Diamondbacks: Is Josh Collmenter An Ace?
By Cody Fincher
Josh Collmenter was named the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Opening Day starter. But the question is, is Collmenter the ace?
Many people associate being named the Opening Day starter with being considered an ace of a pitching staff. But Collmenter, who is a very good pitcher, is not an ace. Last year, Collmenter started 28 games and went 11-9 with a 3.46 ERA.
More from Heat Waved
- Arizona Coyotes: Slumping Strome Shipped to Chicago
- Arizona Cardinals Paid Sam Bradford $6.75 Million Per TD Pass
- Former Arizona Basketball Star Allonzo Trier Remarkably Efficient Lately
- Arizona Coyotes: How Coach Rick Tocchet Sparked His Offense
- Arizona State Basketball Has Two Transfers Ready to Compete
Those numbers are pretty respectful for a guy whose fastball tops out at around 88 mph on a good day. The reason that I would suspect as to why manager Chip Hale named Collmenter the Opening Day starter, is simply because he has been here the longest and he has been the most dependable. There are so many guys fighting for rotation spots this year, but Collmenter is the only guy who was a no-brainer for a spot in the rotation.
To me, Collmenter is a solid number three starting pitcher for most clubs, including this one.
Remember, Patrick Corbin is out until the summer while still recovering from Tommy John surgery and Jeremy Hellickson is still getting acclimated to this team. I think that Collmenter was the logical choice for Opening Day starter just because of the situation here in Arizona.
For so many years, Collmenter has started the year in the bullpen and ended up having to start. This year, he will get his chance to go through a full season as a full-time starting pitcher for the D-Backs and he will look to take full advantage of this opportunity.