Top 10 Best Arizona Diamondbacks Players of All Time

The Arizona Diamondbacks are a Major League Baseball team established in 1998. The Diamondbacks play in Phoenix, Arizona, in the National League West division. The Diamondbacks won their only World Series in 2001, defeating the New York Yankees in seven games. This made them the fastest expansion team to win a World Series in Major League Baseball history. Read on to learn more about the best Arizona Diamondback players of all time.

Who Are the Best Arizona Diamondback Baseball Players of All Time?

1. Randy Johnson
2. Paul Goldschmidt
3. Curt Schilling
4. Luis Gonzalez
5. Brandon Webb
6. Steve Finley
7. Justin Upton
8. AJ Pollock
9. Dan Haren
10. Matt Williams

1. Randy Johnson

• Four consecutive Cy Young Awards
• 2001 World Series MVP 
• Four-time All-Star in Arizona

Randy Johnson is one of the more interesting cases in MLB history. Johnson was a 6’11” left-hander who threw sidearm. Johnson was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1985 MLB Amateur Draft in the second round. Johnson struggled in Montreal. His main issue was throwing strikes, and he was soon dealt to the Seattle Mariners.

It took several more years for Johnson to find his rhythm. He had a brief stint in Houston before joining the Diamondbacks in 1999. It was in Arizona where Johnson truly shined and became one of the best pitchers in MLB history. He pitched until he was 45 years old, with small stints in New York with the Yankees and San Francisco with the Giants, where he would win his 300th career game.

2. Paul Goldschmidt

• Finished in the top five of MVP voting three times with Arizona
• Six-time All-Star with Diamondbacks.
• Three-time Gold Glove Award winner
• Three-time Silver Slugger Award winner

Paul Goldschmidt was an eighth-round pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2009 MLB Draft. He was called up in the 2011 season and made an immediate impact. Goldschmidt hit the ground running even more in 2012 and then in 2013, making his first All-Star team and leading the National League in home runs and RBIs.

He finished in second place in MVP voting in 2013. Goldschmidt eclipsed over 1,000 hits and over 200 home runs as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They eventually traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2019 as the Diamondbacks attempted to rebuild their roster.

3. Curt Schilling

• Won World Series MVP in 2001
• Two-time All-Star in Arizona
• Led NL with 22 wins in 2001

Similar to Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling is one of the more interesting cases in MLB history. Schilling, an Arizona native, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 1986 MLB Amateur Draft. Schilling had not even pitched an inning for the Red Sox when he was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles. Schilling struggled to stay on the field during his three-year stint in Baltimore. He was later traded to the Houston Astros ahead of the 1991 season and then to the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the 1992 season.

He finally came into his own in the 1997 season and would make three consecutive All-Star teams. He was later traded to the Diamondbacks in 2001 to complement their ace, Randy Johnson. Schilling helped Arizona win the 2001 World Series, where he would take home World Series MVP, along with Randy Johnson. He then had a full circle moment, being traded once again, this time to the Boston Red, the team that drafted him. Schilling helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2004 and 2007.

4. Luis Gonzalez

• Five-time All-Star in Arizona
• 57 home runs and 142 RBIs in 2001, setting the Diamondbacks franchise record for a single season
• Game-winning single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series

Luis Gonzalez was drafted in the fourth round of the 1988 MLB Amateur Draft by the Houston Astros. Gonzalez struggled for much of his career before arriving in Arizona. After five seasons in Houston, Gonzalez was traded to the Cubs, where he spent a year and a half before resigning with Houston in the following offseason. After another year in Houston, he signed with the Detroit Tigers and then was traded the following season to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In his first year with Arizona, he broke out, leading the league in hits and marking career highs in about every offensive category. In 2001, Gonzalez had a year to remember, leading the Diamondbacks with 57 home runs and 142 RBIs, as well as getting the game-winning hit in Game 7 of the World Series against the Yankees. This is widely regarded as the best offensive season in Diamondbacks' history. Gonzalez also holds the record for the most home runs in D-Backs franchise history. He never quite was able to eclipse his successes in 2001, finishing out his career years later with the Dodgers and Marlins.

5. Brandon Webb

• 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner
• Led the National League in wins in 2006 (16) and 2008 (22)
• Third-highest WAR in franchise history at 31.1

Webb was drafted in the eighth round of the 2000 MLB Amateur Draft by the Diamondbacks. Webb made his debut during the 2003 season and hit the ground running. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.

