With the MLB season just a week away let’s take a whip around each division’s standings according to yours truly!

Los Angeles Dodgers

All in. That’s what the Los Angeles Dodgers are this season; they have held nothing back this off-season. In the last three seasons, they have not reached the World Series despite having one of the highest payrolls in Baseball. They have reached the postseason every year since 2013 and while they won the World Series back in 2020 that was during the COVID-19 60-game season and has been subjected to scrutiny by many fans and people of the media.The Dodgers have not won the World Series in a 162-game season since 1988. They struck big this off-season by signing designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman all in the same lineup should scare the living daylights out of any team this season. The Atlanta Braves hit an MLB-record-best 307 home runs last year; every Baseball fan should take note of that because the Dodgers could be well on their way to breaking that record. Their starting pitching and bullpen is excellent and under the direction of manager Dave Roberts they will win the NL West. 

Arizona Diamondbacks

The most surprising team last season had to be the Arizona Diamondbacks. Adding starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery yesterday brings in another major arm into the Diamondbacks starting rotation with Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Eduardo Rodriguez. That starting rotation could be the best in not only the National League but in all of the MLB. Their starting lineup is not among the best in Baseball, but there is a great balance when you look at the one through nine hitters. Catcher Gabriel Moreno should make a big leap this season and center fielder Alek Thomas who hit the tying home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in game five of the NLCS should improve this season as well. Right fielder and NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll’s hitting should also improve and that’s a scary thought for many opposing pitchers. 

San Diego Padres

It wasn’t too long ago that the San Diego Padres were thought of being the only team standing in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ way of winning the NL West, however, the Arizona Diamondbacks have now taken over as the main opposition to the Dodgers. The Padres have taken a backseat and without outfielder Juan Soto the Padres are looked at being a non-contnder this season. However, they are still a very dangerous offense with second baseman Xander Boegarts, right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., and third baseman Manny Machado. The weakest point for the Padres is their pitching. They added starting pitcher Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox who did not have a strong 2023 and neither did Yu Darvish. With this season being a potential re-tooling year for 2025 Padres fans need to recognize that they should keep a close eye on what they can acquire at the trade deadline and who will be coming up later next season.

San Francisco Giants

Gabe Kapler’s ridiculous managerial style is done in San Francisco and maybe finished in the MLB. So the Giants added one of the best managers in the game by hiring Bob Melvin. Now it will be tough for the Giants to contend for a wild card spot but the possibility of them still having a strong season with a plus .500 record is not in doubt. They added designated hitter Jorge Soler who can now just focus on offensive numbers rather than defense and third baseman Matt Chapman which adds to their infield. First baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. is a solid power hitter and catcher Patrick Bailey has emerged as a top catching prospect that the Giants will hope to take a big leap this season. However, it will be spotty to find other hitters in their lineup to step up each day. Their pitching is not great aside from starting pitcher Blake Snell who they just signed, there are a lot of question marks that they will need to evaluate for their future. 

Colorado Rockies

This should be Bud Black’s final year as the manager of the Colorado Rockies. Since 2017 he has been the head man for the Rockies and during that time his team went to the postseason in 2017 and 2018, but has failed to reach the postseason ever since. It’s not all entirely his fault there have been some poor decisions made by the front office that Black will unfortunately take the fall for. Designated hitter Charlie Blackmon and third baseman Kris Bryant are running on fumes, their careers are barely staying afloat. Bryant was given a seven-year $182 million deal back in 2022 and has not come close to playing a full 162-game season the most he’s played is 80 thus far and his offensive output does not give one much confidence to assume he will improve now that he’s thirty-two. There is no one of note to mention for the Rockies pitching and some of their top prospects are about a year off from making it to the big leagues. So this season looks to be another that Rockies fans should enjoy as many Coors Lights as they can consume because they will need it.