Dodgers: NL West Position Rankings

Coming into the year, the Dodgers look to be the clear front-runners to capture their fifth consecutive NL West title. That’s not to take away from the other four division rivals, as each team has loads of individual talent. But there’s a reason the Dodgers have won four consecutive NL West championships.

The fun that comes with watching games every year, is you don’t know what will happen. A certain third baseman in Colorado may make a bare-handed play. It’s also possible that a first baseman over in Arizona hits a 430-foot homer. Whoever it may be, this division is stacked with perennial all-stars and that makes the division fun to follow.

Today, we will look at how the Dodgers’ roster stacks up against their division rivals. I will go position by position and give my thoughts on the player that occupies that spot for each team. So, without further or do, let’s dive into the NL West position rankings.

Catcher:

1. Buster Posey, SF

Posey will come into the new year looking to bounce back from a “down year” in which he batted (.288/.362/.434). He just happens to be one of the best defensive catchers in baseball and will be looking to repeat as a gold glove winner. Highly considered the best catcher in baseball still plays in the bay and will more than likely continue his reign of terror in 2017. The Giants offense will surely need Posey’s bat if they want to compete for the division and avoid another playoff berth via the Wild Card.

2. Yasmani Grandal, LAD

With a .228 batting average last year, some people look at Grandal as a below average catcher. But, when you look at his 27 home runs and .816 OPS you may want to think otherwise. He ranks as the best pitch-framing catcher in baseball and will look to put it all together against lefties this season. With no other clear-cut starters in the division, Grandal’s power lands him as the second best catcher in the division.

3. Tom Murphy, COL

Murphy will be looking at his first real taste of the majors this season but will more than likely fall into a platoon with Tony Wolters. He did have a nice looking 1.006 OPS last season in only 44 AB, so he has some potential. Hitting in Coors Field could help boost his power numbers, but he’ll need to separate himself if he wants to be a starting catcher in the league.

4. Austin Hedges, SD

Hedges is an above average fielder, but below average hitter. There’s not much to his game other than that. He’s the only real option San Diego has behind the plate so he will get his fair amount of shots to work out his problems. Hedges only had 24 at-bats last season so he is really getting his first taste of the big leagues.

5. Chris Herrmann, ARI

Herrmann falls to number 5 simply because of playing time concerns. I think Hedges has high potential and could rank higher but his playing time could be limited. He’ll have to beat out veteran catchers, Chris Iannetta and Jeff Mathis to show his potential. But if the season goes south for the Dbacks early, expect Herrmann to get more opportunity early. Herrmann will look to build off a .284 batting average last season.

First base:

1. Paul Goldschmidt, ARI

Every year, you can basically pencil in Goldschmidt for a top 5 ranking in the MVP race, and 2017 will be no different. He looks to improve off of his 33 home runs and 95 RBI season and it wouldn’t be surprising if he does so. The rest of the division would probably be better off testing out the new intentional walk rule on him, especially the Dodgers who Goldschmidt has notoriously loved playing against throughout his career.

2. Brandon Belt, SF

Belt has been a model of consistency the past few years in San Francisco and takes the second spot in these rankings. Belt’s ability to draw walks (104) and spray the ball all over the field makes him a deadly hitter in the middle of the Giants lineup. The Giants’ lack of run producers in their lineup adds to his RBI numbers, which gives him the edge over the next guy. Belt is a more than capable defensive option a key member of the Giants’ roster.

3. Adrian Gonzalez, LAD

It makes me sad to see Gonzo decline as his career comes to a close. Nevertheless, he is the bread and butter man of the Dodgers and will do a fine job this year. I expect the power decline to continue, but also for him to drive in 85+ runs for the team. He may no longer be a .300 hitter, but his ability to drive in runs should still prove valuable for the Dodgers.

4. Wil Myers, SD

The once Rookie of the Year outfielder is now the primary first baseman for the Padres. He is their best hitter and will continue to post big power numbers with a low average and high strikeout rate. He’s nowhere near a good defensive first baseman and hasn’t been able to regain his Rookie of the Year form since being traded from the Rays.

5. Ian Desmond, COL

Newly acquired and former outfield Desmond finds a new home. He has a big power bat that could put up big numbers in Coors Field. But he’s not a natural first baseman, and his production at the plate is not meant for first base. He’ll start the season on the DL with a hand injury. Things are already going south with this signing. What was the plan here Colorado?

