Team Win Loss
Dodgers 88 74
Padres 85 77
Giants 81 81
Rockies 78 84
D-Backs 74 88
This is a hard divison to predict. All teams seem to have strengths but also tons of weaknesses. We had to put the D-backs last mostly due to lack of pitching and lack of experience for the hitters. Sure, they have Webb but beyond that there are health questions and inconsistencies. They could potentially be much better then we have them if guys like Steven Drew, Connor Jackson, Carlos Quentin, Miguel Montero, and Chris Young all live up to praise. The rockies were a hard team to place. They have a solid lineup but basically nothing reliable in terms of pitching. Your team only goes as far as your pitching depth as the yankees have shown the last few years. The Giants basically earned 3rd place with the Zito signing. By adding him they added a solid starter to compliment Matt Cain.If Cain can put it all together he could potentially be vying for a Cy Young this year. We then had the Dodgers and Padres to choose from. Both teams pretty solid in terms of pitching but both lacking offensively. In the end we believed the likes of Derek Lowe, Jason Schmidt,and Brad Penny beat out Jake Peavy and Chris Young. Although I do see Peay having a huge year that isnt enough to put them ahead.
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2 comments:
I have to disagree a bit with your prediction, i think the Padres are pretty screwed this year as is the Giants and it's time for the D-backs and Rockies to take a step foward.
I'm going to predict
Dodgers
Rockies
D-backs
Padres
Giants
Though I agree all 5 team have enough things that could go right or wrong for them to change this order in just about any direction.
Rockies have quietly build a decent enough pitching staff, Francis and Cook are underrated, as is Kim, Fogg isn't the best solution but he's not as bad as what the D-backs/Giants were throwing out there (Russ Ortiz? are you kidding me?) and Hirsh is a nice young arm. it's not the best, but as long as it's stable, and they any semblance of normal production from their middle infield this year, they should easily take a step foward, remember that they were actually leading this division for the first half last year.
The D-back's rotation is actually pretty good with Webb / RJ / Bush / Livan, the depth is the problem, as is the bullpen, so i agree that unless they pull a Takashi Saito like closer out of their arse they probably won't win this division (not impossible though, consider that... well Takashi Saito was pulled out of the Dodger's arse last year ;)), but should make more progress.
I don't like the Padres, they were barely over 500 in 05 and had a pretty flukey year in 06 thx to Piazza and Bard etc.. they still have a junk offense made even worse this year, Peavy's big year simply hasn't come dispite all everyone predicting him to do so for several year now. It's certainly possible to happen, but when it doesn't happen after so many year i start losing faith. their farm is also barren as hell.
The Giants are a very mixed bag, they have a great young pitcher with another one comming very quickly, and they get Zito which was a good enough signing for them (hey they signed a guy under 35 for once!!) in terms of pitching future, they are probably right there with the Dodgers (i.e great) but the age around the Diamond is just a joke, of course there's a chance that Bonds hit like Bonds and if that happens the Giants could pull off the Division. but more likely he'll remain a traveling circus that'll screw the Giants as a team. and besides Bonds everywhere else is average to below average or very old (2B / SS)
I agree that the Dodger is the favorite, they have a good combination of reliable stars and young studs, should even a few pan out they should be one of the scariest team in the NL (I'm betting the Phillies and Dodgers are the best teams in the NL this year) their achillies heel is their lack of power (they amazingly got out homered by the Padres and everyone else in the MLB last year) and that they still have a ton of injuries risk even after the departure of Eric Gange
Great Comment. This truly is a tough division to predict. It could turn out many different ways.
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