No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on their career while playing for that club. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only.
1. Miguel Montero, 2006-14
Key fact: 23.3 fWAR is third highest in club history
Fun fact: Is now a player agent
Montero was not just the best catcher in D-backs history, but also one of the best players by virtue of fWAR, ranking only behind Paul Goldschmidt and Luis Gonzalez.
Simply known to teammates and fans alike as “Miggy,” he was signed by the D-backs out of Venezuela as a non-drafted free agent in 2001 for a $13,000 bonus. While coming up through Arizona's system, Montero made it a priority to learn English so that he could better communicate with his teammates, particularly the pitchers. He became a U.S. citizen in 2017.
Montero made his big league debut with the D-backs on Sept. 6, 2006. Marlins right-hander Aníbal Sánchez no-hit the D-backs that night, and Montero joked afterwards that things could only get better from there.
They certainly did, as he wound up making a pair of All-Star Game appearances and becoming the club’s main catcher until being dealt to the Cubs after the 2014 season. While in Chicago, Montero helped the Cubs end their 108-year championship drought by winning the 2016 World Series.
2. Damian Miller, 1998-2002
Key fact: Starting catcher on 2001 World Series team
Fun fact: Starred in a This is SportsCenter commercial with Curt Schilling
“D-Train” was one of the original D-backs, having been selected with the 47th pick in the 1997 Expansion Draft off the Minnesota Twins' roster. During the D-backs’ best years, 1999-2002, he was behind the plate most of the time that Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling pitched.
“I think they both enjoyed throwing to him,” said Greg Schulte, the D-backs' radio play-by-play voice since the team’s inception. “He was a hard-nosed, take-charge type of player. He didn’t take any guff from anyone.”
Indeed, during the second half of the 2001 season, Miller played with a strained Achilles and a shoulder strain down the stretch. He also took a painful foul tip just below his midsection during the playoffs, but refused to leave the game.
A native of La Crosse, Wis., Miller still lives in the state and is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan.
3. Gabriel Moreno, 2023-present
Key fact: Only player in franchise history to win a battling title
Moreno was acquired by the Diamondbacks along with outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. from the Blue Jays in exchange for outfielder Daulton Varsho prior to the 2023 season, and it didn't take long for Moreno to make an impression.
Moreno became the starting catcher not long into the 2023 season and helped lead Arizona to a World Series berth that year while winning a Gold Glove Award.
Moreno received MVP votes in 2026 when he put together an outstanding season at the plate as well as behind it. Moreno hit .311 to win the NL batting title while also winning his second Gold Glove.
The Venezuelan native was awarded the Luis Aparicio Award in 2026. The award is given each year to the best Venezuelan player in the Majors.
4. Chris Snyder, 2004-10
Key fact: Selected by the D-backs in the second round of the 2002 MLB Draft
Fun fact: Practiced mixed martial arts as a way of keeping in shape during the offseasons
Snyder was a defensive stalwart for the D-backs during his time in Arizona, quickly gaining the trust of manager Bob Melvin and ace Brandon Webb.
Snyder grew close to Webb and was his primary catcher while the right-hander finished first or second in the National League Cy Young Award voting from 2006-08.
"He’s always prepared,” Webb once said of Snyder. "He studies the hitters a lot and can adjust with them as the game goes along. I think everybody likes having ‘Snydes’ back there calling the game and feel very comfortable with him."
5. Carson Kelly, 2019-23
Key fact: Acquired along with Luke Weaver from the Cardinals in the trade that sent Goldschmidt to St. Louis prior to the 2019 season
Kelly was viewed as the catcher of the future for the Diamondbacks when he was acquired, and he was … for a while. Given a chance to play every day after being stuck behind Yadier Molina in St. Louis, Kelly was Arizona's starter behind the plate until Moreno came aboard.
Kelly had his moments at the plate for the Diamondbacks, but he was always a consistent defender that the team's pitchers enjoyed throwing to.
After being selected out of high school by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2012 MLB Draft, Kelly promised his parents, Traci and Mike, that he would get his college degree. So in the fall of 2012, he began taking online courses at Oregon State University. He completed his degree in economics in 2018 just prior to the trade to Arizona.