Last Updated on November 29, 2023 by Matt Musico
The Arizona Diamondbacks have only been around since the 1998 season. So, there have been considerably fewer chances for players to rack up 100 RBI performances while wearing this particular uniform. There have been 16 such instances in franchise history, and we’re going to lay them all out here to discuss the single-season Diamondbacks RBI leaders.
First, we’ll talk about the top five before listing out the remainder of the top 16.
Single-Season Diamondbacks RBI Leaders: Top 5
Matt Williams: 142 RBI in 1999
It didn’t take long for Diamondbacks hitters to start putting up big numbers. Matt Williams is the owner of the franchise’s single-season RBI record and he did it during Arizona’s second year in existence. This was the fourth and final time he enjoyed a 100-RBI campaign during his MLB career. It also resulted in a third-place finish in NL MVP Award voting. Williams never won the award, but he did finish within the top six four different times.
Believe it or not, the third baseman did the majority of his damage at the plate as a visiting player. When the DBacks were on the road, Williams’ OPS was nearly 100 points higher than it was at home (.922 vs. .835) while also accumulating 78 RBI in the process. The only road stadium where he racked up double-digit RBI was County Stadium in Milwaukee. He collected 11 in just six games played.
Luis Gonzalez: 142 RBI in 2001
In just four years of existence, the DBacks had two players post 140-plus RBI seasons, and then none since. Luis Gonzalez is used to being at the top of leaderboards, though. He’s Arizona’s single-season and all-time home run king, as well. Unsurprisingly, this performance in 2001 also included his current record of 57 dingers. He won a Silver Slugger Award, was selected to the All-Star Game, and also finished third in NL MVP Award voting.
It didn’t matter how many outs there were in an inning — Gonzalez posted an OPS above 1.000 in each scenario. His favorite scenario was when he stepped to the plate with one out. He posted a 1.239 OPS with 23 homers and 63 RBI.
Paul Goldschmidt: 125 RBI in 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvYKq87Tk90&pp=ygUgcGF1bCBnb2xkc2NobWlkdCAyMDEzIGhpZ2hsaWdodHM%3D
Paul Goldschmidt finished second in NL MVP Award voting in 2013, but he won plenty of other accolades during his certified breakout campaign. He took home a Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award, was selected to the All-Star Game, and led the league in both home runs (36) and RBI (125). As of this writing (prior to the 2024 season), those power numbers are still career-high marks.
Goldy did some of his best work when the score was tied. In that specific situation, he slashed .291/.388/.596 with 18 home runs and 47 RBI. And if we split the game up into thirds (innings 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9), his power production was quite even. Goldschmidt slugged 12 homers with 44 RBI through the first three innings, 11 homers with 40 RBI during the middle of games, and 12 dingers with 39 RBI over the final three frames.
Paul Goldschmidt: 120 RBI in 2017
The 2017 season was another typical one for Goldschmidt in the desert. He went to the All-Star Game, won both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger and while he didn’t win the MVP Award, he was a finalist and finished third. He nearly duplicated his power numbers from ’13, too, as he once again hit 36 homers to go along with those 120 RBI.
The first baseman’s power numbers between home games (20 homers, 61 RBI), and away games (16 homers, 59 RBI) were nearly identical. However, Goldy was a much better overall hitter at Chase Field. That could be clearly seen when contrasting his 1.082 OPS at home vs. the .852 mark he produced on the road.
Goldschmidt tortured all his NL West opponents in the RBI department. He registered 13 RBI against each of the Dodgers and Padres, as well as 15 RBI against each of the Giants and Rockies.
Eduardo Escobar: 118 RBI in 2019
Of all the names to appear on this list, it feels like Eduardo Escobar being within the top five is one of the bigger surprises. He definitely earned it, though. Escobar’s 118 RBI are the only time he surpassed the century mark in a single season. They were paired with a career-high 35 home runs and a league-leading 10 triples.
Given the dimensions of Chase Field, you won’t be surprised to find out that nine of those triples came while Escobar played a home game for the DBacks. From the perspective of power, though, two specific months stand out when looking at his statistics. The first is May — he slugged nine homers with 28 RBI and a .909 OPS. The other is August — he hit 10 homers with another 28 RBI with a .832 OPS.
Those were the only two times he posted 20-plus RBI in a month. He also could’ve been a little higher on this list if he registered more than nine RBI over his final 25 games played in September/October.
Single-Season Diamondbacks RBI Leaders: The Rest
There have been a total of 16 different instances where a Diamondbacks player has accumulated 100-plus RBI in a season. Here’s the remainder of that group:
- Luis Gonzalez, 2000: 114 RBI
- Jay Bell, 1999: 112
- Luis Gonalez, 1999: 111
- Paul Goldschmidt, 2015: 110
- Jake Lamb, 2017: 105
- Luis Gonzalez, 2003: 104
- Steve Finley, 1999: 103
- Luis Gonzalez, 2002: 103
- Christian Walker, 2023: 103
- Mark Reynolds, 2009: 102
- Adam LaRoche, 2010: 100
Want to see some homers in person this season? Of course you do. Grab MLB tickets from our friends at Vivid Seats. And before you get to the stadium, make sure you’re decked out in the right gear. Get your favorite team’s official merch from the MLB Shop or a ‘Big Dinger Energy’ shirt from our apparel store.
