Why Torey Lovullo's Job May Not Depend on D-backs Playoff Appearance After All

Things may not be as simple as expected.

Sep 20, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo (17) visits the mound during the third inning at Chase Field during the game between Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The generally-accepted sentiment for much of 2026 was that Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was under pressure to get his team into the playoffs for the first time since 2023.

Lovullo is on a one-year contract, and has yet to be extended beyond 2026. Earlier in the year, reporting suggested it was a simple cause-and-effect: if Lovullo wants to be retained, he needed to get Arizona back to the postseason.

Even the manager himself noted as much. The Diamondbacks are still, somehow, alive in this playoff race, though they will need an improbable sweep of the San Diego Padres this weekend to make it in.

But according to the latest comments from Diamondbacks team president and CEO Derrick Hall, the Lovullo decision is not that simple.

Derrick Hall praises Torey Lovullo's 2026 season with Diamondbacks

Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall speaks during the Diamondbacks 2026 showcase at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on March 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Hall, speaking to Arizona Sports 98.7's Bickley and Marotta, had this to say about the job Lovullo has done for Arizona this year:

"It's been a really good season. It really has. I mean, considering all the adversity we've had, the injuries we've had, the AAA guys we've had up here. I know that there's Torey critics out there, but look at the job he's done. I mean, he's done a heck of a job," Hall said.

The D-backs executive said it might not, in hindsight, have been the most optimal setup to wait on Lovullo's future until the end of 2026.

"It seemed like a good thing before it started, just saying, hey, look, we don't want it to be a distraction," Hall said. "And now you get to the final four days. You're like, 'Wow, poor guy's dangling out there, and he's done a heck of a job. He really has."

Fans are often split on Lovullo, as 29 other fanbases likely are with their managers, regardless of their teams' success, or lack thereof. The truth is, Lovullo is 749-768 and counting in his 10-year stint in Arizona, reaching the playoffs just twice in that span.

And yet, he's also engineered a winning record in six of those seasons. Players respond well to him and he's well-respected around the league. Making a decision to move off him based on results would make sense, but that's not how Hall is looking at it currently.

"I don't think it's that easy," said Hall. "It's not just in and you're in. ... This year is probably his best year."

"There's a lot of criticism towards him saying, 'Well, look, you came up a game short, then he came up two games short.' Don't you want to be in it every year?"

Hall said Lovullo has operated well within the situation handed to him by the front office without any hint of dissatisfaction.

"He never complains, right? We can sit here and kick ourselves for the trade deadline and say we could have done more. ... [Lovullo] said to [GM Mike Hazen], 'Oh, thank you so much for Lars [Nootbaar]. He's really going to help. That's who he is," Hall said.

"He never points a finger and he's always accountable and guys love him. Torey's done everything we've asked of him and more. So no, I don't think it's as cut and dry as make the playoffs and you're still here. I think we've got a decision to make, but all that will come into play.

"There's so many factors, but he's done a terrific, terrific job this year."

There are still three games to play, and still a chance Arizona makes a deep playoff run to make this conversation all the more irrelevant. But for now, Lovullo's job status may not be as simple.