Nick Ahmed providing leadership for young Diamondbacks

Standing beside a back field Monday morning, Nick Ahmed pulled Cole Sulser aside after a live batting practice session. Sulser is a 32-year-old journeyman claimed off waivers; the type of player for whom these sessions take on extra importance. So Ahmed wanted to share his insights. Sulser’s fastball, he told him, had good life, but he was tipping his breaking pitches with slower arm movement.

The next day, Ahmed engaged in a similar exercise with Buddy Kennedy. After a drill working on one-handed swings in the batting cages, the pair sat by a Gatorade cooler, discussing barrel control. Ahmed gripped a bat in his right hand and mimicked proper weight transfer. “Whatever he says, listen to it, take it in, keep it in your brain and follow,” Kennedy said.

Over the past few years, this has evolved into a key part of Ahmed’s value to the Diamondbacks.

“When (Paul Goldschmidt) was here, he took a lot of that role as the leader of the team and all that,” Ahmed said. “But I think when he left, there was kind of a void and I just tried to step into that and just be a guy who can be there for my teammates and help out when there's a time and a need for it.”

Goldschmidt’s departure via trade following the 2018 season came at the right time for Ahmed to take on a larger voice. That year, he had established himself as one of the Diamondbacks’ key players, posting 4.1 WAR, per Baseball Reference.

The tenets for Ahmed to become a valuable off-field presence had always been there.

In Ahmed’s first spring training with the Diamondbacks in 2013, John McDonald — a 13-year veteran at that point — took the rookie under his guidance. McDonald showed Ahmed his regular routines, walking him through what it took to be a major leaguer. Even at the time, Ahmed knew that one day, he wanted to pass that mentorship on.

Plus, he was always comfortable engaging in detailed conversations with the coaching staff — showcasing the type of mentality needed to be a coach on the field.

“One-on-one, he's always been very good at advocating for himself,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “And I always appreciate that. Somebody that can come in and comfortably get their points across about how they're feeling and what they're trying to say has definitely been a strength of his.”

In order to take less established players under your arm, though, you first have to be established yourself. And the year Goldschmidt left, that’s the status Ahmed earned.

Kennedy is one of the players who has seen that progression chart its course. He first met Ahmed in 2017, shortly after he was drafted. Over the years, the two have worked together, especially on the defensive side, where Ahmed has helped Kennedy — a second baseman — be calmer and more fluid when he takes groundballs.

Often, that type of mentorship primarily manifests itself in spring training, when a clubhouse is filled with young players trying to establish themselves in an organization. Last year, though, Ahmed was limited to 27 games thanks to an injury to his right shoulder. With nothing to do but rest and rehab, he made regular appearances at Chase Field, guiding young infielders like Kennedy and Geraldo Perdomo through their rookie year learning curves.

“It was a lot of just picking guys up,” Ahmed said. “It's easy to see when you're not playing who's struggling and who needs a pat in the back and who needs a kick in the pants. Just trying to help guys with their mindset more than anything. Just be ready to play each night and hoping guys learn the game, too, and learn how to watch pitchers tipping and picking up on different stuff that they're doing out there. I've had guys teach me those things and just trying to share it with the young guys we have here.”

Perdomo, in particular, has appreciated Ahmed’s help. This spring, Ahmed has instructed Perdomo on his posture for throws across the diamond, encouraging him to get into a deeper crouch, rather than standing upright.

With one year left on his contract and an uncertain future with the Diamondbacks, Ahmed could have distanced himself from Perdomo — a 23-year-old, former top-100 prospect who plays the same position. Instead, he’s embraced him, helping provide a necessary veteran presence amid the team's youth movement.

“We're not selfish,” Perdomo said. “I know we're competing, but we have to learn from those guys. … Having a guy that’s a two-time Gold Glove (winner), it’s amazing.”

When Lovullo first took over as the Diamondbacks manager in 2017, he encountered an intelligent but timid Ahmed. Now, Lovullo says, “He's just fearless with standing up in front of his teammates and challenging them to get better. And to me, that's good leadership.”

In doing so, Ahmed makes Lovullo’s job easier. On Thursday, after Ahmed was done participating in cut-off and relay drills, the two stood together by third base, discussing the finer points of the exercise. When Lovullo stepped in to give an instruction, Ahmed amplified him, providing a player’s perspective.

“Everyone wants to be a Gold Glover,” shortstop Blaze Alexander said. “To have a guy on your team that you can look up to and try to play like is special.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ahmed providing leadership for young Diamondbacks