Second Base

1. DJ LeMahieu, COL

It may be the Coors Field effect, but DJ won the batting crown last year (.348 AVG) and that is no easy task. He doesn’t have the best glove over at second, but he holds his own. Coming off a batting title and a career year, DJ is the best second baseman in the NL West. That’s not saying too much, though.

2. Joe Panik, SF

He’s not that great of a hitter and his .239 AVG and .315 OBP speak for themselves. He remains employed in the majors, however, in part, because of his above average defense at second. Coming off his first gold glove award, Panik will look to bounce back offensively this season.

3. Logan Forsythe, LAD

Forsythe falls to number 3 on the sheer fact that Panik won a gold glove last season. However, look for Logan to bring solid production to the top of the Dodgers lineup and I believe he could jump to the top spot of these rankings midway through the season.

4. Ryan Schimpf, SD

Schimpf cooled off after a breakout first half of the season. He had an impressive 20 home runs in his rookie season, but his .217 average leaves a lot to be desired. He’ll have the opportunity to have a better season with the lack of offensive production in the Padres lineup.

5. Brandon Drury, ARI

Drury’s greatest asset to the team may be his ability to play multiple positions. Besides that, he’ll be an average second baseman for Arizona.

Shortstop:

1. Corey Seager, LAD

Is there any debate here? Corey Seager lit up the majors last year and took home Rookie of the Year honors as well as some MVP votes. This year he comes into the season with huge expectations to follow up on his rookie campaign.

2. Brandon Crawford, SF

Crawford comes in second here, as he still possesses a solid bat, (.260/.329/.427). Even as his bat may start to fade, he has one of the best gloves in the major leagues and will go for his 3^rd gold glove award this year.

3. Trevor Story, COL

Had Trevor Story not went down with a thumb injury; he might have made the second spot. There was even a brief discussion as to Story winning Rookie of the Year to start the season. Story’s star power is on the rise. He’s in the conversation with the new shortstop generation that is taking the league by storm.

4. Erick Aybar, SD

Aybar is no longer a solid option at short, as he was back in Anaheim, but San Diego isn’t looking to win now.

5. Chris Owings, ARI

Chris Owings is just my guess who wins out the spot for the D-backs. Anyone in Arizona would’ve got the last spot here. The Dbacks made a big mistake by trading away potential Rookie of the Year candidate Dansby Swanson.

Third base:

1. Nolan Arenado, COL

There’s really no debate on who’s the best third baseman in baseball is anymore after Nolan Arenado’s 2016 season. After hitting 41 home runs and driving in 130 runs, he deserves his spot at the top of the third baseman rankings. Pair that with his 4^th gold glove award and he just widens the gap between the rest of the competition.

2. Justin Turner, LAD

Ginger Jesus is back for the Dodgers, and he looks to continue his unprecedented production at the hot corner. Turner had a career year last year in which he smacked 27 home runs and drove in 90 RBI’s. All eyes will be on Turner, as he looks to live up to the 4-year, 64 million dollar deal he received this winter.

3. Jake Lamb, ARI

I can remember multiple times last season, where I was yelling at my TV screen “Really, Jake Lamb is hitting homers against us!?”. After cooling down considerably in the second half, let’s see if I will still be yelling at my TV when the two teams meet up.

4. Yongarvis Solarte, SD

Solarte quietly had a strong season last year in which he batted .285. I guess you can’t make too much noise when your team isn’t winning. But Solarte and Myers are the best hitters for the Padres.

5. Eduardo Nunez, SF

I really didn’t know how to rank Nunez. Yes, he was an all-star, but after he appeared in the all-star game for MIN his production faded off. He has a unique set of power and speed combination but the production wasn’t all there when he joined the Giants. Let’s hope that continues.

Outfield:

1.Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, Gerardo Parra, COL

Gonzalez looks to be primed for a breakout season and is heading into a contract year. Don’t be surprised if he surpasses his 25 HR and 100 RBI total from last season. Blackmon continues to produce over in center field (29 HR, 82 RBI) for the Rockies and shows no signs of slowing up. Parra is the worst of the bunch and is coming off his worst year as a pro. Everything seems to work itself out though when you get to play in Coors for 81 games a season.

