The last month has seen 3 teams:, San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco all battling for supremacy in the NL West. Let’s take a quick glance at how they rank up and their chances for making the playoffs.
San Francisco Giants: This team has performed amazingly well given the talent they have, surely in part due to the skill of their GM. I don’t think they have much of a chance for this season though and will end up with 3rd place. Drew Thompson, currently hitting .376, was a very good pick up last season and continues to play at a great level.
Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers have a legimate ace in SP Chris Mcdonald, who won 17 games for them last year and isn’t even peaked yet. They have a slight chance of winning the division, but would need a big move or a lot of luck to win the West. 1B Luis Aguirre has been an anchor in the lineup since LA acquired him from Baltimore, and looks to be a fixture for seasons to come.
San Diego Padres: Perennial underpeformers, the Padres are in top shape this year and look to win the division easily. SP Aaron Emerick has a 2.82 ERA with a 9-7 record and could be a Cy Young candidate. Their lineup is loaded as well, with All-Stars such as 2B Michael Vickers, but the injury to RF Kevin Gheorge will definitely hurt.
The NL West is constantly mentioned as a “weak” division, and I heard numerous GMs say they wanted Las Vegas as an expansion team solely to play in that division. I think the NL West has a lot of potential, and by the time any expansion team is ready to compete it will not likely be the weakest link.