MLB Futures: Can anyone challenge the Dodgers in NL West?

The Los Angeles Dodgers won 111 games last season and won the division for the ninth time in 10 years. They are the favorite once again because when it comes to winning during the regular season no team has been better at it than the Dodgers.

However, this does look like a season where they should receive some real competition. Normally a team that wins the offseason, the Dodgers have been quiet the last few months while southern rival San Diego continues to make waves.

The rest of the division does not look like it will be much of a threat this season. It has been more than a decade since the Dodgers finished as low as third so that is nothing new. 

National League West Futures

Los Angeles Dodgers -140

The Dodgers might have had a head start on the rest of the division but it is hard to say they have gotten much better this offseason. They added a couple of 35-year-old hitters to the lineup in JD Martinez and David Peralta and a 30-year-old pitcher with massive injury risk to the rotation — Noah Syndergaard. Six players in their regular lineup are over 30 so there is more risk than there has been. The situation in the rotation is not much better. Maybe this group has one more good year in it, but there are also some wrinkles in their winning formula.

Don't get caught up in what they have been. It is hard to justify paying a premium this season. 

San Diego Padres +145

The Padres are not boring. They have amassed a wealth of talent, adding IF Xander Bogaerts this offseason in another bank-breaking transaction. San Diego will be without the services of Fernando Tatis Jr., but once they get him back they probably have the best lineup in baseball. That day is in late April so you can make a play on the Padres knowing he should not miss too much action. As good as the lineup is, it is backed up by a solid rotation too. Josh Hader, acquired last year, might be the best bullpen arm in the majors. 

The only reason not to back the Padres is that they have consistently underperformed. Is that enough to look past them?

San Francisco Giants +1100

There is a massive gap after San Diego, one even Carlos Correa couldn't fill if he were actually there. I like all the moves the Giants made this offseason but they were playing in the value bin with free-agent acquisitions of outfielders Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto, plus pitchers Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling. The Giants could be a playoff team and if they are the healthiest team in the division things might change. San Francisco raised their floor but their ceiling is still limited. 

I like the price on the Giants. You can see how it could happen. 

Arizona Diamondbacks +4000

The big off-season move for the Diamondbacks was getting Gabriel Moreno from the Blue Jays. He might be the best catcher in baseball ... in 2026, but for 2023 this is an incomplete team. They have a couple of nice starters and hope they can rehab the career of OF Kyle Lewis. It is never easy being the fourth-best team in a division, even if they have changed the scheduling format. Arizona is not going to embarrass itself but wins are not going to be frequent either. 

It is hard to make a case that this would be a worthwhile investment unless you like staying up late. 

Colorado Rockies +15000

Colorado has some hitters that can hurt you, but this team is not as intimidating as it has been in the past. I always wonder what it is like for teams that lean to offense when they make rule changes that make it easier for everyone else to score. Given they are at the bottom of a tough division they are probably welcoming the scheduling changes. Even more than that, they would welcome consistent starting pitching. Ace German Marquez has really fallen off over the last couple of years and even if he finds "it" they need a lot more than that.

Big payoffs catch your eye but this team needs progress before they can think about winning anything. 

My Pick: The best value and best bet in this group is the Padres. There is just no fun in backing the chalky Dodgers ... haha.