2021 NL West Preview

Author: Jordan Plompen

Editor: Brian Symons

The National League West has consistently had a similar storyline for the past decade. The Dodgers have been above .500 since 2011, winning eight straight division titles. The Rockies and Diamondbacks sprinkled in two playoff appearances each, with neither making it past the NLDS. The Giants made the playoffs each evenly numbered season except for 2018 and 2020, winning WS titles in 2010, 2012, and 2014. And the Padres were seemingly nonexistent until this past season. We have seen superstars like Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado shipped out to St. Louis, leaving Arizona and Colorado with little to be hopeful for. We have seen namesakes such as “Yastrzemski” (grandson of the Red Sox Hall of Famer) provide glimpses of the future for an aging roster in San Francisco. And we have seen the budding rivalry between Los Angeles and San Diego show its potential in 2020, resulting in the Dodgers sweep of the Padres in the NLDS, leading to their eventual World Series championship against Tampa Bay weeks later.

The National League West may be the most clearly cut division thus far in terms of standings, with minimal arguing points. After the most recent meaningful departure of the division being Nolan Arenado leaving Denver, there is little question as to the direction Colorado has chosen. Meaning no offense to their fanbase, the Diamondbacks may be the most mysterious organization to anyone who does not cheer on the Snakes in the sense that they do not have many well known players. Although young prospects will continue to blossom in San Francisco, the team is still most well known for veterans like Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, and Brandon Belt, who all come off the books after 2021. As for the juggernauts of the division, starting pitchers such as Yu Darvish, Trevor Bauer, and Blake Snell will do their best to add fuel to the fire in the feud between the teams residing in Southern California. Will the Dodgers make it nine straight division titles and avoid the dreaded World Series hangover? Can the Padres show they are no longer the cute, upstart team and win the NL West for the first time since 2006? Will the Giants be shipping out their homegrown playoff heroes come July 31st? Can the Diamondbacks wiggle to above .500 and get back on the map? Will it be too soon for Rockies fans to forgive the front office for one of the most one sided trades involving a potential MVP candidate in recent history? We’ll have to wait and see. Regardless of the outcome, we should be in for a wild ride with two of the top teams in the sport set to occupy the first two spots of the divisional standings.

First Place- Los Angeles Dodgers

Projected Record- 103-59

Notable Additions- Trevor Bauer, Justin Turner, Tommy Kahnle

Team MVP- Mookie Betts

Dodgers fans finally got to breathe a sigh of relief on the night of October 27th, 2020. After a long 32 year wait that included multiple losing seasons and two NL pennants that lead to losses in those same fall classics, Los Angeles got the job done against the Tampa Bay Rays. Their World Series victory in 2020 marked their first title since 1988, a number that simply seems absurd considering the pedigree of the organization. Nevertheless, this victory has the potential to work wonders for the mentality of the entire ballclub. Although the loss to the cheating Houston Astros from 2017 will still sting, the players still on the Dodgers from that year should exhale and let a heavy weight get lifted off of their shoulders. The meager showing from the 2018 WS against the Red Sox should be a bleak memory. And the shocking loss to the Nationals from the 2019 NLDS should feel more like the stepping stone that was needed to put things into perspective than the piercing blow it was at the time. After all, 2019 Nationals players should have a soft spot in the hearts of Dodgers fans after beating their now rival Astros. In a sense, it seemed as if LA had an even bigger fish to fry in 2020 after the news broke during pre-covid spring training that the cheating scandal from 2017 was in fact true. And hey, what better way is there to prove you are the best team in baseball than by trading for 2018 AL MVP candidate Mookie Betts? Not to mention locking him up on a long term extension the day before opening day, making Mookie a Dodger through his age 39 season. It was a magical season for the Dodgers, one that was indeed necessary for the front office, on field staff, and of course, the fans. How could they have gotten better, you may ask? Only by signing the best starting pitcher on the market to a record contract in terms of average annual value (AAV).

