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Dodgers: Post-Spring Training NL West Positional Power Rankings
Spring training is all wrapped up and teams have more or less set their starting lineups. Tomorrow the Dodgers open the season against the rival Giants. Let’s see how both teams stack up in the very good NL West, with these post-spring training positional power rankings.
I made a positional power rankings prior to spring training, however, teams have made some improvements, injuries have occurred and surprises have happened, thus the new and improved list. I will be going over 4 categories: Infield, outfield, starting pitching and bullpen. I will rank every NL West team according to my analysis in each of those four categories.
The NL West may very well be the best division in baseball. There are four teams who could all make a run at a playoff slot and the fifth team is a young and dangerous team finally looking to take a step forward in their quest for a successful rebuild.
This division has no pushovers in it. The NL East has the woeful Marlins and a not very good Braves team, The NL Central has the Pirates and Reds to beat up on. Meanwhile, the West has four playoff contenders and the Padres who should be improved this season and be a very pesky team throughout the entire season.
In these rankings, I will be taking into effect injuries and how long certain players will be out for will certainly have an impact on this list. Without further ado let’s get straight into this list of NL West post-spring training power rankings.
Infield
- Dodgers
Yes, Justin Turner is out but that shouldn’t be for too long. Even without Turner the Dodgers still have a compelling case to the top infield in this division. Cody Bellinger has looked surprisingly good this spring after a forgettable World Series, Corey Seager looks healthy again, Forsythe has his groove back and the Grandal and Barnes platooning are as good as it gets behind the plate. JT will be missed but LA is more than capable of being successful without him for a short period, and when he gets back that just solidifies this group as the best in the division.
- Rockies
Nolan Arenado is the catalyst behind this team and especially this infield. He is one of the best all-around players in the MLB. To his left will be Trevor Story. I believe Story will bounce back from his sophomore slump and be a very good shortstop. His double play partner is one of the best, DJ Lemahieu. DJ has been very good over the last three season hitting over .300 with two all-star appearances and a gold glove. First base is very intriguing. Ian Desmond will start the season as their starter but I expect Ryan McMahon to work his way into that role and be very productive as a rookie. Chris Iannetta is an average catcher who will be able to help their young pitching staff. This Rockies infield is very good.
- Giants
Very good infield up north in San Francisco. Starting with the leader of this team Buster Posey, who is a perennial All-Star and the best catcher in baseball. Evan Longoria will add some power to a team thirsty for it and he is also a stud defender. Brandon Crawford could be an all-star if he stays healthy and keeps his offense above average because he is an elite defender. Second baseman Joe Panik is nothing special but he gets the job done. Brandon Belt dealt with injuries last season and is looking to bounce back this season. A very solid all-around infield that could be better than the Rockies if everyone stays healthy and plays to their full potential, the problem is I don’t believe they can do that.
- Diamondbacks
Paul Goldschmidt is always in contention for the NL MVP but somehow always comes up short. Nonetheless, he performs well enough to get that recognition and is in the discussion for the award. Jake Lamb was very good last season from the hot corner but I do expect some regression from him and a lot of the D-Backs thanks in part to the new humidor to be used in Chase Field. This will not suddenly make it a pitchers ballpark but we will see some numbers decrease. Shortstop is a question mark with Ahmed. Ketel Marte looked really good towards the end of the season at second base and Al Avila will be a welcomed veteran catcher on this team.
- Padres
A Young team as a whole but this position group has a lot of veteran experience. It is not a bad infield, just not the same caliber as the rest of the division. Hosmer was a big signing for them and he is a tremendous player but could wind up being the third or fourth best first baseman in this division. Chase Headley is back in San Diego, but he is not as productive as he once was. Austin Hedges hit 18 bombs as a rookie catcher last season and could be good this year. Freddy Galvis had a good year last season and will help solidify this infield.
Outfield
- Dodgers
Continuing the trend, the Dodgers outfield is the best in this division. Chris Taylor came out of nowhere last season and his revamped swing will help him maintain that success. He will only continue to get better defensively. Yasiel Puig proved he should be a big leaguer and this season he needs to be consistent for two consecutive seasons. In left field, Matt Kemp brings nostalgia and a big bat with him, bad defensively but he will be an offensive power. Joc and Toles will also get some reps.
- Rockies
A very good team all-around and the outfield is no exception. Carlos Gonzalez will be looking for a major bounce-back season and I believe he can be productive. Charlie Blackmon was an MVP candidate last season and is a dangerous hitter. Left field will likely be manned by Gerardo Parra who has been a Dodger killer and plays gold glove caliber defense. Ian Desmond will also get reps in the outfield and maybe take over left field if McMahon gets the job at first base.
