when it also made the postseason. This year, again, the Diamondbacks will surprise people and survive a tough early schedule, get a boost from the return of injured players and slither their way back into October baseball.