We start here because, well, it's what I'm most familiar with, and, it might arguably be the best and most competitive division in all of baseball. Last year, four of the five teams finished with above .500 winning percentages, the first time that has happened under the current division format. Colorado, who remained competitive enough throughout the bulk of the season to hang around, made a miraculous run at the end of the season and well into the playoffs, only to have it come to an abrupt end in the World Series against Boston. Arizona, despite having scored fewer runs than they allowed during the regular season, won the division over Colorado and San Diego, who lost a one-game playoff to Colorado for the Wild Card. The Dodgers were never consistent enough to make a real hard push, and finished in fourth, eight games back, despite finishing above .500. So where does that leave these teams for 2008? Pretty much in the same boat as last season. 2008 should be no different.
1. LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Dodgers were able to address two needs without having to give up any of their young kids: a power-hitter in the middle of the lineup, and rotation depth. After Grady Little resigned as the manager, the Dodgers made a quick move to snatch up free agent manager Joe Torre, who walked away from the Yankees two weeks earlier. They then signed Andruw Jones to a two-year deal, and not long after, landed Japanese import, Hiroki Kuroda, and inked him for three years.
The Dodgers still have question marks, but it's not because they still have holes to fill. Jones' signing displaces Juan Pierre over to left, but Andre Ethier should be the everyday left-fielder, and Andy LaRoche should be the everyday third baseman over Nomar Garciaparra. Jeff Kent returns for another season at second, and Russell Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal fill out Torre's lineup card. If Loney and Kemp can stretch out what they did in 3/4 of a season in 2007 over a full season in 2008, and if Jones can revert back to himself after a disastrous final season in Atlanta, the Dodger lineup should be in good shape, and could boast six players with at least 20+ home runs, where they had only one in 2007.
The pitching staff won't change much from 2007, so it should still be very good. Brad Penny, Derek Lowe and Chad Billingsley all return as the 1-2-3 starters, although Billingsley has quickly emereged as the ace of the staff. Kuroda comes in to be the fourth starter and either Jason Schmidt, if he's healthy, or Esteban Loaiza will round out the rotation. Anchored by closer Takashi Saito, Jonathan Broxton, Joe Beimel, Scott Proctor and Rudy Seanez all return to form one of the game's best bullpens.
The Dodgers arguably have the most talent, the best balanced lineup, the most depth offensively, and the most complete and balanced pitching staff from top to bottom in the division. That should be enough for the Dodgers to win the West.
2. COLORADO ROCKIES
The Rockies were rather quiet in the off-season, though they lost one of their starters, Josh Fogg, from last year's World Series team. But 2007 was no fluke. The Rockies can hit, and now, they've got pitchers who have learned to and have mastered how to pitch in hitter-friendly Coors Field.
The offense is anchored by MVP runner-up Matt Holliday and veteran Todd Helton. While Helton doesn't boast the kind of power he once did, he is still a very good hitter. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has emerged as one of the game's best young shortstops, and Garrett Atkins has solidified himself as one of the game's best third basemen. Rookie phenom Ian Stewart will get some looks at second base, and Brad Hawpe returns to right field. Willie Taveras gives the Rockies some speed at the top of the lineup.
The rotation is anchored by stud, Jeff Francis, and veteran Aaron Cook. But three "rookies" round out the rotation, and that might prove to be the fatal blow in the Rockies chances to get back to the World Series, let alone the playoffs, especially from this division. Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales and Jason Hirsch are all power pitchers, but they're relatively inexperienced aside from last year's run. The bullpen, like the others in this division, is very good. Closer Manny Corpas will resume his role after displacing Brian Fuentes, now his set-up guy. Ryan Speier, Jose Vizcaino and Matt Herges round out the rotation.
This team can hit, and score runs, in bunches. They have one the games smartest pitchers in Francis, and a solid pen, but the experience, or lack of it, at the back end of the rotation will be a key factor in whether they can repeat last year.
3. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Brandon Webb and Dan Haren. That's all that needs to be said about this team. They form what might be the best 1-2 punch in any rotation since Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson anchored this rotation in the late 90s, early 2000s. And its because of this duo that many people are picking Arizona to repeat as division champs. But they have their own issues that need to be addressed.
The Arizona offense was one of the worst in baseball last year. They won the division having scored fewer runs than they allowed. And they didn't really address their need to get more offense. That's because they feel the missing pieces are already there. Eric Byrnes was their best hitter last year, but now they are counting on youngsters Stephen Drew, B.J. Upton, Chris Young and Mark Reynolds, and young veteran Conor Jackson to step up and provide the additional offense. And they can, and they might. But it's going to be an uphill battle. A healthy Orlando Hudson also helps. If they don't find a way to score more runs, they will waste some very good pitching.
Behind Webb and Haren, the rotation includes Doug Davis and Micah Owings. They're good, but not great or spectacular, although Owings does bring another bat to the lineup every fifth day. If he's healthy, Randy Johnson can still pile up the strikeouts, although he's not really over-powering anymore. Tony Pena becomes the closer after Jose Valverde was dealt to Houston. Brandon Lyon and Juan Cruz add some depth in the rotation should Pena falter as the closer.
If Arizona intends to repeat, they can't repeat. The offense needs to score more runs. If they do, they should earn a playoff spot, if they don't they're watching the playoffs on TV come October.
4. SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Padres are pretty much in the same situation as Arizona, very good pitching, but very little offense. They, too, didn't do much to address this need, although they did trade for center fielder Jim Edmonds and sign second baseman Tadahito Iguchi.
The offense is anchored by veteran Brian Giles, no longer a home run hitter thanks to spacious PETCO Park, but still a home run threat. Giles, however, will take on a new role as the everyday leadoff hitter. Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Khalil Greene give the Padres some hope offensively, but it won't be enough. The Padres need to build their team to fit PETCO Park, and right now, this offense isn't built that way.
The rotation behind Jake Peavy has become very iffy. Chris Young was spectacular for half a season, and then injuries took over and he became ineffective and average, although he still managed to keep his ERA down. Greg Maddux still knows how to pitch at age 42. Randy Wolf and Glendon Rusch fill out the rotation, assuming either stays healthy. Mark Prior was also brought in as a free agent, but he can't be relied on given his history of injuries. Prior will be brought along slowly and should find a spot on the staff by June. The bullpen is probably the best and deepest in baseball. Trevor Hoffman returns for yet another season as the closer, and Joe Thatcher, Heath Bell, Cla Meredith and Kevin Cameron round out the game's best bullpen.
San Diego, like Arizona, needs to find a way to score more runs. The pitching is probably one of the best overall in baseball, from Peavy, to the sixth or seventh guy out of the pen, but if they don't find a way to score runs, the pitching will go to waste.
5. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The Giants are a lost cause in this division. Barry Bonds is no longer around to keep the offense afloat, but there are some positives in other areas.
With Bonds gone, the Giants were desperate to find some offense in a very thin free agency market, and found Aaron Rowand. Rowand is no Bonds, and moving from hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park in Philly, the games best park for hitters, to pitcher-friendly AT&T Park in San Francisco, isn't going to help Rowand's production. The offense then will be revolved around the speed in the lineup, from leadoff hitter Dave Roberts down to Omar Vizquel. Bengie Molina now takes over as the cleanup hitter with Rowand expected to hit fifth. Ray Durham, Rich Aurilia and Randy Winn also return to round out Bruce Bochy's lineup card.
The strength of the Giants is their rotation. Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are two of the game's best young pitchers, and will only get better. Barry Zito rebounded from a poor start in 2007 and finished strong. Noah Lowry and Kevin Correia round out an impressive rotation for a pretty bad team. The bullpen should get some consistency out of Brian Wilson and Tyler Walker as the closer and setup man. The pen lost 33 games last year, and they hope Wilson and Walker can help avoid that again in 2008. Brad Hennessey, Vinnie Chulk and Randy Messenger provide their pen depth.
