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Diamondbacks: 3 Reasons Clay Buchholz Deserves Comeback Player of the Year

By Casey Pazzalia

SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 16: Clay Buchholz #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on August 16, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 16: Clay Buchholz #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on August 16, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 11: Starting pitcher Clay Buchholz #21 of the Philadelphia Phillies talks with team trainer Shawn Fcasni before leaving the game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on April 11, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 11: Starting pitcher Clay Buchholz #21 of the Philadelphia Phillies talks with team trainer Shawn Fcasni before leaving the game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on April 11, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /

Cruising After Rough Four-Year Stretch:

After his amazing 2013 season (1.74 ERA), Clay’s numbers got noticeably worse over the next few years. Between 2014 and 2017, he went 23-29 with a near-5.00 ERA and was even relegated to the bullpen in 2016 by Boston. After his 2016 demotion, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies during the offseason. The 2017 season, however, was even worse that the year prior. Dealing with injuries, Buchholz only started two games in Philly and posted an ERA of 12.27. At this point, his career was in limbo, for sure. He picked up with the Royals right before the 2018 season but that lasted all of six weeks despite three great starts in the minors.

Enter the D-Backs.

Arizona signed him a few days after the Royals inexplicably let him go and the rest, as they say, is history.

This season with Arizona, he jumped out to a red-hot start in his first four outings (1.88 ERA, .191 BAA). Since then, he’s only had one ugly start and the wins have piled up, culminating with his most recent complete-game gem. In 12 starts, his ERA is an eye-popping 2.47, as is his 6-2 win-loss record.

Opposing hitters are hitting just .226 off Clay with a pedestrian .652 OPS.

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