That’s right folks. On February 12th, 2021, Trevor Bauer officially became a member of Dodger Blue, signing a 3-year, $102 million dollar deal. With the contract having many intricacies, here is the simple version; he will make $40 million in year one, $45 million in year 2, and a lowly(cough) $17 million in year 3, including opt-outs after each season. Now, is a starting pitcher who has only had an ERA below 4.00 twice worth $40-$45 million dollars for an entire season? Absolutely not, especially when he is making only $500k less than the Pittsburgh Pirates entire payroll. However in this situation, Bauer found himself in the right place at the right time. In the 2020 season, he had a 1.73 ERA, 0.795 WHIP, and 12.3 K/9 over 11 total starts due to the shortened season, which were career highs and led him to win his first career Cy Young award. And money aside, Bauer does not have to be the ace he was last year in Cincinnati due to Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler being in the 1-2 spots in the rotation. However, I’m sure Dodgers fans would not like to see a poor season from him in 2021 either. Now sporting what is arguably the top rotation in the game, pitching will clearly not be an issue in Los Angeles this season. For that matter, neither will the lineup. They will have two MVP candidates year in and year out for the foreseeable future in Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts. Max Muncy has turned himself into a postseason force. Corey Seager finally returned from injuries looking healthy, having an excellent regular season and winning NLCS and WS MVP honors in 2020. Will Smith seems like a lock to be the catcher of the future. Justin Turner, the heart and soul of the Dodgers, was resigned to a 2 year, $34 million dollar contract. And although he looks to have a primary position, we know Dave Roberts will be moving Chris Taylor all over the diamond with AJ Pollock slotted in as the starting left fielder. With Kenley Jansen being known as one of the best Dodgers closers of all time, it is difficult to see fans cringe when he comes out in a close game. With that being the only question mark on an already championship caliber team, Dodgers fans sure hope he can get back in touch with the magic that made him great in the past. If that is not the case, Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen, Joe Kelly, and/or newly signed Tommy Kahnle, (depending on recovery time from Tommy John surgery), would all fill in sufficiently as the ninth inning option in LA. The Dodgers are in the conversation as the best team in baseball in 2021, and no one can realistically argue with that statement. Although World Series hangovers do tend to happen more often than not, there should be little to no reason to believe this will be the case for the Dodgers. Expect Dave Roberts’ crew to try and belittle any inclination from anyone around baseball that the Padres will give them a run for their money, and don’t be surprised if we have another World Series involving the boys in Dodger Blue in 2021.

Potential Lineup-

1. Mookie Betts, RF

2. Corey Seager, SS

3. Justin Turner, 3B

4. Cody Bellinger, CF

5. Will Smith, C

6. Max Muncy, 1B

7. AJ Pollock, LF

8. Gavin Lux, 2B

9. Pitcher

Potential Rotation-

1. Clayton Kershaw

2. Walker Buehler

3. Trevor Bauer

4. Julio Urias

5. David Price

Best Relievers-

Kenley Jansen

Brusdar Graterol

Blake Treinen

Second Place- San Diego Padres

Projected Record- 100-62

Notable Additions- Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Mark Melancon

Team MVP- Fernando Tatis Jr.

