Dodgers: The bigger threat between the Diamondbacks and Rockies

Starting Lineups

A few weeks back, I wrote a piece on the Rockies and their newfound success this season. The team is led by their potent offense that is highlighted by MVP candidates Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado.

The Rockies usually have an offense that can hang with the best of them, but this year they have found prolonged success rather than flaming out. It’s more than likely that Mark Reynolds will come back down to earth as he currently owns an unsustainable .299/.389/.544 slash line. But the team can improve if Reynolds slumps, as Carlos Gonzalez has looked terrible to start the season and is playing himself out of a lot of money this offseason.

Look for Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu, and Mark Reynolds to continue to lift this offense, with the help of Ian Desmond and Trevor Story. The Rockies own a .270 team batting average, which is fourth best in the league and good enough to keep up with the Dodgers’ potent offense.

Arizona has seemingly been the quietest team in the division, but they have been sticking around. The team relies heavily on Paul Goldschmidt as he is putting up another MVP-caliber season (.332/.447/.606, 18 HR, 65 RBI, 68 R) and looks to be the frontrunner for the award. Jake Lamb is continuing off a strong 2016 season with his 16 home runs and .379 OBP.

Behind the two best hitters for Arizona sit a few guys who you wouldn’t expect to be hitting as well as they have. David Peralta is a good example with his .492 SLG%. They have also gotten great production from Brandon Drury, who his hitting right under .300 for the season and is tied for the team lead with Goldy in doubles with 19.

On paper, the Diamondbacks have been over-performing as an offense, but I’m certainly not going to count them out. They have scored the 5^th most runs in the league at 406 and have been missing A.J Pollock who has been on the DL multiple times.

You can’t go wrong with either offense, but in my opinion, the Rockies seem to have a more balanced lineup.

Advantage: Colorado Rockies

Starters

The Rockies currently have the 15th best starter’s ERA in baseball at 4.56 and considering where they have been over the past handful of seasons, they have been a huge surprise this year.

Their ace, Jon Gray, hasn’t played since early on in the season due to injury so when he returns, he will add to the youngsters that have carried them this far.

Antonio Senzatala and Kyle Freeland are both candidates for Rookie of the Year and have been the backbone of this team. Tyler Chatwood and Tyler Anderson have been wildly inconsistent to start the season, but they can hold their own until the bullpen arrives. More on that later.

Considering half the games this team plays is at Coors, they have been doing just fine. Like I said when Jon Gray returns they will get even stronger. Who knows, they might even acquire a big arm at the deadline.

The Diamondbacks aren’t impressed though as they have the best starting rotation with a 3.45 ERA.

Old friend Zack Greinke has been leading the way with his resurgent season as he currently owns a 3.14 ERA and has brought his name up into Cy Young conversations again. As good as Greinke has been, his teammate Robbie Ray has been one-upping him as he owns a 2.87 ERA and has been the team’s best starter.

Taijuan Walker is looking like a formidable option after coming over from the Mariners and has been able to keep his ERA under four. Patrick Corbin and a combination of spot starters have rounded out Arizona’s rotation. They have not been as successful as the first three guys, but they are aided by a great offense and bullpen.

The Diamondbacks have the best rotation in baseball, statistically, which is no slight to Colorado, and Ray plus Greinke put the D-backs on another level.

Advantage: Arizona Diamondbacks

Bullpens:

The Rockies have the 20th best relief squad in baseball with a mediocre 4.50 ERA.

Greg Holland is the frontrunner for Comeback Player of the Year as he has an MLB-best 27 saves. The man who gets the ball to him is Jake McGee, who had been having a stellar season before getting knocked around in his past few outings.

Charlie Rusin (1.02 WHIP) has been the other standout performer from the bunch this season. Chad Qualls and Adam Ottavino have been disappointing so far, and we saw some disaster of an inning by Ottavino on Sunday.

Considering this was one of the league’s worst bullpens last year, the Rockies’ bullpen has been impressive. As long as they can get the ball to Holland, the team will be okay. Look for them to acquire some depth at the deadline.

The Diamondbacks’ bullpen has been almost as elite at the Dodgers’ this year as they own a 3.23 ERA and have only given up 25 long balls.

Once a starter, Archie Bradley has found his niche as the club’s setup man and has excelled in the role. He has a 1.04 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. T.J McFarland and Andre Chaflin own a 1.90 and 2.08 ERA, respectively, which is perfect for the days when the back-end of their rotation can’t get it done.

The team’s closer, Fernando Rodney has 20 saves on the season but has looked very hittable and terrible many a times (4.55 ERA), which isn’t unfamiliar territory for him. J.J Hoover has also been a disappointment for the team as he owns a 4.18 ERA.

The Diamondbacks have one of the best bullpens in the league despite their below-average closer. Look for them to upgrade the bullpen come July and possibly find someone to unseat Fernando Rodney.

Arizona has an elite bullpen, while Colorado simply has a mediocre one, which doesn’t make this close.

Advantage: Arizona Diamondbacks

Next: Dodgers are Best in NL

Both of these teams will be battling with the Dodgers throughout the season, and it looks like each of them will earn a playoff spot. Statistically speaking, the Diamondbacks are the bigger threat to the Dodgers, but my eyes tell me that the Rockies are a little more dangerous and have the better chance at winning the division.

Either way, the Dodgers have their hands full with both of these teams. The Dodgers have 12 games left against Arizona, and seven left against Colorado. This is shaping out to be the best division in baseball, and frankly, it’s going to be fun finding out how the West was won.