Predicting the N.L. West

 The Dodgers will be fielding one of the best, most complete teams in MLB history.  They have become the evil empire, and I personally feel this makes baseball great.  Pure number of games fatigue and a little boredom will prevent them from winning as many games as their talent should win; however they will eclipse the 100 win total and take the West.

N.L. West

                Pecota                Wins                                                Cru's Corner                Wins

1.            LAD                    104.6                                            1.  LAD                            101

2.            SF                        81.7                                              2.  S.D.                            82

3.            S.D.                    80.4                                               3.  SF                                78

4.            Ariz                    78.7                                                4.  Ariz                            78

5.            Col                    61.0                                                5.  Col                               59

     The Dodgers are stacked from one through nine and have literally 10 guys that can start in any rotation in baseball.  Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Kyle Tucker, and Freddie Freeman are unstoppable at the top of the order.  Will Smith, Max Muncy, and Teoscar Hernandez are likely the best five through seven hitters in all baseball.  The Japanese rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki, along with Tyler Glasnow and Emmit Sheehan makes up the best five man in baseball.  The best chance to beat the Dodgers might be if anybody can get to their bullpen in the seventh and eighth.  Alex Vesla and Tanner Scott are a little less proven then the rest, but still very good.  The Dodgers will most likely represent the National league again in the World Series.

     The San Diego Padres always seem to come into the season with very high hopes of supplanting the Dodgers at the top of the West.  Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Manny Machado will give the Padres some fire-power at the top of the line-ip again.  It is the off season moves that I really don't care for with this squad.  Trusting the DH role to Miguel Andujar and an aging Nick Castellanos seems to be risky at best.  A 33 year old Xander Bogaerts has lost a step both defensively and offensively at shortstop, and Freddy Fermin doesn't provide a whole lot from the catcher position.  I do like Gavin Sheets playing everyday at first base and Cronenworth hitting near the bottom of the order.  With Michael King, Nick Pivetta, and Joe Musgrove all healthy the Padres rotation should be strong.  Mason Miller is the best closer in baseball and Adrian Morejon, and Jeremiah Estrada are a dominating seventh and eighth inning options.

     The San Francisco Giants will make contact at the plate more like a team from the 1970's, than 2026.  In the era a home run or nothing, this team has chosen to put the ball in play.  Luis Arraez has one of the slowest exit velocities in the MLB, but he also has the highest batting average over the past four seasons.  Willy Adames and Rafael Devers are both guys that hit for a high average and still manage a little pop in the bat.  Jung Ho Lee and Heliot Ramos can also put the ball in play foul line to foul line.  This team will be capable of putting together multiple hits in an inning and causing chaos on the bases.  My concern is can they put the ball over the fence when needed.  As for pitching, The Giants are solid.  Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Tyler Mahle, and Adrian Houser make up a staff that will keep the Giants in every game.  Ryan Walker will get the nod at closer early with possibly Erik Miller will be scheduled to set up in the eighth.  

     The Diamondbacks signing of Nolan Arenado and Carlos Santana seemed to indicate this team wanted some senior leadership.  The two corner infielders will definitely supply experience, however both are playing a bit below their prime years and likely won't be enough to keep the team in the race in the West.  Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte are both perennial All-Stars and Alek Thomas proved to be a very serviceable centerfielder.  The top of the rotation is solid with Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, but there is a real fall off to Ryan Nelson or Eduardo Rodriguez.  Kevin Ginkle or Paul Sewald sounds like closer by committee.

     The Colorado Rockies are the worst team in baseball in 2026.  Relying on Hunter Goodman, a fourth round draft pick in 2021, Jordan Beck, a first round draft pick in 2022, and Brenton Doyle, a fourth round draft pick in 2019, along with Chase Dollander, a first round draft pick in 2023 for teams whole future is insane.  The rockies have decided it's time to see what the youngsters can do, and they placed very little veteran support around them.  The old saying in baseball is, "every team wins sixty and loses sixty, and it's what you do in the other forty two that matters."  Well I'm not sure how these guys win sixty.