One Statistic Best Tells A Story

Last season, what were some of the Diamondbacks’ strengths?

Offense. Their offense scored the most runs (886) in the Majors.

Defense. FanGraph’s ranked their defense as fifth best (Def of 20.2).

Baserunning. Their reputation for chaos on the basepaths is an indication of superior base running.

Winning close games. The Diamondbacks improved their win-loss record in 1-run games from 21-21 to 26-20.

The next question: What one statistic best tells a story of how the Diamondbacks fell short of the playoffs? And when that question is answered, tracking that statistic will quickly show whether the story will be different than last season.

In general, successful pitchers prevent three things. They…