It was the surprise playoff run of 2023. The D-Backs hadn’t even won their division but managed to overcome the Brewers, Dodgers, and Phillies to win the National League pennant and compete in the World Series for only the second time in franchise history. Unfortunately, the Rangers had plans of their own and Phoenix missed out on the chance to celebrate another championship.
Another Major League Baseball season is now in the books, without a single D-Back postseason game, and none of the other Arizona Major League teams have gotten anywhere near challenging for the most glittering prize in their sport. It seems as though no sportsbook review for any betting operator will be using a Phoenix team as a winning example – so where could the next championship come from?
This article will look at how our local teams have fared over the last few years and where we should be looking for the next success story. Will it be the Cards, Suns, Mercury, or D-Backs? Or is the notion of a Phoenix championship anytime soon a complete joke?
Arizona Cardinals
A solitary postseason game in the last eight years didn’t suggest that Cardinals fans should have expected much from the current NFL season, and three losses in the first four game days of this year didn’t brighten the mood. There have been some more successful Sundays since then but another Super Bowl appearance seems a long way off yet.
But there are signs of improvement at State Farm Stadium. There had been a total of eight wins combined in the last two years, as the Cards finished dead last in the NFC West. But Kyler Murray has already inspired the team to five victories by the beginning of November this season. The new connection between him and rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. has not been quite as plentiful as some early weeks had recommended, but there is still a long way to go in the campaign, with the Cards now in one of the weaker divisions.
There is a good chance that the Cardinals could finish with nine or even ten regular seasons wins this year – enough to claim the division and a playoff berth for the first time since 2021. Any postseason game from there is going to be very tough, but the good news for football fans is that the Cardinals are back on the way up.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The closest that any Phoenix team has gotten to a championship in years is that D-Backs run to the World Series in 2023. No one had backed them to do well that year but only the Rangers were good enough to beat them in postseason play in the end. Unfortunately, there was no repeat trip to the playoffs this year – even though the D-Backs achieved a better regular season record of 89-73.
Arizona now finds itself in one of the toughest divisions in Major League Baseball, with both the San Diego Padres and eventual champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers battling it out for the NL West title. In fact, those 89 wins would have been good enough to win the AL West outright and equaled or bettered the record of four teams who did manage to make it to the postseason. That suggests that the D-Backs are not far away from becoming one of the top teams.
What makes it difficult for the D-Backs is that baseball is probably the toughest of the major league sports for getting to the postseason. There are no middling teams playing in October and the D-Backs will need to keep hold of their best players this offseason while continuing to improve on runs scored. Although this is not a team that will automatically be regarded as one of the favorites next year, it will be a contender for postseason play at least.
Phoenix Mercury
It is 10 years since the Mercury won its last championship and last season has to go down as a disappointment as it lost to Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs without winning a game, But that devastating 9-31 record of 2023 is largely a forgotten memory, with stability coming back to the team – if not a real shot at a title.
The biggest question for the Mercury over the offseason is whether one of the greatest ever to play the sport, Diana Taurasi, will be playing again next year. It didn’t feel as though she was on a retirement tour last season but she has hinted that she could call an end to a glittering career before the new season begins.
Taurasi leaving would leave a huge hole on the roster, especially if Brittney Griner doesn’t sign a new contract as well. Getting back to the playoffs at the first attempt was a huge move but the Mercury have been caught up by many of the other teams in the WNBA. This is a team that should be challenging for deep dives into the playoffs in the next few years but it really does depend on whether Taurasi sticks around for a little while longer.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are usually the go-to team of all Phoenix’s major league organizations when it comes to realistically hoping for a championship. While the others have all let things slide at times in recent years, the Suns have consistently made it to the postseason every year after losing the finals to the Bucks in 2021. But there is one of the problems – the pressure is always on this team to break the curse and win a first-ever championship.
Being swept by the Timberwolves last season was a step back but there is the chance that a healthy Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal can take on just about anyone in the West, Only the OKC Thunder can really compete if those three are fit. Many of the other big hitters in the West lost key players or have rosters that are getting way past their prime. In short, the Suns have to have a chance.
What plays against the Suns winning the NBA Finals this season is the aforementioned Thunder – and the strength in depth in the East. The Celtics, Knicks, and 76ers would all fancy their chances against a Suns team even with its star players present and correct. But – as with most of the other Phoenix teams – there is hope for the Suns.