After spending years finishing towards the bottom of the National League West standings, the San Diego Padres broke through in 2020. They occupied the fourth seed in the expanded playoff format, although they had the second best record overall in the NL. The Friars matched up against the St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card round, taking care of the Red Birds in three games while playing at home in Petco Park. Unfortunately, this was where their good fortune ran out in terms of October baseball. Set to play their divisional rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, the Padres knew they had to fire on all cylinders to have a chance to beat their big brother team. This was simply not the case, as San Diego was swept in three games by LA. To give the Padres credit, it was obvious that they were giving it their best effort with the limited resources that were at their disposal. Mike Clevinger started Game 1, and was pulled after an inning due to injury concerns that resulted in offseason Tommy John surgery. Zach Davies started Game 2, allowing 4 earned runs over 5 innings, which is not bad but not ideal against a phenomenal Dodgers pitching staff. And youngster Adrian Morejon started Game 3, having only pitched 27.1 big league innings before this appearance. Put against a Dodgers team with grizzled veteran pitchers and playoff experience, and you get a formula for failure in San Diego. The animosity between the two clubs could not have been more apparent, as seen in Game 2 with the likes of Fernando Tatis Jr., Brusdar Graterol, Manny Machado, Mookie Betts, and basically the entirety of both benches barking back and forth at each other after the series changing catch made by Cody Bellinger in centerfield against Tatis Jr. in the top of the seventh inning. After instances during the season such as Trent Grisham “over-celebrating” a home run against Clayton Kershaw, or the “Johnny Hustle” interview from Manny Machado as a member of the Dodgers during the 2018 playoff run, it was obvious that a playoff series between the two would have some fireworks. How did the front office of the team with the third best record in the MLB in 2020 respond to losing the divisional race and a playoff series to the eventual world champion Dodgers this offseason? By arguably becoming as good, if not better, than their northern Pacific Coast Highway Rivals.

The 2020 San Diego Padres roster was looked at by many as a playoff caliber group, and was seen as such when the Friars made it to the NLDS. However, a slurry of moves made this offseason by GM AJ Preller made the statement that the Padres do not want to be beaten by the perennial division champion Dodgers any longer. Yu Darvish and Victor Caritini were acquired from the Cubs. Darvish started 12 games in Chicago in 2020 and went 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA, a 0.961 WHIP, and 11.0 K/9, while Caritini was brought over due to his experience as Darvish’s personal catcher. Blake Snell was acquired from Tampa Bay, who was the AL Cy Young winner back in 2018 and has to be salivating at the thought of getting revenge against LA after being pulled by Kevin Cash in Game 6 of the WS last season. Ha-Seong Kim came over to play the infield from South Korea, averaging 22 HR/SB and a .296 BA each season in the KBO over his career. San Diego native Joe Musgrove was brought over from Pittsburgh, who compiled his first ERA under 4.00 in 2020 and had a career high 12.5 K/9. And Mark Melancon and Keone Kela were brought in from Atlanta and Pittsburgh, respectively, for bullpen help, averaging together an ERA of 3.05 over eighteen combined career seasons. These new additions, to go along with their current roster construction, scream postseason baseball. The final two rotation pieces will consist of Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack, who each have career ERAs in the 3.70 ranges. Manny Machado should continue to perform in terms of his contract after bouncing back last season. Eric Hosmer will be an energetic mentour for the young players, while providing clutch postseason moments. Jake Cronenworth looks to build off of his second place finish in NL ROY voting. If healthy, an outfield consisting of Tommy Pham, Trent Grisham, and Wil Myers could be one of the best in the sport. Mark Melancon should slide into the closer role well after former Padres closer Trevor Rosenthal signed with the Oakland A’s. And newly extended Fernando Tatis Jr. may just establish himself as the unquestionable face of baseball when all is said and done in 2020. The San Diego Padres play with an on field swagger that is not a part of the Dodgers personality, and they will no doubt be using that to their advantage in the chase for the divisional crown. Many people believe a rivalry cannot be considered a rivalry if both teams are not winning. Well, I’ve got news for you, Dodgers fans. Despite having your club ranked higher in the NL West standings in 2021, the Padres certainly have the potential to head into the 2021 postseason as the number one seed in the National League. Does it have to be seen to be believed? Absolutely. But with an equally talented roster, the Friars will not be bullied and should keep the race close until the last week of September.

