The mid season addition had an outsized effect on the pitching staff
Overview
- Rating: 7.13
- 2025 Stats: .260/.324/.431, 107 OPS+, 1.0 bWAR
- Date of Birth: June 13th, 1990
- 2025 Earnings: League minimum, prorated
- 2026 Status: Re-signed a one year deal with the Diamondbacks early in the offseason
2025 Review
James McCann joined the Diamondbacks later in the seasons, on June 25th. Gabi Moreno was out with a broken finger, and a battery of Herrera and ADC was a terrifying proposition. On the other hand, McCann had just left the Braves after originally signing with them on a minor league deal but had been unable to crack the MLB roster; it was a good match for both sides.
The twelve year veteran did not waste time making an impact on the team when he was signed, and in ways was a key part of the Diamondbacks’ second half resurgence. Offensively, he was serviceable. He hit five home runs and six doubles in 42 games, while knocking in 17 runs. His OPS+ of 107 was the best he’s had since he put up 143 in 2020, or perhaps more realistically, since he recorded 108 in 2019. Especially when you compare him to the other options the Diamondbacks had, he was practically a godsend for the position, and it’s easy to see why he was rated so highly in our poll.
But even those offensive numbers didn’t lead to anything flashy. Looking at his game log it’s hard to point to any sort of real high water mark for his season. There’s no standout game that screams The James McCann game. That said, there’s definitely value in the steady offensive performance he brought to the table most games.
The biggest impact he had on the team, however, was his presence behind the plate. He provided literal stability for a position that had been wracked with injuries and underperformance, ultimately replacing Herrera, who had long since outstayed his welcome, as the back up catcher and keeping ADC as the third string/emergency catcher as much as possible.
He also was a positive impact on the pitching staff. His Catcher’s ERA of 4.07 was lower than either of the other two regular options, Moreno and Herrera, and the pitchers and coaching staff all gave him rave reviews. Gallen especially credited him with restoring his confidence in his fastball, which directly correlated to Gallen’s improvements in the second half. Lovullo described his conversations with the pitchers on the team as being “PhD level stuff’ improving all of the staff with those interactions.
2026 Outlook
Shortly after the season ended, McCann signed a one year, $2.75 million contract to remain with the Diamondbacks in a backup role behind Gabi Moreno. This has to be seen as nothing but a positive for the Diamondbacks, as he compliments Gabi’s weakness with game calling and pitcher handling with his own strengths of doing just that. He also represents a decent replacement starter for if and when Moreno gets injured again. Hopefully McCann going forward can get more time with some of the younger pitchers and give them the improved results that he was able to find for Zac Gallen.
Category: General Sports
