Just like the NL Central, this is going to be a competitive division throughout the 2015 season. The National League West will be a race be a lot closer than it was last year with what the San Diego Padres did in the off-season. There things in my opinion separate each of the top three teams in this division. We're going to start this National League West preview with the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. Both the Giants and the Dodgers both have good rotations, but the thing that separates the Giants from both the Dodgers and Giants is their experience and their depth in their pitching staff. Madison Bumgarner is just nasty and clutch as he proved in the Giants' 2014 World Series championship. Ryan Vogelsong and Tim Lincecum both have good stuff as well. Lincecum has kind of tailed off a bit since winning multiple C.Y. Young awards a few years ago. Tim Hudson is that reliable veteran in this group, and it was surprising that he added to that rotation last year. The question with their rotation is Matt Cain, who was hurt all of last year. The question is how Cain will bounce back from the injury he had last year, but the thing we do know is that he'll add more to what they had last year. The reason I put the Giants over the Dodgers in this division is because they have the more experienced bullpen. They just have good arms up and down in their bullpen from the dependable lefty in Jeremy Affeldt all the way up to their closer Sergio Romo. Offensively, the Giants lineup won't be as good as last year. They have some good pieces in their lineup with NL MVP, Buster Posey, and fellow All-Star Hunter Pence. The biggest thing that will hurt the Giants is the loss of Pablo Sandoval. Sandoval brought some pop to this team and that will be a tough thing to replace in this lineup. The Giants, however, do have some intriguing and proven young players with shortstop Brandon Crawford, second baseman Joe Panik, and first baseman Brandon Belt. With the loss of Sandoval, the platoon of Joaquin Arias and former Brewers third baseman Casey McGehee will be interesting to watch all year. Personally, I think McGehee brings more to the table than Arias does. They have some good depth with their outfield with Travis Ishikawa, Angel Pagan, Gregor Blanco, Norichika Aoki and Pence. I think the National League West will be a battle just like the Central, and I think I would give the early upper hand to the Giants because of their depth with their pitching staff.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (2014 Finish: 94-68, First Place in the NL West)
The Dodgers almost mirror the Giants talent wise. On paper, they have the upper hand offensively with how much power they have in their lineup. They have a talented outfield that is still stacked with Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Andre Eithier, and Chris Heisey. The thing is both Crawford and Eithier haven't had those standout years of late. You look at Crawford, he hasn't been able to replicate what he did in Tampa with the Rays all those years. Eithier has kind of been lost the last few years after being one of their best power threats due to having Kemp in their as well with Crawford, Eithier, and Puig the last few years. So it will be interesting to see if he can put those numbers up again. It has been proven that Puig is the spark plug for this team, but can he put up a big year offensively this year. The Dodgers also have some good power bats in their infield with guys like Adrian Gonzalez, Darwin Barney, Juan Uribe, and newcomers Howie Kendricks and Jimmy Rollins. It will be interesting to see what Rollins brings to the Dodgers lineup after spending his whole entire career with the Phillies. A.J. Ellis and Yasmani Grandal are decent options at the catcher's position, but aren't as good as a Buster Posey in San Francisco. With their starting pitching, the Dodgers have two C.Y. Young award candidates at the top with Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. Those two arms will be the guys that carry this rotation. There isn't anything really behind them with Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy. It will be interesting to see what they get from bottom of their rotation this year especially at the beginning of the year with Ryu on the disabled list to start the year. The Dodgers bullpen has reliable arms, but doesn't have the names that the Giants do. Joel Peralta and Brandon League have been proven arms in their careers. You figure Kenley Jansen is going to be their closer, he had a career year last year with 44 saves so it will be interesting to see how he follows that up for 2015. With the Dodgers, there is too much talent here from them not to make the playoffs as either the division champion or as a wildcard.
