The NL West is loaded with some quality lineups, but it will be the team who pitches consistently throughout the season that will win the division.
At 6-1, the Arizona Diamondbacks are currently in first place in the NL West. If they do stay in first place for the rest of the season, it would be their first division title since 2011. While that is not very likely, this Diamondbacks team looks to be pretty strong up and down the roster, but they have yet to play a road game this season. The National League West is loaded with offensive talent, but in the end, it will be pitching that eventually crowns the champion of the division.
Beginning with the Diamondbacks, this 2017 season will hopefully be one of redemption for ace Zack Greinke. The 33-year-old had a rough first season with the Diamondbacks in 2016, as he looked nothing like the pitcher who went 19-3 with a 1.66 earned run average the year before for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Greinke made only 26 starts for Arizona last season, posting an earned run average over 4.00, while going 13-7 for a team that under-performed throughout.
This season, Greinke has gotten off to a strong start, teaming with Patrick Corbin to be dominant through the first week or so of the season. However, Shelby Miller and Taijuan Miller did not look good in their first start, which shouldn’t start any alarms, but is something to keep an eye on. Former top starting pitching prospect Archie Bradley has moved to the bullpen, where he has looked good in two appearances.
Arizona’s lineup is stacked, as guys like Paul Goldschmidt, Brandon Drury, Jake Lamb, and Chris Owings are off to fast starts in the desert. Yasmany Tomas and David Peralta are two more players who can do damage in a lineup, making this version of the Diamondbacks pretty scary offensively. The bullpen has looked good early, but first-year manager Torey Lovullo is going to need the arms to stay healthy if they want to navigate a tough NL West schedule.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the last four NL West crowns, thanks to a solid lineup, and great pitching. Last season, the combination of Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda led the team to 91 wins, as they combined to win 28 games between the two of them. Kershaw missed a ton of time last season with a back injury, so having him healthy for the full 33-plus starts will be key if they want to win a fifth straight title. Rich Hill and Brandon McCarthy will be expected to step up big time this season, giving the team a solid rotation.
Early this season, the bullpen has been fantastic, as five pitchers have yet to allow an earned run. Closer Kenley Jansen struggled in his only appearance, but he is always good for at least 35 saves. One bright spot so far has been the play of Yasiel Puig, who was once considered the best young player in baseball. If he can get back to being a legitimate 30/30 threat, a lineup featuring him, Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, and Adrian Gonzalez is going to be tough to get through for nine innings.
Over in Colorado, there has been a change at the wheel, as the team said goodbye to Walt Weiss after a four-year stint as the team’s manager. Bud Black has replaced Weiss, and has inherited a team loaded with talent. While Carlos Gonzalez, Trevor Story, and D.J. LeMahieu have all struggled out of the gate, they are getting good production from Geraldo Parra, who missed time due to injury last season. Matt Reynolds has hit well early too, and eventually, Ian Desmond will be back on the field at first.
However, the bugaboo in Colorado is always pitching, and management of the bullpen is what dogged Weiss during his time as manager. The team brought in Greg Holland to be the team’s closer, and he has paid instant dividends, collecting four saves in four tries early. Carlos Estevez and Mike Dunn have also done a nice job out of the pen, and you have to think that if the Rockies get any pitching late in games, they should be able to win more than they lose. Jon Gray, Tyler Chatwood, and Tyler Anderson have been roughed up in their early starts, but all three have the stuff to win games at the big league level.
San Francisco seems to always be at the top, or close to the top of the divisional standings, and this year should be no different. They have struggled a bit out of the gate, but a rotation headlined by Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto is nothing to sneeze at. Jeff Samardzija, Matt Cain, and Matt Moore will round out the rotation, giving the Giants a formidable staff from 1 to 5. The Giants also brought in Matt Melancon to close games this season, so they may actually improve on their Wild Card finish last season.
The Giants have hit early, and are getting nice contributions from players like Eduardo Nunez, Joe Panik, and Brandon Crawford. Hunter Pence, Buster Posey, and Brandon Belt are all going to hit as well, making San Francisco arguably the deepest team in the division. The middle part of the bullpen is going to be the wild card, as this team is only going to go as far as guys like Hunter Strickland, George Kontos, and Neil Ramirez will take them.
San Diego is going to struggle this season, as their lineup is full of players who are either young, or have played inconsistent baseball throughout their career. A finish at the bottom of the division is likely, as they do not have the bats, and more importantly, the arms to be a competitive team in the NL West this season. There are some nice young players on the roster, and in their farm system, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that they are a better team in the next two years.
The division is pretty strong, and it is possible that a Wild Card team comes out of it again this season. Colorado should finish over .500 for the first time since 2010, as their pitching should be much better than in years past. The Dodgers and Giants both have elite aces on their staff, but their bullpens are going to need to step up if they are going to be back at the top of the division in 2017. Los Angeles is more than good enough to make it five in a row in the NL West, especially if Kershaw can stay healthy the entire season.
These five teams are going to beat each other up all season, and navigating a lineup like the Diamondbacks and Rockies have will be a scary scenario for opposing pitchers. However, pitching is what is going to win the division, and when it comes down to meaningful games in September, Colorado just does not have that one horse they can rely on to win the biggest of games. Arizona, Los Angeles, and San Francisco have arguably the best three starters in the National League, and that is why the race is going to come down to those three teams.
Next: Best All-Time Hitter For Every Team
The addition of Mark Melancon is going to be huge for the Giants, but getting to him may be tricky business for manager Bruce Bochy. Arizona has Fernando Rodney closing games, and we have all seen him implode from time to time. Kenley Jansen has been solid for the Dodgers over the past three seasons, helping them win the division every year as the team’s closer. Whichever team can close out games is going to win the division, and based on lineup and bullpen, the edge has to go to the Giants, who currently sit in last place.