The Giants are penciled in for last place across the board. Their is a lot of promise in the rotation, but the lineup still looks old. Rowand really isn't the answer here offensively, but then again, post-Bonds, who is?
Coming up soon, the National League Central.
1. LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Dodgers were able to address two needs without having to give up any of their young kids: a power-hitter in the middle of the lineup, and rotation depth. After Grady Little resigned as the manager, the Dodgers made a quick move to snatch up free agent manager Joe Torre, who walked away from the Yankees two weeks earlier. They then signed Andruw Jones to a two-year deal, and not long after, landed Japanese import, Hiroki Kuroda, and inked him for three years.
The Dodgers still have question marks, but it's not because they still have holes to fill. Jones' signing displaces Juan Pierre over to left, but Andre Ethier should be the everyday left-fielder, and Andy LaRoche should be the everyday third baseman over Nomar Garciaparra. Jeff Kent returns for another season at second, and Russell Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal fill out Torre's lineup card. If Loney and Kemp can stretch out what they did in 3/4 of a season in 2007 over a full season in 2008, and if Jones can revert back to himself after a disastrous final season in Atlanta, the Dodger lineup should be in good shape, and could boast six players with at least 20+ home runs, where they had only one in 2007.
The pitching staff won't change much from 2007, so it should still be very good. Brad Penny, Derek Lowe and Chad Billingsley all return as the 1-2-3 starters, although Billingsley has quickly emereged as the ace of the staff. Kuroda comes in to be the fourth starter and either Jason Schmidt, if he's healthy, or Esteban Loaiza will round out the rotation. Anchored by closer Takashi Saito, Jonathan Broxton, Joe Beimel, Scott Proctor and Rudy Seanez all return to form one of the game's best bullpens.
The Dodgers arguably have the most talent, the best balanced lineup, the most depth offensively, and the most complete and balanced pitching staff from top to bottom in the division. That should be enough for the Dodgers to win the West.
2. COLORADO ROCKIES
The Rockies were rather quiet in the off-season, though they lost one of their starters, Josh Fogg, from last year's World Series team. But 2007 was no fluke. The Rockies can hit, and now, they've got pitchers who have learned to and have mastered how to pitch in hitter-friendly Coors Field.
The offense is anchored by MVP runner-up Matt Holliday and veteran Todd Helton. While Helton doesn't boast the kind of power he once did, he is still a very good hitter. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has emerged as one of the game's best young shortstops, and Garrett Atkins has solidified himself as one of the game's best third basemen. Rookie phenom Ian Stewart will get some looks at second base, and Brad Hawpe returns to right field. Willie Taveras gives the Rockies some speed at the top of the lineup.
The rotation is anchored by stud, Jeff Francis, and veteran Aaron Cook. But three "rookies" round out the rotation, and that might prove to be the fatal blow in the Rockies chances to get back to the World Series, let alone the playoffs, especially from this division. Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales and Jason Hirsch are all power pitchers, but they're relatively inexperienced aside from last year's run. The bullpen, like the others in this division, is very good. Closer Manny Corpas will resume his role after displacing Brian Fuentes, now his set-up guy. Ryan Speier, Jose Vizcaino and Matt Herges round out the rotation.
This team can hit, and score runs, in bunches. They have one the games smartest pitchers in Francis, and a solid pen, but the experience, or lack of it, at the back end of the rotation will be a key factor in whether they can repeat last year.
3. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Brandon Webb and Dan Haren. That's all that needs to be said about this team. They form what might be the best 1-2 punch in any rotation since Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson anchored this rotation in the late 90s, early 2000s. And its because of this duo that many people are picking Arizona to repeat as division champs. But they have their own issues that need to be addressed.
