1998 Expansion Draft

Lore & Background

The draft allowed the Diamondbacks to bypass years of minor league development by selecting veterans ready for the majors. Key selections included future contributors, though Luis Gonzalez was not part of this draft—he was acquired via trade from the Detroit Tigers in 1999. This era set a precedent that expansion teams could succeed quickly, culminating in a World Series title just three years later.

In Their Own Story

The conference room hummed with quiet tension as the phone lines lit up one by one. Outside, the Phoenix desert was cooling down, but inside, the fate of the new franchise hung on every name announced. A leather baseball sat on the desk beside a stack of rosters, a silent witness to the decisions being made that would define the team's first decade.

Reader's Guide

The Arizona Diamondbacks entered Major League Baseball as an expansion franchise in the late 1990s, marking a new era for professional sports in Phoenix. Before their inaugural season began, management executed a strategic expansion draft to assemble a competitive roster from existing MLB talent. This process allowed the club to bypass traditional farm system development initially, selecting veterans who could contribute immediately on the field.

Following the draft, the team opened Bank One Ballpark, introducing a retractable roof design that would become iconic for spring training and desert play. The early identity focused on resilience and rapid growth under general manager Kevin Towers. While the expansion draft provided the foundation, subsequent trades, such as acquiring Randy Johnson, propelled them toward contention much faster than typical new franchises.

By 2001, the team that started with these drafted selections had evolved into a World Series champion. The initial roster selected during this historic draft laid the groundwork for an immediate culture of excellence. This period remains significant not just for the players chosen, but for proving that expansion teams could challenge established dynasties within their first few years of existence in the National League West division.

Did You Know?

• Luis Gonzalez was not selected by Arizona in this draft; he was acquired via trade from the Detroit Tigers in 1999.
• The Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays were both added in 1998, following the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins in 1993.
• The team debuted at Bank One Ballpark on March 31, 1998, against the Colorado Rockies.
• The Diamondbacks were not the first new MLB franchise since the 1993 expansion; the Tampa Bay Devil Rays joined alongside them in 1998, and the Rockies and Marlins debuted in 1993.