2.  Andrew Toles, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, LAD

Toles may have locked up the starting spot after Andre Ethier went down. He’ll likely regress, but hopefully, will hold his own with the bat and will look to prove himself a worthy major leaguer. Joc is primed for a breakout season and will look to use his new stance he’s implemented.  I look for him to lead the Dodgers in home runs this year and possibly make the all-star team. Puig looked decent in spring and he too changed his stance. Hopefully, it will lead to production from him in right. If he can capture his wild horse form, then the Dodgers outfield will jump into the first position.

3. Yasmany Tomas, AJ Pollock, David Peralta, ARI

Tomas had a power surge last season as he smacked 31 home runs and will look to build upon his rough fielding “skills.”  Even if he continues to hit bombs, it will not make up for his lack of other skill sets. Had Pollock not got injured last season, Arizona would be in 2^nd, but he did and they’re not.  Look for him to anchor down center field and compete for comeback player of the year. Peralta only had 166 PA last season, so let’s see if he can contribute like a starter. If he doesn’t pan out Arizona will be hard-pressed to find a replacement on the roster for him.

4. Jarret Parker, Denard Span, Hunter Pence, SF

Parker will be getting his first real season as a starter so let’s see how that goes. Span is coming off his worst season as a pro and age is looking to catch up to him a bit.  He is still trying to live up to the contract that he received last year. Pence is probably the player I hate most in the majors, the Giants devil magic just seems to love him. Despite his awkward fundamentals, he still gets the job done.

5. Travis Janikowski, Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe, SD

San Diego has a lot of problems with its roster. It’s outfield, may just be the worst of its problems.  All three of these players wouldn’t be starting anywhere else in the league let alone the division. The best San Diego can hope for is that Janikowski can show off his speed on the bases (30 SB) and the other two can at least hold their own.

Starting Rotation

1. Bumgarner, Cueto, Moore, Samardzija, Cain, SF

Behind Bumgarner and Cueto this rotation slows down a bit. The names are nice but the production isn’t what you would expect. Moore and Samardzija were hot and cold for the stretch run of the season.  Also, Cain is not a viable starter anymore and will only hold back this team. Saying all that, they still have the best rotation in the west.

2. Kershaw, Hill, Maeda, Ryu, Mccarthy LAD

Whenever you have Kershaw in your rotation, you’re doing something right. Behind him is a lot of potential, but a lot of questions. Will Hill continue his resurgence? Will Madea have a sophomore slump? Will Ryu be able to work out his shoulder problems? Can Mccarthy stay healthy? The strength in this team’s rotation may lie in its depth.  So, if any of the question marks don’t pan out reinforcements will be on the way.

3. Greinke, Walker, Miller, Ray, Corbin, ARI

Arizona has a lot of similarities to LAD in the sense they have a lot of potential, but also a lot of unknown. Greinke is just one year removed from a Cy Young caliber season. Walker and Miller sit in the “tons of potential, but yet to have put it together” boat.  Ray and Corbin will hold their own in the back of the rotation.  If the front 3 of this rotation can put it together, they will be very formidable.

4. Gray, Chatwood, Anderson, Senzatela, Musgrave, COL

Colorado doesn’t have the biggest names and more than likely won’t impress anyone. However, Gray has the stuff to be an ace and proved it down the stretch last season. Behind him, is a lot of unproven talent that won’t be served well in Coors Field. It’s going to take a lot of luck for this rotation to put it together. They have a tall task ahead of them.

5. Chacin, Richard, Weaver, Perdomo, Cahill, SD

Remember how I said San Diego’s biggest problem was its outfield? Well, their rotation comes in at a close second.  The rotation is basically filled with a bunch of other teams throw aways. It will definitely be a very hard rotation to watch if you’re a Padres fan.

Phew… that was fun. Each team is stacked with individual talent and guys who are primed for breakout years. As a Dodgers fan, it makes me a little bit more nervous whenever we face an NL West team. Except, the Padres, the Padres will be like playing a minor league team.

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The Rockies surprisingly had three top positions in the rankings (2B, 3B, & OF) while the Dodgers only had one, shortstop. The beauty about baseball is that it’s a team sport and requires production from more than one source.

The Dodgers may not have the most number 1 rankings on my list but they never were below third on any of the positions.

The bottom line is that we’re in for some good games this season against some good talent. On this list, we named four players that were on the team USA roster from the WBC.

Next: Prospect Watch Spring Training Recap

I’m excited to get baseball back underway. Division games are always competitive and I can only hope the Dodgers are able to capture their fifth consecutive title. Let’s not get too carried away, though, as there are some stars in this division that we should keep an eye out for.