3 Ways the Arizona Diamondbacks Already Have Improved This Season

Last season, the Arizona Diamondbacks finished with the worst record in baseball at 64-98. There were many glaring weaknesses with the team, but it was the 8-22 start that likely buried the D-backs' playoff hopes before the month of May even began.

This season, Arizona looks much different. The players are healthy, there are fresh faces and new management. Entering Saturday, the D-backs are on a season-high three-game winning streak as their record sits at 13-14.

But it's not just their record that has improved so far in 2015.

Here are three ways in which the Diamondbacks have already improved this season.

Offensive Production

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Last season, the D-backs offense ranked 25th in runs scored, 25th in home runs and 18th in batting average. Runs were hard to come by.

This season, the offense started off up and down. They scored only two runs in a series against Pittsburgh in late April and were shut out twice during the first week of May against Los Angeles.

However, Arizona bounced back and scored 25 runs in a three-game series versus Colorado in late April and then followed that up by scoring 18 runs Wednesday at Colorado in a doubleheader. They also scored 11 runs against San Diego Thursday in an 11-0 win.

Part of the offensive success can be attributed to manager Chip Hale's new-look lineup featuring Mark Trumbo in the No. 2 hole.

"Tony [La Russa] was one of the first guys to do it, putting a guy that could really do some damage in that two-hole," Hale said, per AZCentral.com's Zach Buchanan.

Trumbo responded by going 4-8 with two doubles, two home runs and four RBI since the move, inspired by La Russa, the team's new chief baseball officer.

With Ender Inciarte, A.J. Pollock, Paul Goldschmidt, Mark Trumbo and Yasmany Tomas all hitting above .300, the offensive production is much improved and will help Arizona win in higher-scoring games.

Starting Pitching

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Entering 2015, it was widely believed that Arizona's starting rotation would be a liability. After all, Josh Collmenter was the only returning starter from 2014.

But maybe that was a good thing, as the D-backs ranked 27th in the league last year with their starters posting a combined 4.44 ERA.

This season, the starters, albeit new and relatively inexperienced, have impressed. 

Rookie Archie Bradley has been a pleasant surprise going 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He is expected to return to the rotation May 16 after being hit in the face with a line drive on April 28.

Rubby De La Rosa is coming off his best outing of the season in which he shut out the Padres in seven innings.

Collmenter has shown the ability to pitch deep into games and is tied with De La Rosa for the team lead with three wins. 

Even Chase Anderson, who is winless, is pitching better than his record (0-1) indicates. He sports a respectable 3.38 ERA.

Jeremy Hellickson has been the lone disappointment, going 1-3 with a 5.20 ERA thus far.

But despite that, the D-backs enter Saturday eighth in the MLB in starter ERA at 3.66. The pitching needed to improve from 2014, and so far it has.

Hitting with Runners in Scoring Position

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Sometimes the difference between winning and losing a ballgame comes down to the team with the most runners left on base. 

Last season, the D-backs likely missed out on winning some games because of how many runners were left in scoring position. In 2014, Arizona was 25th in the MLB in runs with runners in scoring position.

That was unacceptable, especially with how poorly the bullpen and starting pitching performed last year.

2015 has seen major improvement in that area, as the Snakes currently are sixth in the MLB in runs with men in scoring position.

If the D-backs can continue to knock in runs in these clutch situations, the wins could start to pile up in a competitive National League West.

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.