1998 Arizona Diamondbacks season


The 1998 Arizona Diamondbacks season was the Diamondbacks' inaugural season. They looked to contend in what was a strong National League Western Division. They finished the season 33 games behind the National League Champion San Diego Padres with a record of 65-97, last in the division. However, they would improve in 1999, finishing with a record of 100-62 and winning 35 games more than the previous year.
Jeff Suppan was the last player from the inaugural team still active in Major League Baseball when he retired in 2012.

Offseason

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

1996–97 MLB June drafts and minor league affiliates

The two expansion teams set to debut in 1998, the Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, had two full seasons to establish scouting and player development systems and were permitted to participate fully in the 1996 and 1997 Major League Baseball drafts. The Diamondbacks drafted 30th in both 1996 and 1997, selecting 62 players and 60 players in those drafts. The team began developing those players in a farm system with three minor-league affiliates in 1996 and four in 1997.
Among the players selected and signed by Arizona from those drafts were pitchers Brad Penny and Casey Fossum ; infielders Alex Cintrón, Jack Cust and Junior Spivey ; and outfielders Ron Calloway and Jason Conti.

1996 farm system

Visalia affiliation shared with Detroit Tigers

1997 farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: High Desert

Regular season

Opening Day starters

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Game log

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHHRRBIAvg.
CKelly Stinnett92274711134.259
1BTravis Lee1465621512272.269
2BAndy Fox139502139944.277
3BMatt Williams1355101362071.267
SSJay Bell1555491382067.251
LFDavid Dellucci124416108551.260
CFDevon White1465631572285.279
RFKarim García11333374943.222

Other batters

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

Relief pitchers

Farm system