Potential Lineup-

1. Trent Grisham, CF

2. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS

3. Manny Machado, 3B

4. Eric Hosmer, 1B

5. Wil Myers, RF

6. Tommy Pham, LF

7. Austin Nola, C

8. Jake Cronenworth, 2B

9. Pitcher

Potential Rotation-

1. Yu Darvish

2. Blake Snell

3. Dinelson Lamet

4. Joe Musgrove

5. Chris Paddack

Best Relievers-

Mark Melancon

Drew Pomeranz

Emilio Pagan

Third Place- San Francisco Giants

Projected Record- 81-81

Notable Additions- Kevin Gausman, Tommy La Stella, Alex Wood

Team MVP- Mike Yastremski

Barring any unforeseen circumstances throughout the division, this seems to be where the teams transition from spectacular to middle of the pack. Because of how stacked the Dodgers and Padres are, it doesn’t seem as if there is any hope for San Francisco fans that their Giants will be claiming a postseason spot in 2021. With the verdict on the playoff format transitioning back to what it had been traditionally with five teams from each league, it seems a little bit much to expect the Giants to be better than the likes of teams such as the Braves, Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Brewers, Cubs, Cardinals, and Reds. Anyone who pays even slight attention to Major League Baseball knows that LA and San Diego should be occupying the top two spots in the NL West. But hey, stranger things have happened. If several of the teams previously mentioned absolutely fall off of a cliff during the season, San Fran may be holding on to playoff hopes for dear life come October 3rd. After all, the Giants did have the same record as Milwaukee when the season ended in 2020, and lost out on the playoff spot due to divisional winning percentage circumstances. That record did happen to be under .500 at 29-31, however. San Francisco fans definitely have some talented players to route for in 2021, with the sad truth being this; if the Giants are not in contention come mid-July, both newcomers on one year deals and veterans who were at one time World Series heroes in the bay area will most likely be shipped elsewhere in order to replenish the farm system.

When looking at the numbers of certain Giants players from the previous two seasons, there are actually a few guys who really jump off the page at you. Second baseman Donovan Solano, nicknamed “Donnie Barrels” by Giants fans, has averaged a .328 BA with an .822 OPS since the start of 2019. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Carl Yastrzemski, has played in a total of 161 games since coming up in 2019. His 162 game averages are of all star caliber, with a .281 BA, 31 HR, 91 RBI, and an .892 OPS. First baseman Brandon Belt bounced back in the shortened season with a .309 BA, 9 HR, and a 1.015 OPS in 51 games in 2020. As for players who were newly signed/signed back this past offseason, there were quite a few who should help this team more than hurt them. Arguably the biggest signing for San Fran this winter, infielder Tommy La Stella was an all star while playing in Anaheim in 2019 when he hit 16 HR, drove in 44 RBI, and had an .832 OPS in 80 games due to injury. Following that up in 2020, La Stella hit 5 HR, drove in 25 RBI, and had an .819 OPS splitting time between the Angels and A’s after being dealt at the deadline. As a bonus, La Stella hit .313 with 1 HR in the ALDS against the Houston Astros as well. Starting pitcher Kevin Gausman seemed to figure it out as a Giant in 2020, and was rewarded with a qualifying offer from the front office, which he accepted rather quickly. Nevertheless, Gausman had his best season last year since 2016 as a member of the Orioles, having an ERA of 3.62, WHIP of 1.106, and a career high 11.9 K/9 in 12 games for San Francisco. Starting pitchers Alex Wood, Anthony DeSclafani, and Aaron Sanchez were all signed to one year deals. Wood was a member of the rival Dodgers during their WS victory in 2020, and had an ERA of 3.68 over 33 games pitched as recently as 2018. DeSclafani had a brutal shortened season last year, but compiled an ERA of 3.89 in 31 starts with the Reds in 2019. And Sanchez, although only having one solid season as a true starter, had an ERA of 3.00 even in 2016 with Toronto, and manager Gabe Kapler hopes he can recapture that form. Johnny Cueto will round out the rotation, but has high potential to be traded in July due to his downhill numbers and the Giants unlikely to exercise his 2022 club option come season's end. The biggest question in San Francisco has to be the bullpen, as there are several unknown names that do not not seem to push the narrative of a postseason team. Can Evan Longoria bounce back and make his contract worth while? Will the remaining World Series core of Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, and Brandon Crawford be playing elsewhere come August 1st? Will a pitching staff with some question marks help keep the team afloat all season long, or will the rotation be completely depleted at the deadline? Will Mike Yastrzemski be locked up on an extension in hopes that he will be around still when the next great Giants playoff teams surface? We’ll see soon enough. As easy as it is to be somewhat optimistic about this ballclub, it is just as easy to be down on them and expect almost everyone to be traded on July 31st. My advice to fans in San Francisco would be simple; soak in getting to watch Posey, Belt, and Crawford don the orange and blacks one last time, because for a fanbase this passionate, it will not be easy to see them wearing different uniforms in 2022.

