What is going on in wild NL West?
What the heck is going on in the National League West? With the Giants in the basement and the Rockies at the top, something is clearly happening in the Wild West.
You know that something is going on when you see that the Los Angeles Dodgers barely managingto avoid a sweep … at the hands of the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies.
After all of the games were done on April 23, the Rockies were in sole possession of first place in the NL West with a 13-6 record, followed by the Arizona Diamondbacks (12-8), Dodgers (9-10), San Diego Padres (8-12), and San Francisco Giants (6-13). The Dodgers are under .500 and the Giants are seven games back in last place. What the heck?
Before we get too excited about these numbers, we have to keep in mind it’s early in the season and things change over the course of a long season. Still, barring injuries, the Rockies and the Diamondbacks are in it to win it.
In 2016, the Padres and Dodgers were the teams with new managers. The Padres kicked off their multi-year rebuilding plan under Andy Green so it was no surprise to see San Diego finish in last place. The Dodgers hired Dave Roberts and he led the team to the postseason ahead of the perennial NL West powerhouse San Francisco Giants.
All eyes were on the Giants and Dodgers to continue the battle for supremacy in the NL West during the 2017 season, but it isn’t happening … yet.
The Rockies and Diamondbacks are working with new managers in 2017. The Rockies have Bud Black, former manager of the Padres, while the Diamondbacks hired veteran manager Torey Lovullo to help them get back on top. So far it seems to be working.
Black was an interesting choice to take over the Rockies. Black’s background as a pitcher is what made him an attractive candidate because the Rockies have never been able to pitch throughout the franchise’s history.
The Diamondbacks led all NL West teams in spring training. Lovullo’s impact has already been felt with this talented Arizona squad, with an early-season sweep of the struggling Cleveland Indians. They also won the opening series over the Giants, butlost a game to the Padres with their ace on the mound. Despite the slight inconsistencies, they’re looking more like the 1999 Diamondbacks that clinched the division.
With Madison Bumgarner out for the next few weeks, the Giants will likely continue their slump but they have been known to rally after the All Star Break. The Padres have played well given that no one expected to see them compete in 2017, so it’s hard to predict where they will end up over the course of the season. It won’t take much for the Dodgers to get out of third place, but if Arizona and Colorado continue their success it will be challenging to break through.
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No one expected to see the NL West upside down this season, but so far it has been fun to watch, and things will only get more interesting from here.