In 2006 Webb broke out, winning 16 games with a 3.10 ERA. He made the All-Star team and won the National League Cy Young Award. He followed this up with two more outstanding seasons in 2007 and 2008. 

During the 2009 season, Webb suffered an arm injury and was never the same. He tried rehabbing and coming back numerous times, but more injuries prevailed. Webb officially retired in 2013, although throwing his last MLB pitch in 2009. Webb is known as one of the greatest Diamondbacks of all time. He is one of the biggest “what if” stories in baseball.

6. Steve Finley

• Won a Gold Glove in center field for the Diamondbacks at age 34
• Led MLB in triples with 10 in 2003
• World Series Champion (2001)

Steve Finley was drafted in the 13th round of the 1987 MLB Amateur Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. After two seasons in Baltimore and little production, Finley was moved to the Houston Astros, where he played for four seasons.

He was mostly known for his speed and tremendous defense in center field. He then was moved to San Diego, where he played for four seasons, finally making an All-Star team in 1997 at age 32. The Diamondbacks acquired Finley in 1999, and he had career highs in every offensive statistical category at age 34. Finley is fourth all-time in D-Backs triples in a career with 34. Finley finished out his career with the Dodgers, Giants, Angels, and Rockies.

7. Justin Upton

• Highest draft pick in Diamondbacks history (1st overall pick in 2005) 
• Two-time All-Star with Arizona
• Eighth-highest career WAR for a position player in D-Backs history at 13.7

Justin Upton was the first overall selection by the Diamondbacks in the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft. Upton came up a shortstop but quickly transitioned to the outfield. Upton’s career with the Diamondbacks was quite up and down, but he managed to make the All-Star team two times. Upton’s combination of power and speed made him a valuable player in his early career. Upton had two seasons with Arizona, where he hit over 20 home runs and stole over 20 bases.

In 2013, Upton was traded to the Braves, as Arizona opted to rebuild and retool their roster instead of paying Upton. After underperforming with Atlanta, he was traded again to the Padres. In 2016, he signed a free-agent deal with the Tigers, who went on to trade him to the Angels. The Angels released Upton in 2022, he signed briefly with Seattle, who cut him soon after.

8. AJ Pollock

• All-Star with Arizona
• 2015 Gold Glove Award winner
• Third in WAR among position players in D-Backs history at 18.7

AJ Pollock was drafted 17th overall by the Diamondbacks in the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft. Pollock was a below-average player for Arizona until he broke out in 2015, hitting 20 home runs and driving in 76 RBIs. Pollock played a few more seasons with Arizona but never quite was able to reach the heights set in 2015. 

He went on to sign a free-agent contract with the Dodgers prior to the 2019 season. Pollock mostly underperformed in Los Angeles and was eventually traded to the White Sox in 2022. As Pollock has gained age, he has become a lesser defender, which was his strong suit in Arizona. He signed with Seattle in 2023.

9. Dan Haren

• Two-time All-Star with the D-Backs
• Sixth in career ERA with Diamondbacks at 3.56
• Led the National League in WHIP in 2009

Dan Haren was drafted in the second round of the 2001 MLB Amateur Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played two seasons in St. Louis, but was then traded to Oakland, where he spent the next three seasons. Haren landed in Arizona in 2008 and had two All-Star seasons. He is regarded as one of the best pitchers in D-Backs history despite only pitching 2.5 seasons there.

The D-Backs traded Hare to the Angels, where he played for three seasons. He had short stints in Chicago, Miami, and Washington before retiring in 2015. Haren was never able to recapture his magic in Arizona.

10. Matt Williams

• All-Star with D-Backs.
• Finished third in NL MVP voting in 1999 with AZ
• Eighth all-time in home runs in a D-back career with 99

Matt Williams was drafted in the 27th round of the 1983 MLB Draft by the New York Mets. Williams was traded to the Giants, where he played his first ten seasons, making the All-Star team four times. Williams was traded to Cleveland, then signed with Arizona, where he would win a World Series in 2001. Williams was known as a solid defender at third base and a power hitter. Williams went on to become a coach following his retirement from playing. He coached the Nationals from 2014-2015 and the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization from 2019-2021.

Honorable Mentions

• Chris Young
• Zack Greinke
• Miguel Montero
• Ketel Marte
• David Peralta
• Miguel Batista
• Orlando Hudson
• Byung-Hyun Kim
• Jay Bell
• Craig Counsell
• Stephen Drew
• Robbie Ray
• Brad Ziegler
• Patrick Corbin
• Mark Reynolds

FAQ