A Review of Nick Ahmed's Time in the Desert

A look back at the decade-plus that Nick Ahmed spent with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Nick Ahmed spent a decade in the Sedona Red and it has, unfortunately, come to an end. While here, he accomplished many feats and became one of the best shortstops that the Arizona Diamondbacks ever had. On September 9th, the only MLB franchise with which Ahmed ever played in the MLB for, was released from the D-backs. He was designated for assignment to bring up the team's next potential star shortstop Jordan Lawlar. As one era ended, another one began. Such is the circle of life in the MLB world.

The designation and then release came as a shock to the MLB world as there had been no whispers that it would be coming. However, the D-backs knew that with Lawlar up, there just wasn't a need for a glove-first, light-hitting shortstop who only played against left-handed pitchers. So, the team bid adieu. However, below is a reflection of his time spent in the desert with the Diamondbacks as he was the longest-tenured D-backs player at the time of his release. The new longest is Ketel Marte.

Nick Ahmed was originally drafted in the second round of the 2011 draft by the Atlanta Braves. Less than two years later, in January 2013, he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the large Justin Upton trade. He was acquired with Brandon Drury, Martin Prado, Zeke Spruill, and Randall Delgado for Upton and Chris Johnson. Little did anyone expect that Ahmed would be the player to last the longest before being let go or traded again. Nick Ahmed outlasted every player there on either side. He made his MLB debut on June 29, 2014, and collected his first hit against the San Diego Padres as a 24-year-old.

He got into 25 games in that 2014 season showcasing his elite defensive potential despite a bat that was over-matched. He hit just .200/.233/.271 with two doubles and a home run.  Although his OPS+ was 40, he never once got close to that low again. Plus, from 2015 on, he never once got sent down to the minor leagues again unless it was a rehab assignment. In 2015, he split shortstop duties with a variety of players, but eventually secured it for his alone and appeared in 134 games. His hitting improved quite a bit that year as he got to a 69 OPS+ on the heels of hitting .226/.275/.359/.634 with nine home runs and 31 extra-base hits.

Ahmed would continue to be the team's starting shortstop over the next two seasons although he would deal with multiple injuries that caused him to play in just 143 games from 2016-17. Ahmed continued to provide elite defense and would've been a front-runner for Gold Gloves had he been healthy. He hit .231/.277/.344/.621 with 29 extra-base hits and 41 RBI. Nick remained steadfast in his desire to be the best player he could be and to be the best defensive shortstop in baseball.

That came to pass in 2018 when at 28 years old, he won his first Gold Glove award as he played in 153 games and had his best full-season in the MLB. He had 33 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs, 70 RBI, five stolen bases, and hit .234/.290/.411/.701. He was in the middle of the prime of his career. Ahmed was the franchise shortstop who was capable of winning a game just off of his defense. In fact, in 2018, he was worth 4.1 bWAR. He led all of the National League in defensive WAR at 3.7. The D-backs were in strong hands with Nick Ahmed helming the defense.

He followed up his terrific 2018 with an even better 2019 season. This was the season that he "visited" the moon for his Nick Ahmed on the Moon bobblehead which was widely popular. He won his second Gold Glove award and had the best offensive season in his career. He hit .254/.316/.437/.753 with a 93 OPS+ and 33 doubles, six triples, 19 home runs, 82 RBI, and eight stolen bases. Granted, this was the juiced ball year,  but it still showed how good Nick Ahmed could be when he was healthy and rolling. It was age-29 season and he garnered 4.2 WAR including 2.3 defensive WAR. Following this season, he signed a three-year contract extension for over 30 million dollars that covered his 2021-23 seasons. It's no coincidence that his best seasons were also the only two that which Ahmed was fully healthy. One has to wonder how he would've done in '16 and '17 had he been not been injured. The same is true for 2021 and beyond.

Ahmed appeared in 57 games in the shortened 2020 season. He did quite well accruing 1.6 WAR and hitting .266/.327/.402/.729 with a career-high 97 OPS+. However, when 2021 rolled around, Nick Ahmed dealt with injuries from the get-go. He was put on the IL when the season started due to a knee injury. He did get back and played in 129 games, but struggled with the bat, more so than he ever did before. He hit just .221/.280/.339/.619 with a 67 OPS+. Then, toward the end of the season, he injured his right shoulder and missed the rest of the season.

He turned his eye towards a healthy 2022 season only that injured shoulder continued to bark. He gritted his way through 17 games before eventually having to go through season-ending shoulder surgery. He did well in those 17 games, but no one can blame Ahmed for taking the surgery. It gave him his mobility and strength back and allowed him to return to the big leagues without pain. Over those 17 games, he hit .231/.259/.442/.702.

He remained healthy entering the 2023 season and never once dealt with the risk of going to the injured list. However, that vaunted arm strength he once had that allowed him to make any throw on the diamond was gone. He was still elite with the glove but the bat strength and arm strength just weren't the same. Baseball Savant has his arm strength in the 12th percentile, a far cry from his heyday when he ranked much higher. However, his range with his glove was still in the 91st percentile showcasing that his glove was still elite. This didn't stop him from giving it his all and being a great clubhouse leader to a young team competing for the playoffs. In the final year of his contract and with the D-backs, he got into 72 games and hit just .212/.257/.303/.560 with a 53 OPS+. He only had 14 extra-base hits including two home runs and did steal five bases. But, he just wasn't performing like he was in the past. It was by far his worst season since 2019. The bat just couldn't support his slipping glove. Nor could the great glove support his bat.

It's just the way life goes. At some point, we all slip. The final nail in the coffin came on September 5th in what was his final D-backs game. He went 0-3 with a strikeout. He ended his D-backs tenure with a 1-for-22 skid. A slump that no one wanted to see him endure. Still, Ahmed was an iconic Diamondbacks player. He was celebrated around the valley for his passion for helping others.

In fact, he's still the Diamondbacks' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award this season. This showcases just how much Ahmed devoted his time to helping others and doing charity work. He had countless amazing plays and moments while playing here in the desert. Nick Ahmed's time might be over, but the memories will last a lifetime. So will the impact he had on the Arizona Diamondbacks community of fans. It wasn't the ending anyone wanted, but Ahmed will find a new team. His time in the MLB isn't over. We will see him again. Until then, thank you Nick Ahmed for everything you did to help the Arizona Diamondbacks win and for everything you did in the name of charity.