- Dodgers
- Diamondbacks
- Giants
- Padres
- Rockies
Dodgers
This was one of the easiest division winners that I have picked for any sport. With one of the best offseasons in MLB history, and looking to win their second World Series in a row, this team is the best baseball team I have ever seen
The Dodgers have 3 MVPs in their 1, 2 and 3 spots in the lineup and by the heat of summer will have Shohei back in their already loaded starting rotation. They also have a chance to have the best bullpen in the league, adding Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates in free agency, if those first two points were enough.
Offensively, the Dodgers did not have to add many pieces to the already stacked lineup in order to be the best team in baseball. However, they went ahead and added some of the bigger and better names in free agency. Hye-Song Kim and Roki Sasaki from the Asian leagues. While both may start in AAA, they will make the lineup before the season is over if healthy.
The season of Shohei Ohtani should look different this year rather than last year as he will reportedly be back pitching for LA around June. I wonder if this will cause a dip in offensive production, but given how much of a wild card Ohtani is he could easily still play better while doing both.
This Dodgers team has the chance to do some special things this season as they have their eyes on the all-time season wins record. 116 is the number the Dodgers will be trying to beat, and with a pitching staff made up of what would be 1’s and 2’s from almost the rest of the MLB, I think they have a chance if they can stay healthy.
Diamondbacks
The addition of Corbin Burnes is what brings the Diamondbacks in this high for the NL West. The duo of him and Zac Gallen will be fun to keep an eye on. Over the last 3 seasons, Gallen’s numbers have regressed, bringing him closer to average. Moving him down a spot in the rotation, I think will be beneficial going forward.
Offensively, the D-Backs acquired Josh Naylor to fill in for the absence of Christian Walker who will be playing for Houston come opening day. Naylor was one of the better hitters in a Cleveland lineup that played well throughout the regular season and playoffs.
With the emergence of Geraldo Perdomo at the end of the year, I think he will be the most important player to perform well for the Diamondbacks. He will probably hit in multiple places in the order during the season, and I think most of the time will be right around the 5-7 spot.
Giants
The Boys of the Bay should perform better this year than last. Adding an older Justin Verlander is not the missing piece to a championship team by any means but a veteran guy to keep the rest of the pitching staff in line and on focus. In 2024, Verlander had a sub-100 ERA+ for the first time in a season since 2014. Going to a park that is more pitcher friendly should now help those numbers a bit, but him being old could be the underlying reason behind his decline.
I like this lineup more than what I think the Padres lineup will be to end the season, which is the reason I put them higher. Matt Chapman and Patrick Bailey were both 2024 Gold Glovers and Bailey, specifically, is the best defensive catcher in the MLB right now.
Willy Adames will hold down the Shortstop job which will be huge for the Giants. This will allow them to move Tyler Fitzgerald’s emerging bat into the outfield or to second. Adames is coming off a big offensive season in which he set career highs in almost every offensive counting stat (hits, runs, home runs, RBI, steals.)
The 8th and 9th innings should be on lock for the season as Camilo Doval and Ryan Walker could be one of the best combinations for those innings. Walker may have the lead on the closer roll as of now, but with how both have played in the past, either could take that spot.
Padres
The Padres are down here for one reason. I do not think they will keep all of their players once the trade deadline comes around. I do not see them being as competitive as they would need to be in order to keep some of those guys. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities to see Fernando Tatis Jr. or Dylan Cease dealt before the deadline. And we know what that Padres roster would look like without Tatis and Cease, and it is missing a lot of firepower. San Diego would be in for a rebuild if this is what they decided to do.
Rockies
Colorado has some fun names on their roster. In spring, they have been in a few headlines thanks to a bat flip by Zac Veen, and a strikeout dance by pitcher Jeffry Yan. I wish to see Kris Bryant succeed in all of the things he does and I hope 2025 is the start to get him back to his old self.
Chase Dollander, a draft pick from Tennessee in 2023, should be in the rotation by years and and I hope can show pitchers are able to succeed in Colorado. He has yet to pitch in the bigs, but I see him up by mid-June. Another Tennessee Vol that was drafted by the Rockies, Jordan Beck, will look to progress from his rookie season last year where he struggled mightily from the plate. Finishing the season with a 41 OPS+ (100 being average).