For our last divisional preview, we take it to the NL West. Top to bottom, it may be the best division in all of baseball. Outside of the San Diego Padres, each team has at least a faint hope of taking the division crown. The Los Angeles Dodgers stand above and beyond the rest, though. They went to the World Series last year and reloaded for a deeper run in 2018.
Here are my NL West power rankings entering the 2018 season.
5. San Diego Padres
San Diego has been baseball's laughingstock for as long as memory serves. That will change soon enough. Manuel Margot showed the flashes of a new star last season.
The team continues to have one of the top ten farm systems according to every major ranking. They even made the biggest splash of free agency, signing first baseman Eric Hosmer to a massive deal. San Diego will be back in the NL West's good graces in a couple of years.
4. Colorado Rockies
Last year, the Rockies surprised many when they made the Wild Card Game. This year will go a long way in proving whether or not that was a fluke. The lineup remains its usual potent self, with Nolan Arenado leading the charge. Carlos Gonzalez is back on a one-year deal, but his best years seem behind him. As per usual, the questions surround the pitching staff in the home run den that is Coors Field. The team does have one of the best bullpens in the NL West after adding Wade Davis and Bryan Shaw to the mix.
3. San Francisco Giants
The Giants made a last ditch effort to capture their even year mojo this offseason. They acquired third baseman Evan Longoria and outfielder Andrew McCutchen. But this was one of the worst teams in all of baseball last year. Losing Madison Bumgarner for significant time doesn't help matters. The NL West is just too loaded for this team to move the needle.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
As long as Zack Greinke's albatross contract is on the books, the Diamondbacks will be forced to compete. Robbie Ray has become a strong second option in the rotation. Taijuan Walker and Patrick Corbin make it one of the NL West's most dangerous staffs. Paul Goldschmidt is a perennial MVP candidate, but the team will miss J.D.
Martinez. Someone new will have to step up in his absence.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The five-time defending NL West champs are back for more. They had a quiet offseason, but they didn't really need to do much to improve a World Series-caliber roster. Yu Darvish fled in the winter. Justin Turner got hurt in the spring. Other than that, things are largely the same. Expect another big move at the trade deadline.