Potential Lineup-

1. Tommy La Stella, 3B

2. Donovan Solano, 2B

3. Mike Yastrzemski, RF

4. Buster Posey, C

5. Brandon Belt, 1B

6. Brandon Crawford, SS

7. Mauricio Dubon, CF

8. Alex Dickerson, LF

9. Pitcher

Potential Rotation-

1. Kevin Gausman

2. Anthony DeSclafani

3. Alex Wood

4. Johnny Cueto

5. Aaron Sanchez

Best Relievers-

Caleb Baragar

Jarlin Garcia

Sam Selman

Fourth Place- Arizona Diamondbacks

Projected Record- 75-87

Notable Additions- Joakim Soria, Asdrubal Cabrera, Tyler Clippard

Team MVP- Ketel Marte

The first team projected to be under the .500 tier in the National League West is the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Snakes finished with a record of 25-35 in the shortened season, which was good for last place in the division and was the second worst record in the NL, ahead of only the Pittsburgh Pirates. And as I said earlier, for anyone who does not follow D-backs baseball day in and day out, there will be a significant unknown factor surrounding this ballclub. After six consecutive all star seasons in the desert, the face of the Diamondbacks known as Paul Goldschmidt was shipped out to St. Louis prior to the 2019 season, and it has all seemed to spiral out of control from there. Jake Lamb was never the same after his all star season in 2017 and was picked up by the Oakland A’s for their playoff run in 2020 after being let go. Zack Greinke was moved to Houston at the deadline in July of 2019 after his contract was deemed too steep for the front office to handle. Fan favorite David Peralta has dropped off considerably since 2018, settling for an OPS of .773 in 2020, his lowest since 2016. Other than center fielder Ketel Marte, there is really not too much for D-backs fans to get excited about on the surface. However if some veterans bounce back and youngsters continue to grow, there may be minimal hope of a mirage in the desert in 2021.

In blatant terms, Ketel Marte has turned himself into a superstar before the eyes of fans in Arizona since 2018. Although he is penciled in to be the everyday center fielder, Marte has the ability to play the corner outfield spots, as well as shortstop and second base. Battling injuries in 2020, Marte struggled. However from 2018-2019, Marte averaged 23 HR, 76 RBI, 11 3B, 31 2B, and 8 SB in 149 games. Marte has two club options after the 2022-2023 seasons, so he will more than likely be spending the foreseeable future as the lone Diamondback representative at the Midsummer Classic. Shortstop Nick Ahmed has turned his career around as of late, consistently slugging above .400 since 2017 and averaging a .978 fielding percentage over his career. Eduardo Escobar is a player who can get lost in the shuffle in the desert. Escobar had an MVP caliber season in Arizona in 2019, hitting .269 with 35 HR and 118 RBI. After an enormous dropoff in the shortened season, he may be a secret weapon for manager Torey Lovullo in 2020. First baseman Christian Walker has shown potential since permanently replacing Paul Goldschmidt at first base, averaging an .809 OPS over the previous two seasons. Starting pitchers Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Caleb Smith all had ERAs below 3.00 in 2020, and will look to build off of successful shortened campaigns. If Madison Bumgarner can bounce back from an absurd ERA above 6.00 last season and be close to his 2019 form with the Giants of a 3.90 ERA, there is some actual potential in this rotation for the Snakes. Newly acquired relievers Joakim Soria and Tyler Clippard are each coming off of their best seasons since 2015 and 2014 respectively, and will look to stabilize the bullpen in Arizona this summer. With veterans such as Asdrubal Cabrera, Stephen Vogt, and Kole Calhoun occupying roster spots, there will be plenty of guidance for young players vying for playing time. Although the lineup does not seem like much compared to the three teams projected ahead of the Diamondbacks, there may be some surprises. With an inexperienced starting rotation, (with the exception of MadBum), the NL West is certainly not the division D-backs starters want to earn their stripes in. If they can find a way to keep their ERAs under 3.00 while going through the gauntlet of LA and San Diego, while also pitching in the pitchers graveyard that is Coors Field, Arizona may finish better than most people expect. With that being a lot to ask for from a young rotation, especially coming off of a abbreviated schedule, I believe it will still take some time for the Diamondbacks to make any sort of noise in the National League West, and that their ceiling in 2021 is a record within close proximity of the .500 mark.

