👋 GOOD MORNING — Happy Wednesday!! We’re halfway through the work week, and I hope yours is going well!

Today’s edition is baseball-focused, but I wanted to shout out something cool I saw from Jeremy Cluff in yesterday’s Arizona Republic — the Sun Devils are one of just five teams in all of FBS to be favored in every single game this year, at least per On3 Sports.

The other four teams are Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State.

It’s verrrrry dangerous to get caught up in any sort of preseason hype, but if anyone can keep the team grounded, it’s coach Kenny Dillingham. I’m not even bitter that they are a two-point favorite over Iowa State in Ames on Nov. 1 — I do think the weather could be the X-factor in that one.

Finally, I really want to hear your opinion on my topic today — should the D-backs move on from Torey Lovullo? Email me directly at [email protected], or simply respond to this email, and let me hear you!

On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

It’s time for the Diamondbacks to find a new manager.

I don’t say that lightly. I don’t even really want to say it, to be honest. I’ve covered Major-and-Minor League Baseball in some semblance for nearly 20 years, and Lovullo is a nice guy with an incredible baseball mind. He is a good manager, and what he has done for baseball in The Valley can not be understated.

But it’s time for a new voice in the dugout.

Diamondbacks fans have suffered through two painfully mediocre seasons in which having one of the top offenses in the league has been overshadowed by fielding one of the worst pitching staffs in all of baseball. It’s honestly puzzling, because the pitching staff should be able to hold its own, at least on paper.

It has done anything but, and even the offense has been missing in action recently.

It’s mind-boggling when you consider Arizona has recorded the fourth-most RBI in all of baseball, but yet still has a run differential of -7. Compare that to last season, when Arizona’s top ranked offense did a better job of hiding the pitching deficiency by finishing with a differential of +98, and the team has regressed yet again.

That offense, by the way, has been invisible over the last week, recording just four runs over the last six games.

The Diamondbacks made a change last offseason after they sacked pitching coach Brent Strom and his staff, ultimately bringing Brian Kaplan on board as his replacement. The result has been no different, as the D-backs’ team ERA of 4.52 is the sixth-worst in the league.

Injuries have certainly been a factor given the loss of Jordan Montgomery, Corbin Burnes, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk to season-ending injuries, and Burnes was pitching very well before he went down, posting a 2.66 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 11 starts.

Overall, though, Arizona’s pitching staff has had yet another massively disappointing season.

Mantiply was released in June, but you can see from the bolded numbers above that the majority of the Diamondbacks’ pitching staff has regressed season-over-season.

Sure, some of that is bad luck. But at the end of the day, Lovullo is ultimately responsible for the sins of his staff, especially when a change was already made to the coaching staff.

Lovullo’s contributions are many, highlighted by his leadership in 2023, when the Diamondbacks shocked the baseball world en route to an NL Pennant — just the second in franchise history. Though Arizona came up short that year, it felt like something special was on the horizon given such a talented group of young, core players, but that has yet to fully materialize.

The 60-year-old skipper has won more games (635) and managed more seasons (9) than any other Diamondbacks manager. Five of those seasons have finished with records over .500 — a tough feat in baseball — and he was named Manager of the Year in 2017 after a 93-69 finish, his first year at the helm.

Coincidentally, though, 2017 and 2023 were the only seasons Arizona made the postseason, though that can’t be pinned specifically on Lovullo.

And that is the crux of the issue, in fact. Lovullo can’t swing the bats, throw the pitches, or play the field. He has fantastic baseball sense, and is revered in the clubhouse.

The team’s progression has not met expectations, though, and in the end, someone needs to answer for that. Last year’s coaching shakeup didn’t do it, so it’s time for a new voice to lead the charge.

Good News / Bad News: The good news? Slugger Eugenio Suárez appears to be OK after taking a fastball to his index finger on Monday, as X-rays, an MRI, and a CT scan were all negative for major injuries. Of course, that is also good news for all of the teams looking to acquire his services prior to tomorrow’s trade deadline.

The bad news? The Diamondbacks lost yet again, falling 12-2 to the Tigers in Detroit. Arizona has lost four straight, seven of eight, and wraps up its series in the Motor City this morning (10:10 am).

Dynamic Duo: Are Oso Ighodaro and Ryan Dunn primed for a special season after playing well at NBA Summer League? Our very own Gerald Bourguet breaks it down after the pair put themselves in the “Too good for Summer League” category.

I’ve Got a Fever: The Mercury continue their road trip in Indiana today, facing the Fever at 4:30 pm (3TV). Phoenix looks to continue its winning ways after snapping a three-game losing streak on Sunday, and still travels to Atlanta and Chicago before returning home to host Connecticut next Tuesday.

Derek speaks for most of us.

Mindset as the calendar inches closer to August: