The season has not yet started and, in the eyes of many, the Diamondbacks are already out of it, buried in the National League West behind a pair of big-spending, talent-rich behemoths. The Diamondbacks not only seem fine with this perception, they appear to be welcoming it.
If history is any indication, they probably should.
For the past decade and a half, the Diamondbacks have followed a fairly consistent pattern when it comes to expectations and results. When hopes are high — when they look like legitimate contenders — they flop. But when the experts, oddsmakers and projection systems see little reason for optimism, the Diamondbacks have a way of proving them wrong.