- Giants
Three names that are recognizable, but are all past their prime. All three outfielders will be good just not as good as they have been before. Andre McCutchen was acquired via trade and is hoping to have new life with his new ball club. Austin Jackson will be a good top of the lineup guy but like I said he is older and not the same player he once was. Hunter Pence had a season to forget in 2017 but 2018 could be a year he figures it with even more protection in the lineup.
- Padres
The reason for this spot is because of the Eric Hosmer deal. Though Hosmer is obviously not an outfielder, his acquisition moved Wil Myers to right field. In my opinion, he is the best player on this team including Hosmer. I believe he will be an all-star again this season and continue to prove his worth in San Diego. Myers can be the face of this rebuilding franchise with the way he swings the bat. Manuel Margot will be interesting to watch and Hunter Renfroe who had 26 bombs last season should get the spot in left field.
- Diamondbacks
Losing JD Martinez to the Red Sox will hurt them. He was a big reason for their success during the second half of the season. He was absolutely terrific down the stretch for Arizona. Replacing him with Jarrod Dyson is underwhelming, to say the least. AJ Pollock had a freak injury in 2016 and nagging injuries throughout 2017 that cost him two months on the DL. He is good when healthy but staying that way has been a problem for him as of late. Peralta in left is a poor man’s Gerardo Parra but is still helpful to this team.
Starting Pitching
- Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw. That is all I have to say on this matter.
- Diamondbacks
Reports have come out on Greinke’s velocity taking a dive but he has dealt with moving from a power pitcher in Kansas City to more of a finesse pitcher now. He uses his movement more so than his velocity to get batters out. Robbie Ray was terrific last season especially against the boys in blue. A healthy Patrick Corbin is very good as well. Taijuan Walker has all the tools he has just not been able to put them together consistently and Zack Godley is a formidable option as their fifth starter.
- Rockies
The young staff moves up ahead of San Francisco because of that injury to MadBum and Jeff Samardzija. Either way, it was a coin toss between the two staffs but the Rockies enter the season healthy thus they get the nod. Jon Gray is a flamethrower who is the type of pitcher who succeeds in the friendliest of all ball parks Coors field. This team could have a sophomore slump after breaking out last season but, I believe in what they are doing out in Colorado.
- Giants
Once again a freak accident lands the second best pitcher in this division on the shelf. At least this time it was on the field and Bumgarner will not be out as long as last season. Cueto is looking to bounce back this season as well as Samardzija but he will start the season off on the DL along with Madison. Ty Blach pitched well against the Dodgers but was underwhelming otherwise. This rotation when healthy and if their top 3 are on can be the second best in this division.
- Padres
Clayton Richard is nearly ten years older than the next oldest guy in this rotation. He will be the top dog which isn’t saying much because he was bad last season. This young staff will have a lot to prove this season and will likely see some growing pains along the way, but that’s just the life a rebuilding team like the Padres.
- Dodgers
Finishing the clean sweep atop the divisional categories is the bullpen. Kenley Jansen is the anchor of this bullpen and the best closer in baseball. Guys like Pedro Baez will have solid years like they always do but still somehow remain despised by the fan base. And as always I expect some reliever who signed for a cheap contract to breakout and be absolutely amazing, my guess for this season would be JT Chargois. Either way, Friedman just knows how to build a bullpen.
- Rockies
Colorado spent a lot of money on their bullpen this off season. After signing Holland for cheap last season and seeing how important a closer was to their success they went out and got one of the best in the game, Wade Davis. Luckily for the Dodgers, that weakened the Cubs, but at the same time, they have to deal with him more often. This bullpen should be very good.
- Giants
I’ll be honest here, this could be dead wrong and they could be the worst in the division. This bullpen is really boom or bust. They will either be very bad or very good. Their big names just have to come out and perform. Mark Melancon, Sam Dyson, and Hunter Strickland all have closing experience and could be a dangerous combination to end a game, but if they continue on their sour trend from 2017 this season will be trouble for the Giants bullpen once again.
- Diamondbacks
Outside of Archie Bradley, the D-Backs don’t have many trustworthy arms out of the bullpen. Though Bradley was absolutely electric coming out of the bullpen last season. He pitched with a flare that made me absolutely despise him. I may dislike him but I can’t take anything away from his on-field production. Bradley has found his calling out of the bullpen.
- Padres
Similar to the D-Backs but to an even worst extent, the friars only have one trustworthy arm and after him, it is a significant drop-off. Brad Hand is as good as they come at the back end of a bullpen. He did not get the attention he deserved because he played for a bad team but Brad Hand is an elite bullpen pitcher and when he comes into a game with the lead it is likely over for the opposing team
This division is very good. The Dodgers are the best in this division but after them, it will be a bitter war to see who finishes in the 2-3-4 spots in what I believe will be the best division in baseball for the 2018 season.