The Arizona offense was one of the worst in baseball last year. They won the division having scored fewer runs than they allowed. And they didn't really address their need to get more offense. That's because they feel the missing pieces are already there. Eric Byrnes was their best hitter last year, but now they are counting on youngsters Stephen Drew, B.J. Upton, Chris Young and Mark Reynolds, and young veteran Conor Jackson to step up and provide the additional offense. And they can, and they might. But it's going to be an uphill battle. A healthy Orlando Hudson also helps. If they don't find a way to score more runs, they will waste some very good pitching.
Behind Webb and Haren, the rotation includes Doug Davis and Micah Owings. They're good, but not great or spectacular, although Owings does bring another bat to the lineup every fifth day. If he's healthy, Randy Johnson can still pile up the strikeouts, although he's not really over-powering anymore. Tony Pena becomes the closer after Jose Valverde was dealt to Houston. Brandon Lyon and Juan Cruz add some depth in the rotation should Pena falter as the closer.
If Arizona intends to repeat, they can't repeat. The offense needs to score more runs. If they do, they should earn a playoff spot, if they don't they're watching the playoffs on TV come October.
4. SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Padres are pretty much in the same situation as Arizona, very good pitching, but very little offense. They, too, didn't do much to address this need, although they did trade for center fielder Jim Edmonds and sign second baseman Tadahito Iguchi.
The offense is anchored by veteran Brian Giles, no longer a home run hitter thanks to spacious PETCO Park, but still a home run threat. Giles, however, will take on a new role as the everyday leadoff hitter. Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Khalil Greene give the Padres some hope offensively, but it won't be enough. The Padres need to build their team to fit PETCO Park, and right now, this offense isn't built that way.
The rotation behind Jake Peavy has become very iffy. Chris Young was spectacular for half a season, and then injuries took over and he became ineffective and average, although he still managed to keep his ERA down. Greg Maddux still knows how to pitch at age 42. Randy Wolf and Glendon Rusch fill out the rotation, assuming either stays healthy. Mark Prior was also brought in as a free agent, but he can't be relied on given his history of injuries. Prior will be brought along slowly and should find a spot on the staff by June. The bullpen is probably the best and deepest in baseball. Trevor Hoffman returns for yet another season as the closer, and Joe Thatcher, Heath Bell, Cla Meredith and Kevin Cameron round out the game's best bullpen.
San Diego, like Arizona, needs to find a way to score more runs. The pitching is probably one of the best overall in baseball, from Peavy, to the sixth or seventh guy out of the pen, but if they don't find a way to score runs, the pitching will go to waste.
5. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The Giants are a lost cause in this division. Barry Bonds is no longer around to keep the offense afloat, but there are some positives in other areas.
With Bonds gone, the Giants were desperate to find some offense in a very thin free agency market, and found Aaron Rowand. Rowand is no Bonds, and moving from hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park in Philly, the games best park for hitters, to pitcher-friendly AT&T Park in San Francisco, isn't going to help Rowand's production. The offense then will be revolved around the speed in the lineup, from leadoff hitter Dave Roberts down to Omar Vizquel. Bengie Molina now takes over as the cleanup hitter with Rowand expected to hit fifth. Ray Durham, Rich Aurilia and Randy Winn also return to round out Bruce Bochy's lineup card.
The strength of the Giants is their rotation. Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are two of the game's best young pitchers, and will only get better. Barry Zito rebounded from a poor start in 2007 and finished strong. Noah Lowry and Kevin Correia round out an impressive rotation for a pretty bad team. The bullpen should get some consistency out of Brian Wilson and Tyler Walker as the closer and setup man. The pen lost 33 games last year, and they hope Wilson and Walker can help avoid that again in 2008. Brad Hennessey, Vinnie Chulk and Randy Messenger provide their pen depth.
The Giants are penciled in for last place across the board. Their is a lot of promise in the rotation, but the lineup still looks old. Rowand really isn't the answer here offensively, but then again, post-Bonds, who is?
Coming up soon, the National League Central.
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