Photo Courtesy of Keith of Flickr.com
The wild-west ran through Los Angeles in 2015. The Dodgers dominated the division as they were led by a dominant staff. Led by aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, the club tallied 92 victories and finished with the best record in the National League West. Aside from the Dodgers, the NL West will once again feature a ton of talent. In San Francisco, the Giants look to follow up another solid season behind stud southpaw Madison Bumgarner. Plus they’re looking to win their fourth title this decade, all of which have occurred on even years: 2010, 2012, 2014, and now hopefully 2016. Additionally, behind new acquisitions, the Arizona Diamondbacks will surely give the aforementioned clubs a run for their money in the division. Not to forget the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies who seek to wreak havoc and return to form this season.
- Los Angeles Dodgers
Last season, Chavez Ravine played host to two of the most dominant arms in the game, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. Fast forward to 2016, and now only one of these aces will take the mound at Dodger stadium with a criss-crossed “LA” across the front of his hat. In December, Greinke inked a $206 million contract with the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks. Even with the loss of their right-hander, the Dodgers still feature a strong rotation backed by Kershaw and newcomer Scott Kazmir. On the offensive side, look for rookie Corey Seager to be a force this year. Seager was a late season call-up in 2015, and put the league on watch during his short time in the big leagues. Seager belted four homers and posted a .337 average in 27 games. He will look to bolster these stats this year, and lead the Dodgers back to another NL West crown.
- San Francisco Giants
The Giants have been crowned World Series champions in three of the last six seasons. At this rate, they are practically a lock to win a ring in 2016, right? Well, if they are to get it done this year they are going to need production from 2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner headlines a stacked rotation that features newcomers Johnny Cueto and Jeff “Shark” Samardzija. The trio will be joined by veteran right handers Matt Cain and Jake Peavy. The staff will be captained by backstop Buster Posey. Posey will need to be not only a wall behind the dish, but also a force at the plate if the Giants want to continue the trend of a championship every other year.
- Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona is surely a team to look out for in 2016. The new look D-Backs break camp is looking to make some noise in the west. The club became contenders overnight this off-season following the acquisitions of starters Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller. The club will be led on the offensive side by superstar Paul Goldschmidt. The slugging first baseman will be a nightmare for opposing pitchers, and has to be a monster in the middle of the Arizona lineup if they are to contend for a division title this year. This club is a common “sleeper” team that could make a surprise run to the title.
- San Diego Padres
There was a lot of hype surrounding the Padres heading into the 2015 season. However, sometimes predictions do not turn to fruition. The club finished out the season in fourth place with 74 victories. However, 2016 is a new year, and San Diego will set out to meet the expectations of previous seasons . They traded star closer Craig Kimbrel to Boston for a very talented haul of prospects that could make the majors real soon. On paper, the Padres look to have a solid, deep roster. With a lineup led by sluggers Matt Kemp and Will Myers, the club looks to contend in the west in 2016.
- Colorado Rockies
The 2015 Rockies were nothing short of mediocre last season. Finishing with 68 wins, the club stood dead last in the NL West. This season, the team hopes to rebound from a down year. With the return of studs Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arendado, the Rockies could cause some trouble in 2016. The ball absolutely flies at Coors Field, so look for the duo to put up monster stats once again this season. Additionally, the off-season domestic troubles for Jose Reyes could have a profound effect on this team’s future.