Could October see another exciting showdown between the rival Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres? Perhaps the Arizona Diamondbacks will make a splash on the big fall stage. In the competitive NL West, the Dodgers, led by Shohei Ohtani and a strong roster, are the team to beat, having won 11 of the last 12 division titles. However, other teams are poised to challenge for a spot in the postseason.
Buster Posey is working hard to keep the San Francisco Giants in the playoff conversation. As the former star catcher now in charge of personnel decisions, Posey aims to bring the Giants back into contention. Despite the strong competition, the Giants are determined to chase down the Dodgers.
Here’s how the teams stack up:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers: The defending World Series champions have faith in manager Dave Roberts and star player Shohei Ohtani. They have strengthened their roster with the addition of pitcher Blake Snell and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. Despite some injury concerns, the Dodgers are well-positioned to defend their title.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks have raised expectations by signing ace pitcher Corbin Burnes to a lucrative deal. With a deep starting rotation and a powerful lineup, the Diamondbacks aim to return to the playoffs and make a deep postseason run.
3. San Diego Padres: The Padres fell short in last year’s division series against the Dodgers but have the talent to bounce back. Led by stars Fernando Tatís Jr. and Manny Machado, the Padres are eager to challenge for their first World Series title.
4. San Francisco Giants: Posey has been busy building a competitive team around young talents like Logan Webb. With key signings like Justin Verlander and Willy Adames, the Giants are looking to improve on their fourth-place finish last season.
Each team in the NL West is gearing up for a tough battle for postseason success.
This season is crucial for the 42-year-old Verlander, a three-time AL Cy Young Award winner. The Colorado Rockies are undergoing a youth movement led by Gold Glove-winning shortstop Ezequiel Tovar in an attempt to end a streak of six consecutive losing seasons. Bet MGM predicts the Rockies’ win total to be 59 1/2, which would result in the team reaching 100 losses for the third year in a row. Tovar, 21, had a .269 batting average with 26 home runs last season, while 26-year-old Brenton Doyle secured his second Gold Glove as the center fielder at Coors Field. The pitching rotation will showcase hard-throwing right-handers Antonio Senzatela and Germán Márquez, who are both recovering from elbow injuries.
Regarding Ohtani’s timeline, Dodgers’ manager Roberts hinted that Ohtani might return to pitching in May. However, the team is being cautious about setting a clear timeline to ensure Ohtani’s health for the 2025 season. Ohtani was limited to hitting only in 2024 due to offseason elbow surgery and also underwent surgery on his non-throwing left shoulder after the World Series. He scaled back his pitching work before the Tokyo Series to focus on his hitting.
There are rumors that three-time NL batting champion Luis Arráez could be traded again this season. San Diego acquired Arráez from Miami last May and primarily played him at first base. Speculation suggests that the Padres might look to move him before he becomes a free agent after the 2025 season. Arráez holds a career batting average of .323, but his numbers dipped to .346 with a 1.0 WAR in 2024 after a stellar performance in 2023 with a .393 on-base percentage and 4.6 WAR.
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AP Baseball Writer David Brandt and AP Sports Writers Greg Beacham, Pat Graham, and Beth Harris contributed to this story.
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