Dominic Fletcher making huge impact with Diamondbacks

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - No one could have expected Dominic Fletcher’s impact through his first 13 big league games.

After Corbin Carroll went down with an injury, the D-backs called up Fletcher on April 30. So far, the 25-year-old outfielder has put up numbers that will leave a lasting impression within the organization for weeks to come. In his first 13 games, Fletcher is 18/42, batting .429 with two home runs and 13 RBI’s.

The D-backs are known to have a crowded outfield, with Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, Jake McCarthy, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Kyle Lewis all making the Opening Day roster. With Lewis missing the past month with an undisclosed injury and McCarthy being sent down to Triple-A amid his struggles at the plate, the Diamondbacks called up Fletcher to fill in the void. Thus far, they haven’t been disappointed.

“He’s been great,” first baseman Christian Walker told MLB.com. “Quiet, hard worker, has a feel for the game, plays with a lot of energy and intensity. And he’s a great player. He just keeps putting together competitive at-bats. Every pitch, even if it’s a take, it’s competitive. He’s on it. He feels dangerous at the plate, and it’s exciting.”

Fletcher was drafted in the 2nd round with the 75th overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft, the pick the Diamondbacks received from the St. Louis Cardinals in the Paul Goldschmidt trade back in 2018. In Triple-A this year, Fletcher batted .323/.417/.559 in 109 appearances before getting called up to the show.

In this past weekend against the San Francisco Giants, Fletcher played a huge role in taking three of the four games and winning the series. Fletcher batted .533 and notched 11 of his 13 RBI’s on the year.

“He’s been able to put together some terrific at-bats,” D-backs bench coach Jeff Banister told MLB.com. “Very calm in the batter’s box, has a really good plan. In my opinion, he doesn’t really get too overwhelmed with the situation... He has the ability to hit both left-handers and right-handers. He looks very hitter-ish in the box, that old adage, and he puts together quality at-bats for us pretty much every night he’s in there.”

With Fletcher’s success at the plate, outfielder Jake McCarthy won’t have an easy time getting called back up. The 2022 Rookie of the Year candidate batted .143 in 63 at-bats for the club in April prior to being sent down. Outfielder Alek Thomas isn’t exactly turning heads either at this point in the season, batting .202 in 109 at-bats.

Dominic Fletcher will look to continue his hot streak in the Diamondbacks’ upcoming road trip against Oakland, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.

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