Potential Lineup-

1. Ketel Marte, CF

2. Nick Ahmed, SS

3. Eduardo Escobar, 3B

4. Kole Calhoun, RF

5. Christian Walker, 1B

6. David Peralta, LF

7. Carson Kelly, C

8. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B

9. Pitcher

Potential Rotation-

1. Madison Bumgarner

2. Zac Gallen

3. Merrill Kelly

4. Caleb Smith

5. Luke Weaver

Best Relievers-

Joakim Soria

Stefan Crichton

Tyler Clippard

Fifth Place- Colorado Rockies

Projected Record- 61-101

Notable Additions- Austin Gomber, CJ Cron, Greg Bird

Team MVP- Trevor Story

Rounding out the National League West in 2021 should be the Colorado Rockies, unless something catastrophic happens to another team in the division. The Rockies finished the 2020 season with a record of 26-34, and never really came anywhere close to a playoff spot, even with the expanded format. Although the most recent appearance of Rocktober was in 2018, that all seems like a distant memory at this point in time. After making back to back playoff runs in 2017-2018, it looked like the front office in Denver had possibly figured some things out. If they truly believed that to be the case, then it was the perfect time to lock up superstar Nolan Arenado, which they proceeded to do before spring training began in 2019. Flash forward to spring training 2021, and the Rockies have had back to back seasons with losing records and Arenado has been traded to the Cardinals for what looks like a minimal return on the outside looking in. The trade details were Arenado and $50 million dollars sent to St. Louis, for Austin Gomber and a handful of prospects. Although Gomber has seemed solid so far in his short career with the Red Birds, a package of himself and lesser known prospects has to infuriate Rockies’ fans being the return they got for Nolan. After the obvious disconnect between Arenado and the front office in Denver after the first season of his huge contract, it was seemingly inevitable that he would be traded sooner rather than later. After such a wide variety of mixed feelings for the fanbase in Colorado in the span of four seasons, it doesn’t seem to look any better in the near future, even with several solid players still on the roster.

Now that Arenado is no longer the nightly headline in Rockies land, shortstop Trevor Story is clearly the best player on this ballclub. Since being called up in 2016, Story has averaged a .277 BA, 36 HR, 21 SB, and a .877 OPS, while helping the Rockies to their two consecutive postseason appearances in 2017-2018, as well as receiving NL All Star honors in 2018 and 2019. Alas, his status as the best player in a Rockies uniform will most likely not last long. Story is set to become a free agent after the 2021 season. After he saw the way Arenado’s contract turned out only two years after signing it, it is doubtful that he will want to resign with Colorado. Because of this, it will be in the Rockies best interest to trade Story before spring training concludes two weeks from now, or at the deadline on July 31st to try and get a better return than they did in the Arenado deal. As for the remaining pool of position players on the roster in Denver, it is certainly not what it used to be. Charlie Blackmon has still maintained an OPS of above .800 since 2015, however his defense has significantly faltered, having not patrolled center field since 2018 and permanently moving to right field. With $45 million dollars remaining on his contract over the next three seasons, it may be difficult to move Blackmon without eating a large chunk of the money, but the front office will try. Ryan McMahon is the only one who has shown true potential other than Blackmon, and he will do his best to step into the shoes Arenado left at third base.

