The NL West appears to be one of the stronger divisions in baseball this year, featuring the reigning champions.
The MLB Season officially starts in a few days, and the first two games in Tokyo features teams in the NL Central and West. The latter division features the defending World Series champions, but there is more to get excited about than just the team in Hollywood.
The Juggernaut
The Los Angeles Dodgers are heavy favorites to win the Fall Classic again, but they would be the first to tell you nothing is set in stone. Even so, this franchise has so many good players, they willingly trade away useful ones like 2B Gavin Lux and RP Ryan Brasier. They even signed Korean star 2B Hye-Seong Kim only to option him to AAA. That’s because a smart, motivated front office with deep pockets can acquire almost anyone it wants. Beyond the three MVP candidates in SS Mookie Betts, DH Shohei Ohtani, and 1B Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers have convinced Japanese internationals SPs Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki to sign with them.
As always, LA has a ton of injury risk but builds a comparable amount of depth to withstand all of the IL stints. SPs Tyler Glasnow and Dustin May are back from injury, and SP Blake Snell found the large contract he was looking for. The Dodgers also added the best reliever available in RP Tanner Scott. This team simply has no weaknesses in the Majors, and they have one of the better farm systems to boot. The only way the Dodgers miss the playoffs is if they get ravaged with injuries again, and their older players decline more than anticipated.
X-factor: 3B Max Muncy keeps extending a tremendous career, and his three-true-outcomes approach has worked for a while now. But at 34, could this be the year he hits a wall? Sometimes players lose all their power at once, and Muncy might someday fall off a cliff offensively. As long as he keeps hitting, the lineup has no easy outs.
The Desert is Here to Stay
You might not have noticed, but the Arizona Diamondbacks were actually better in 2024 than 2023. They won five more games than the roster that reached the World Series but missed the postseason on a tiebreaker. Instead of running things back, the D-Backs pushed passed their payroll limits and signed ace SP Corbin Burnes. They also traded for 1B Josh Naylor in exchange for spare parts to replace 1B Christian Walker.
Beyond those two notable additions, Arizona has a very similar roster to last season and should therefore compete for a playoff spot again. 2B Ketel Marte and 3B Eugenio Suarez will carry the heart of the lineup, while SPs Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly make for great #2 and #3 starters. I think we will see a breakout from SP Brandon Pfaadt after two years of underperforming his peripherals. Meanwhile, the bullpen looks iffy, and the front office didn’t address it, but a full season from RP AJ Puk will help.
X-factor: OF Corbin Carroll had a down season relative to his rookie year, but there were some clear splits. He got off to a really slow start and had a .635 OPS at the All-Star Break, but he returned to his old self and posted a .919 OPS in the second half. The Diamondbacks absolutely need to him to play like an MVP candidate, otherwise they will be stuck fighting the whole season for a bid. Based on his track record and second half rebound, I don’t think they have too much to worry about.
Where Did All the Shortstops Go?
For the past couple of seasons, the San Diego Padres have fielded a lineup of shortstops, but the 2025 edition looks like a more generic team in the loaded West. SS Ha-Seong Kim and OF Jurickson Profar left in free agency, and now the Padres have an even thinner bench than last season. On the flip side, some of the remaining infielders can move back to more familiar positions. SS Xander Bogaerts will once again be the actual shortstop, while 2B Jake Cronenworth slides over to second, and 1B Luis Arraez will spend more time at first instead of DH.
Given the lopsided nature of their roster, the Padres will need to rely on their stars playing like stars, and that includes Bogaerts. 3B Manny Machado still has a few good years left in him, while OF Jackson Merrill is capable of taking another step forward in his second season. Unfortunately, SP Joe Musgrove will miss the whole season, and SP Nick Pivetta isn’t quite equal in quality as his replacement. After Tanner Scott took the freeway north, San Diego needs RP Robert Suarez to keep up his one-pitch closer act.
X-factor: Can C Luis Campusano hang onto his job? A former top prospect, he has been a below-average defender throughout his career, but when he was hitting .319 in 2023 that wasn’t an issue. But last season, playing in a career-high 91 games, Campusano slipped dramatically at the plate, and combined with his poor framing, he was below replacement level. The next few months will determine whether Campusano is still in the team’s plans.
Under the Radar in the West
The San Francisco Giants have been lacking an identity the past few seasons, but 2025 might be the year they regain their mojo. They have been mediocre since C Buster Posey retired, but now that he runs the front office, the Giants are back on the rise in the NL West. Despite losing Blake Snell, the Giants somewhat quietly had a productive offseason by signing SS Willy Adames and SP Justin Verlander. 3B Matt Chapman is also staying in the Bay after signing an extension late last season.
The Giants certainly have their sights set on a playoff berth, but they need a few things to go right to pass other teams in the West. Is it time for their many young starters to establish themselves in the big leagues, namely SPs Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, and Landon Roupp. They all have standout pitches but posted lackluster results in their 2024 debuts. Also on the mound, SP Robbie Ray has missed most of the past two years, and an above-average performance would be a great outcome. Plus, SP Jordan Hicks will aim to keep up his stamina to stay in the rotation.
X-factor: OF Jung Hoo Lee was San Francisco’s big signing last offseason, but he had a season-ending injury before he could adjust to MLB pitching. He will have every opportunity to be the everyday centerfielder, but sadly, he is experiencing back discomfort at the moment. An injury-prone label this early in his stateside career would be tough to shake off.
The Slog Continues
Not much has changed in the world of the Colorado Rockies. They seem to finally be aware they don’t have a shot in the NL West, but they don’t really take the necessary steps to rebuild, either. The front office added a few low-impact players in free agency, such as UTL Thairo Estrada and SS Kyle Farmer. Those kinds of guys may or may not bring back minor league fliers in July, but they will keep the infield warm for prospects like 2B Amael Amador. There are others on the way, such as first rounder SP Chase Dollander.
It is a shame the Rockies still have no clue how to put together a pitching staff at altitude, because the lineup looks encouraging. OF Brenton Doyle is coming off a surprising breakout and has a really fun skillset as a power/speed threat and elite defender. 3B Ryan McMahon and SS Ezequiel Tovar are both steady players who have signed extensions in recent seasons, giving fans a couple faces to cheer for long term. Hopefully OF Kris Bryant can stay healthy for a full season, because every baseball fan would like to see that.
X-factor: What will SP German Marquez look like? He has barely pitched since 2022 due to injury, but he is still one of the best pitchers in franchise history. He seemed like himself in his first Cactus League start, so it would be refreshing if that continues in the regular season.
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