The Arizona Diamondbacks won the National League West last season, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Milwaukee. Arizona returns a good lineup, a good pitching staff, and should be near the top once again. The Giants will get their starting catcher back this season, Buster Posey, who is returning from a broken ankle.
The Dodgers, amidst all their ownership issues, still have a good talent of guys and may make some noise in the NL West. The Rockies do not appear to have much pitching this year, and that could hurt them as the season progresses. The San Diego Padres are still rebuilding, and the trade for first baseman Yonder Alonso from the Reds will help the team immediately.
- Arizona Diamondbacks: Arizona should once again win this division. The big difference between them and the Giants is that the Diamondbacks can actually score. The outfield features three young stars: Jason Kubel, Chris Young, and Justin Upton. Miguel Montero is quietly evolving into a good bat for this team. He hit .282 with 18 home runs and 86 Runs Batted In last season. The pitching staff does not have a “superstar,” but they have guys that know how to win. Ian Kennedy leads the rotation, after going 21-4 with a 2.88 Earned Run Average in 2011. Closer J.J. Putz will anchor the bullpen. Arizona has talent all around and will win this division again.
- Los Angeles Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw won the 2011 Cy Young Award and center fielder Matt Kemp had an MVP-type season. Those were about the only bright spots for Los Angeles last season. The ownership problems last season appeared to cause distractions, sending the Dodgers to an 82-79 record. As those things clear up, the team should improve and make steps towards getting back to the top of the division. The rotation is solid, with Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Aaron Harang, and Chris Capuano doing the pitching. Kemp, as well as James Loney and Andre Ethier, will once again carry the offense. If the Dodgers get consistent contributions from somebody else in their offense, they may challenge Arizona for first place.
- San Francisco Giants: As mentioned above, the Giants do not have any run producers. Getting catcher Buster Posey back will be important, but he will not impact the Giants offense significantly. This team did not go out and get a bat in the offseason, and that is going to hurt them. San Fran still has a great pitching staff, with All-Star Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgartner at the top of the rotation. The man with the beard, Brian Wilson, will once again be the anchor for the bullpen.
- Colorado Rockies: Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki will be the main sources of offense in the Rockies lineup. Center fielder Dexter Fowler gives the Rockies some speed at the top of the lineup, and First Baseman Todd Helton is still effective, despite his age. The problem that the Rockies will face this season is lack of starting pitching. Jhoulys Chacin, who started 31 games last season, went 11-14 with a 3.62 Earned Run Average. Those are not good numbers for a top of the rotation pitcher. The Rockies could be looking at a lot of high scoring games this season.
- San Diego Padres: The Padres have a lot of young talent, but that may not transfer to immediate success. The Padres did get Carlos Quentin, a power hitting left fielder, in a trade with the Chicago White Sox this offseason. He will be an important bat in their lineup. The Padres also have a young pitching staff, led by Tim Stauffer. Edinson Volquez, who the Padres got in a trade with the Reds the offseason, will be a good addition to the rotation. Going with the continued theme here, the Padres traded for closer Huston Street from the Rockies. He is a good pickup for this young team. The Padres have potential, but do not have all the pieces to take the next step, yet.
Robert Edgcomb - I have been a sports enthusiast my entire life. I have strong opinions and I use facts and statistics to support everything I write.
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