In sophomore season, Blaze's flame keeps on growing

Asking Blaze Alexander how he’s doing is a waste of time, because the Diamondbacks third baseman is going to give you a version of the same answer every time -- he’s great, and he’ll even throw in a “my man” or “my guy” at the end to let you know that you’re a friend of his, regardless of how long you’ve known him.

“He definitely brings a fun energy,” outfielder Alek Thomas said. “He's like the fun and energetic teammate that you want to have. He definitely brings positive energy, and you want that in a teammate.”

It’s not just the intangibles that Alexander brings, though. Now in his second season in the big leagues, he has seemingly found a home at third base, manning the position well since veteran Eugenio Suárez was dealt at the Trade Deadline -- while at the same time coming into his own offensively.

“He has graduated to the next level of knowing who he is when he's standing at the plate, knowing who he is when he's standing out on the field, and the game is starting to slow down for him,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.

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“That's a phrase that's used in sports. It's very common, but when you're out there and your heart is beating and your mind's racing, you can't do things at a normal, controlled pace. That, to me, is when a big leaguer arrives, when he knows where he's at, he knows where his feet are, and he's able to go out there and execute at a high level because he's letting the game come to him and not trying to do too much.”

There’s no doubt the game sped up for Alexander in 2024. A long shot to make the team out of Spring Training, he basically forced his way onto the Opening Day roster with his play, and he struggled defensively at shortstop.

This spring, Alexander didn’t have a chance to make the Opening Day roster due to a right oblique injury he suffered in Spring Training that kept him on the injured list until early April.

It was not only a physical challenge but also a mental one. He leaned on friends and family, particularly his parents, who he still lives with in the West Valley.

“It definitely sucked,” Alexander said. “I felt like I got myself ready during the offseason, and then things happened quick when I got hurt. I had never had an oblique injury. It was kind of a little dark time, because [I wondered], 'Am I gonna come back the same? Am I gonna get an opportunity?'”

Alexander would get an opportunity, but he would have to wait a while to get it.

On June 25, when Ildemaro Vargas went on the IL, Alexander finally got his chance. Then when Suárez got dealt, Alexander got the first look at third base, and he hasn’t given the spot back since.

While the D-backs' top prospect, infielder Jordan Lawlar, will likely be called up at some point over the final month of the season, for now, third base belongs to Alexander. And even when Lawlar arrives, there should be plenty of playing time to go around, with shortstop Geraldo Perdomo and second baseman Ketel Marte needing days off.

“Blaze has definitely been growing up right before our very eyes,” Lovullo said. “He was tooled up, had everything right in front of him, but I think at the end of the day to become a complete baseball player, there was some development that needed to take place more physically, as well as emotionally. He gets very revved up, and to slow the game down to be able to dissect what's happening and do his job, that's something that we've seen emerging a lot this year.”