Why Diamondbacks' 4.80 ERA All-Star is unfortunately a 'loser' this season

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been one of the better teams in baseball recently, and have climbed ahead of the San Diego Padres in the NL West.

They're 31-24, and very much in the postseason race this season. But that doesn't mean all of their players are performing well. A few are going through some major struggles.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report identified the D-Backs 4.80 ERA All-Star pitcher as a "loser" this season. Unfortunately, this pitcher, Zac Gallen, is deserving of this label.

Why Zac Gallen is a 'loser' for 2026 season

"Loser: Zac Gallen," Kelly writes. "From 2022-2024, Gallen was one of the best pitchers in baseball... Since then, though, Gallen has posted a 4.82 ERA and 4.47 FIP in 44 starts. He's gone from one of the game's best starters to an expensive innings eater."

Strictly looking at his on-field production, Gallen has been a major disappointment this season. He has a 4.80 ERA in 11 starts with an 84 ERA+. Last year, he had a 4.83 ERA in 33 starts with an 89 ERA+.

Compared to his prior production, which consisted of a 3.29 ERA in 143 starts with a 129 ERA+ since 2019, Gallen's recent production has been incredibly disappointing.

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But it's not just bad for the Diamondbacks; it's especially bad for Gallen. He was a free agent after his rough 2025 season, and after declining the $22.025 million qualifying offer, he came back on a deal with the same value, just spread out over a few years.

With how bad he's looked this season, it would not be a surprise if Gallen, once again, didn't receive much interest in free agency.

His struggles this season for Arizona have him as a "Loser" according to Kelly, and it's hard not to see how the 2026 season for Gallen has hurt him financially and hurt his team.

It's a rough year for Gallen so far, and while he could turn things around as he did down the stretch for Arizona last season, this is the second season in a row of below-average production, and likely significantly hurts his chances of landing a big deal in free agency.

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