3. San Diego Padres (2014 Finish: 77-85, 3rd Place Finish in the NL West)
With what the Padres added in the off-season, it is clear that that the gap is getting closer in this division and that they are serious about competing . I think it is safe to say that they'll get more than 77 wins like they did last year. Adding James Shields to this rotation makes them of a heck of a lot better. Shields has had 11 plus wins every year since he has come into this league. The Padres will make the division a lot tighter if they can get big seasons from both Josh Johnson and Ian Kennedy. If they can get the Josh Johnson from 2009 and 2010 (15-5 in 2009 and 11-6 in 2010 with the Marlins), that will make them a whole lot better. I think the same thing goes for Ian Kennedy. If the Padres can get the 2011 Ian Kennedy (you know the one who was 21-4 that year for the Diamondbacks), this team could be a threat for a playoff spot. Add all that to Tyson Ross, who is coming off his best season with 13 wins last year, that could make them a threat in the National League West. The Padres are serious about contending the next few years otherwise they wouldn't have made the big move to acquire one of the best closers in the game in Craig Kimbrel. Add in Joaquin Benoit for the eighth and that is a dangerous back end of their bullpen. Andrew Cashner and Brandon Morrow are probably their best relief pitchers behind that. With the Padres, you have to like what they did in the off-season adding some pop to their offense by adding Will Middlebrooks, Wil Myers, Will Venable and Matt Kemp. In addition to that, they also reunite the Upton Brothers again in Justin and Melvin Upton. You like the power that they'll get from Myers, Upton and Kemp, but what you don't like is that they have as much depth in their outfield as the Dodgers have had the last two seasons. They have some good bats in addition to that with Clint Barmes, Jedd Gyorko, Derek Morris, Tim Federowicz, and Yonder Alonso. This offense is going to get some good productivity from their big bats with Kemp, Myers, Alonso and so on. This team might surprise people this year and maybe could make a run for a playoff spot, and I think they can be in that position this year.
4. Colorado Rockies (2014 Finish: 66-96, 4th Place in the NL West)
With how good the first three teams are going to be, that could make it tough for both the Rockies and the Diamondbacks this year. With the Rockies, they have a younger rotation with Jordan Lyles, Kyle Kendrick, Rex Brothers and Tyler Matzek in addition to their veteran starter in former Brewers pitcher Jorge De La Rosa. They have some veteran arms in their bullpen with Boone Logan and a few former Brewers with closer John Axford and LaTroy Hawkins. But their rotation and bullpen isn't nearly as close as what the top three teams in this division have. They have a promising offense however, with Justin Morneau, Troy Tulowitzki, and Carlos Gonzalez. It would not be a surprise to me if any of those three guys are on the way out of Colorado if this team does not make a threat in this division. Behind that they have some young guys behind that with Drew Stubbs, Nolan Arenado, Daniel Descalso, Wilin Rosario, Charlie Blackmon, Brandon Barnes, and Nick Hundley. The Rockies have some promising things about them, but it will be extremely tough for them to compete in this division.
5. Arizona Diamondbacks (2014 Finish: 64-98, Last Place in the NL West)
As I said with the Rockies, with how good the top three teams will be this year in the National League West, it will be tough for these last two teams to make a threat in this division. To me with the Diamondbacks, their rotation is really a puzzle. They have some pitchers that have had some good successes in their early careers so far with Jeremy Hellickson, Daniel Hudson, and Trevor Cahill. Of those three I really like Jeremy Hellickson of that group especially with how good he was in Tampa with the Rays. He could be the ace of this group. As for Daniel Hudson, he had one good year and that was the year this team made the playoffs in 2011. Cahill along with Patrick Corbin are both up and coming arms in this league. Bronson Arroyo is the reliable veteran of this group, and I think they'll expect a lot out of him this year. With their bullpen, they have some good arms with Josh Collmenter, David Hernandez, Brad Ziegler, and Addison Reed. I think Addison Reed will be their closer and he has had good last few seasons as a closer in this league (29 saves in 2012 and 40 in 2013 with the White Sox and 32 saves with the Diamondbacks last year). Collmenter, Hernandez and Ziegler have had some decent numbers the last few years. The Diamondbacks are a mix offensively with some guys that have some pop offensively along with the young guys on the roster. Cody Ross, Mark Trumbo, Aaron Hill, and Paul Goldschmidt all bring some good pop to this lineup. It wouldn't surprise me if they get younger than they already are if they continue to be in the cellar of this division. So this could be a difficult year in Arizona with the Diamondbacks.
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