With Major League Baseball starting in less than 24 hours, I've covered ground in five of the six Major League divisions, having worked my way from the east coast all the way out west now.
And so, let's tackle the NL West and conclude the series. Happy Opening Day, and good luck to your team!
NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2020: 43-17 (1st in NL West), won World Series
After banging their heads against the wall for the better part of a decade, the Dodgers finally broke through this past October, then went and got better in the offseason. Signing Trevor Bauer bolsters the rotation that was already really good to begin with, the bullpen is good, and their lineup remains potent even with the departure of Joc Pederson. On paper, this team is probably the favorite to repeat.
2021 Prediction: 97-65
2. San Diego Padres
2020: 37-23 (2nd in NL West), lost in NLDS
San Diego emerged as a contender last season, then went out and added to it. Trading for Yu Darvish gives them an ace atop the rotation, they've got a legit back end of the bullpen guy in Mark Melancon, and added Korean infielder Ha Seong-Kim to bolster an already strong lineup. I'm kind of excited to see how Fernando Tatis, Jr. continues to develop. If he takes another step forward, this team will defintiely challenge the Dodgers.
2021 Prediction: 95-67
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
2020: 25-35 (5th in NL West), missed playoffs
Hard to say about this group. MadBum, if he has anything left in the tank, is a good top of the rotation piece, but after that I'm not sure. There are some decent pieces here, but I don't think enough to challenge for the top.
2021 Prediction: 78-84
4. San Francisco Giants
2020: 29-31 (3rd in NL West), missed playoffs
There are still a number of pieces from when the Giants were in full Even Year Magic mode, but that was half a decade ago. Guys like Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Evan Longoria don't have the same ring that they used to. Johnny Cueto remains atop the rotation, but I don't think there's enough here to really do a ton for them.
2021 Prediction: 72-90
5. Colorado Rockies
2020: 26-34 (4th in NL West), missed playoffs
What do you say about the team that sold off its best player for essentially nothing? I know they got prospects back from St. Louis, but this was a team that had some nice pieces and isn't exactly far removed from being a pretty good squad. Instead, you're left with a Trevor Story who will probably be gone soon, Charlie Blackmon, who isn't quite the same since his breakout year, and not much else.
2021 Prediction: 64-98
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