Ironically enough, the one glimmer of hope that surrounds the Rockies in 2021 is the potential of their starting rotation. Known throughout baseball as the worst place for pitchers, it is odd that Colorado may have a decent staff. Although the big four in Denver have never figured everything out in the same season, with Rockies luck this will be the year it happens. German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela combined for an average ERA of 3.60 in 2020 over 25 total starts. Jon Gray is only a season removed from compiling an ERA of 3.84 over 26 games. And Kyle Freeland is only two seasons removed from finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting with an ERA of 2.85 and a career high 7.7 K/9 over 33 games started. Not to mention his superb performance at Wrigley Field against the Cubs in the 2018 Wild Card Game, with a pitching line of 6.2 IP, 4 hits allowed, 1 walk allowed, 6 strikeouts, and 0 earned runs allowed in the Rockies eventual 2-1 victory. If these four guys can figure it out together in 2021, to go along with new acquisition Austin Gomber filling in the number five spot in the rotation, this could be one of the best pitching rotations in baseball. However at the same time, these starters may be walking right into the reality that they are trade pieces in July, especially if Story is the first to go. Freeland and Senzatela each have three years of arbitration remaining, while Marquez still has potentially four years remaining on his contract, so their departures may be less likely. But Jon Gray is set to become a free agent after 2021, so it would be foolish for the front office not to trade him come July 31st. Because it does not look like there is a positive offensive future in sight in Denver, it is certainly a possibility that we see the entire Rockies starting staff aside from Gomber dealt this season, even with the amount of time remaining until they are free agents. While there may be some optimistic Rockies fans out there, the chance of a terrific season from Story to go along with great pitching performances from the top four in the rotation, leading to all of those players staying in Colorado come August seems like the exact opposite of the agenda in Denver at the moment. With the desire to keep Trevor Story a Rockie ever so apparent for the fanbase, it will be a difficult day when he announces his presence elsewhere. Winter is coming for the Rocky Mountains, and it does not seem as if it will be a short one.

Potential Lineup-

1. Raimel Tapia, LF

2. Trevor Story, SS

3. Charlie Blackmon, RF

4. CJ Cron, 1B

5. Ryan McMahon, 3B

6. Garrett Hampson, CF

7. Brendan Rodgers, 2B

8. Elias Diaz, C

9. Pitcher

Potential Rotation-

1. German Marquez

2. Antonio Senzatela

3. Kyle Freeland

4. Jon Gray

5. Austin Gomber

Best Relievers-

Daniel Bard

Mychal Givens

Scott Oberg

The National League West is basically on a scale that has three weights; phenomenal, mediocre, and disastrous. The excitement level for fans to watch the Dodgers and Padres has to be off the charts. It can easily be argued that they are the two best teams in baseball, and who wouldn’t want to see the newest rivalry in baseball continue to grow? The Giants are in the unique position where they could end up slightly better than .500, slightly worse than .500, or exactly at .500 with a record of 81-81 as I projected. They are a ballclub that is not in a full on rebuild, while also not being at full power. San Francisco fans should savor the last moments Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, and Brandon Crawford spend in the bay area and hope the young players learn as much as they can from these veterans who are the true epitomes of MLB professionals. If all goes right in Arizona, the Diamondbacks could find themselves hovering right around the Giants in the standings, but that is about as high as they will go. And the Rockies, unfortunately, should prepare to see most of, if not all players performing well before the deadline, to be dealt on or before July 31st. As difficult as it must be to try to relate with the current front office in Colorado, fans in Denver should hope certain trade pieces work out for the future, when there is finally a general manager hired there that learns how to win consistently while playing in high altitude. The top teams in the divisional standings should give us enough entertainment throughout the year to cover up the disappointing seasons by the lower ranked teams. While the Southern California ballclubs of the NL West prepare to get their rivalry sparked back up during these final two weeks of spring training, fans should be ready to sit back and enjoy the ride, while hoping for a playoff rematch between the two come October 2021.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE