Predictions by Division: NL West

With opening day just 2 days away (I'm so incredibly glad to be able to say that), it's time for me to post my very last predictions by division. Today, I am ending with the NL West, a division that was one of the toughest in baseball last season.

Every single team in the west has 2 or more dangerous players, making it one of the toughest divisions once again this year (although I believe the AL East is a bit harder to win in). Last year, 3 teams made the playoffs in the west, and there's a very good chance that could happen once again. It all depends on numerous factors such as can the Dodgers stay consistent, will the Diamondbacks and Rockies continue to battle it out for those Wild Card spots, and will the Padres and Giants improve at all after making big offseason moves.

1st Place: Los Angeles Dodgers

For the last couple of years, the Dodgers have always had that one missing piece preventing them from being World Champions of baseball. They made the NLCS in 2016 and the World Series in 2017. Could 2018 finally be the year they win it all? There's a very good chance, but for now, I'm concentrating solely on the division rankings. Despite multiple threats in the West, the Dodgers should be able to win the division for, unbelievably, the 6th straight year. A healthy Clayton Kershaw is easily a top 10 player in baseball and certainly the best pitcher. Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, and Justin Turner provide plenty of offensive pop that helps make the Dodgers such a well-rounded team. The only way I see the Dodgers not winning the division is if Kershaw and one of their star hitters are out for a long period of time. But if that does not happen, the Dodgers will win the division once again hands-down. 

2nd Place: Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks are a very interesting team and could absolutely become a serious contender starting even as early as this season. They are one of the most well-rounded teams in baseball, even more than the Dodgers. But what they're still lacking in this team of star players is unity and having the team coming together and working better together. They may have beat the Rockies in the Wild Card game last year, but getting swept by the Dodgers shows how far this team still has to go. That being said, Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray look ready to lead this team once again in pitching. On the other end, the Diamondbacks have lots of offensive power, led, of course, by Paul Goldschmidt who is constantly establishing himself as baseball's most consistent player. This team has gone through a rebuilding phase and has emerged as one of baseball's top teams. But until they up their game to the next level, they'll forever be a good team but not a great team.

3rd Place: Colorado Rockies

I don't think 2 words hate each other more in the English language other than the "Rockies" and "pitching." Since their inaugural season in 1993, the best Rockies pitcher I can think of is Ubaldo Jiminez, and I'm talking about those few seasons where he was good. However, Jiminez and every other Rockies pitcher have failed to stay great for many years, which is the major thing preventing the Rockies from truly contending and making it far in the playoffs. Sure, they're good, but good isn't good enough in the NL West. Nolan Arenado is one of baseball's best players and one of the best multi-tool players in the game. Colorado fans will be expecting a lot from him as he enters his age-27 season, and I don't think he'll have much trouble living up to expectations. However, beyond him, Charlie Blackmon, and Trevor Story, the Rockies do not have all the help they need, especially when it comes to pitching. Chasing a pitcher this offseason is a must for Colorado before Blackmon gets too old and this team goes back into rebuild mode. 

4th Place: San Francisco Giants

To me, the Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria trades didn't make much sense. Why would the Giants give up many young players, including Christian Arroyo who is believed to be a future star, in exchange for 2 veterans? One of those veterans (Longoria) is under contract for way too long for someone in his 30's. While McCutchen is simply a 1-year rental. It just doesn't make sense, but who knows, maybe the Giants do have a plan. But if their plan is to contend in the highly-contested West this season, their fresh out of luck no matter how good Cutch and Longoria do. Buster Posey is entering his 8th full season, and while he's still hitting very well, he's still getting up there in age. The pitching staff has been led by Madison Bumgarner for years, but after getting injured the other day, it's unclear how much time he will miss. The Giants may be a pretty well-run team, but I personally don't think they have a game plan for the 2018 season, and that is going to end up dooming this year.

5th Place: San Diego Padres

The Eric Hosmer signing was enormous, expensive, and may end up hurting San Diego in the long run as they enter the year (still?) rebuilding. Wil Myers has been the franchise centerpiece after being traded to San Diego in late 2014. It wasn't until 2016, however, that Myers became the more powerful hitter that he is today, but his batting average leaves something to be desired. The purpose behind adding Hosmer appears to be to add a better all-around hitter, but 2017 was only the 2nd season in the 28-year old's 7-year career that he hit above .300. The bright spot for the Padres is their farm system which is believed to be top 3 in baseball. These prospects aren't going to be able to help San Diego win right away, but they should be able to move past San Francisco and even Colorado in the next few years, barring any unforeseen circumstances. But for now, the Padres are still stuck in the basement of the NL West.