Post by aaron_commissioner on Oct 16, 2017 19:08:30 GMT -8
We start of our preview series with the NL West. I'll try to make these as brief but as meaningful as possible. I'll rank teams in reverse order of projected standings.
5. San Diego Padres.
"Cup half-full view": With a $30M payroll, the Padres have given themselves much financial flexibility for the future. There is a lot of youth (mostly talented) on this team. Although the team struggled last year, hard to envision this young core to do any worse.
"Cup half-empty view": San Diego not only has the lowest payroll, but the lowest budget in the league. This puts added pressure on the youth the team has to perform well, and honestly, talent lacks on this team. It will be interesting to see how the new GM decides to manage the rebuilding process. The Padres finished near the bottom of the league in 2018; things will likely remain the same in 2019.
Player to watch: 2B Allen Cordoba. He regressed a little in 2018 from a strong rookie debut, but is still only 23 years old and has plenty of talent to become one of the top tier 2B in the league.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
Half-full: The Snakes started off blazing in 2018, only to fall in with expectations later in the year. One could very easily argue that Arizona improved with the acquisition of Dustin Pedroia, and the young core should undoubtedly improve. With another fast start, Arizona could have a chance to maintain momentum and grab a wild card spot.
Half-empty: Most of the team, especially the rotation, is young and untested. The pitching in particular took a step back last year. If the Diamondbacks want to compete long-term, they better hope their pitchers get used to throwing in the desert.
Player to watch: CF Jeren Kendall. One of the top prospects in the game. Will he make his major league debut in 2019?
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
Half-full: The Dodgers have a lot of money. A LOT. And this has provided them the opportunity to load their roster with established veterans and still sign one of the biggest names this offseason in Kuan Xie. Los Angeles is still loaded with one of the better rotations, depth, and experience across the diamond. As in the years past, they should be considered contenders for the division title.
Half-empty: Los Angeles fell flat on their face last year. The solution? Spend more money, drain their once magnificent minor league system, and miss out on the playoffs. With so much money tied up, and a weak current system, another poor season could spell the beginning of a nightmare era for the Dodgers.
Player to watch: Kuan Xie. How can it be anyone else? Xie was signed to a massive contract after coming overseas to the United States. How will he perform? Is he a superstar in the making? We will have to see.
2. Colorado Rockies
Half-full: The Rockies won the division last year. Half of their team is extremely young and extremely talented. Their GM exudes confidence. The Rockies' offense is otherworldly, even considering the fact they practically play half their games on the moon. Pitchers beware; Colorado will make they playoffs, and they should not be taken lightly when they do.
Half-empty: The other half of the Rockies are quickly aging. Players like Blackmon, Desmond, and CarGo may have seen their best years behind them. Also, Colorado has done very little this offseason, while much of the division has worked hard to improve their position. After only barely winning the division in 2018, the Rockies may not have done enough to hold on to their advantage.
Player to watch: Brendan Rodgers. With DJ LaMahieu gone to free agency (or is he?), Rodgers is poised to take over at 2B. How will he respond to replacing the positional leader in WAR the past two years? He has the talent to fill in nicely.
1. San Francisco Giants
Half-full: The Giants almost won the division last year, and undoubtedly have worked hard to improve their roster this offseason. San Francisco has a balance of experience and youth. Some of their biggest losses (Panik, Strickland) will be replaced by veterans who should minimize the losses (Kinsler, Feliz). Most importantly, they boosted areas of weakness. The acquisitions of Jackie Bradley Jr. and Carlos Carrasco make this team extremely formidable.
Half-empty: The team's biggest strength, it's bullpen completely collapsed in the NLWCS. As talented as their roster is, they do not have postseason experience of other teams in the division.
Player to watch: Carlos Carrasco. The big acquisition to help this team's rotation will likely make or break the team's season. Will he rebound from a difficult 2018, or will playing in a division with Coors and Chase be too much?
5. San Diego Padres.
"Cup half-full view": With a $30M payroll, the Padres have given themselves much financial flexibility for the future. There is a lot of youth (mostly talented) on this team. Although the team struggled last year, hard to envision this young core to do any worse.
"Cup half-empty view": San Diego not only has the lowest payroll, but the lowest budget in the league. This puts added pressure on the youth the team has to perform well, and honestly, talent lacks on this team. It will be interesting to see how the new GM decides to manage the rebuilding process. The Padres finished near the bottom of the league in 2018; things will likely remain the same in 2019.
Player to watch: 2B Allen Cordoba. He regressed a little in 2018 from a strong rookie debut, but is still only 23 years old and has plenty of talent to become one of the top tier 2B in the league.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
Half-full: The Snakes started off blazing in 2018, only to fall in with expectations later in the year. One could very easily argue that Arizona improved with the acquisition of Dustin Pedroia, and the young core should undoubtedly improve. With another fast start, Arizona could have a chance to maintain momentum and grab a wild card spot.
Half-empty: Most of the team, especially the rotation, is young and untested. The pitching in particular took a step back last year. If the Diamondbacks want to compete long-term, they better hope their pitchers get used to throwing in the desert.
Player to watch: CF Jeren Kendall. One of the top prospects in the game. Will he make his major league debut in 2019?
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
Half-full: The Dodgers have a lot of money. A LOT. And this has provided them the opportunity to load their roster with established veterans and still sign one of the biggest names this offseason in Kuan Xie. Los Angeles is still loaded with one of the better rotations, depth, and experience across the diamond. As in the years past, they should be considered contenders for the division title.
Half-empty: Los Angeles fell flat on their face last year. The solution? Spend more money, drain their once magnificent minor league system, and miss out on the playoffs. With so much money tied up, and a weak current system, another poor season could spell the beginning of a nightmare era for the Dodgers.
Player to watch: Kuan Xie. How can it be anyone else? Xie was signed to a massive contract after coming overseas to the United States. How will he perform? Is he a superstar in the making? We will have to see.
2. Colorado Rockies
Half-full: The Rockies won the division last year. Half of their team is extremely young and extremely talented. Their GM exudes confidence. The Rockies' offense is otherworldly, even considering the fact they practically play half their games on the moon. Pitchers beware; Colorado will make they playoffs, and they should not be taken lightly when they do.
Half-empty: The other half of the Rockies are quickly aging. Players like Blackmon, Desmond, and CarGo may have seen their best years behind them. Also, Colorado has done very little this offseason, while much of the division has worked hard to improve their position. After only barely winning the division in 2018, the Rockies may not have done enough to hold on to their advantage.
Player to watch: Brendan Rodgers. With DJ LaMahieu gone to free agency (or is he?), Rodgers is poised to take over at 2B. How will he respond to replacing the positional leader in WAR the past two years? He has the talent to fill in nicely.
1. San Francisco Giants
Half-full: The Giants almost won the division last year, and undoubtedly have worked hard to improve their roster this offseason. San Francisco has a balance of experience and youth. Some of their biggest losses (Panik, Strickland) will be replaced by veterans who should minimize the losses (Kinsler, Feliz). Most importantly, they boosted areas of weakness. The acquisitions of Jackie Bradley Jr. and Carlos Carrasco make this team extremely formidable.
Half-empty: The team's biggest strength, it's bullpen completely collapsed in the NLWCS. As talented as their roster is, they do not have postseason experience of other teams in the division.
Player to watch: Carlos Carrasco. The big acquisition to help this team's rotation will likely make or break the team's season. Will he rebound from a difficult 2018, or will playing in a division with Coors and Chase be too much?
