NL West Starting Pitching Analysis

The NL West is a division I see as easily up for grabs and has been the last couple years. If one of these teams catches fire in August and September, they’ll take the division. That’s what happened last year (Dodgers) and the year before (Rockies).

Predictions: The DBacks have the best rotation and would seem to me like the most likely to win it. BUT, the Dodgers have Manny and a pretty solid rotation too. In the end, I think the DBacks youth will work against them and the Dodgers take the division again. But with all these teams this close, it could go to anyone.

Dodgers: Kershaw needs to step it up for the Dodgers big time this season. Since he has the best stuff, everyone has named him their defacto “Ace”, but he’s still a kid. He needs to grow into his Ace shoes and become the force in the West everyone hopes he will be.  I still remember the first time I saw his curve on YouTube. It made my heart skip a beat. I thought, that must be what it was like to see Koufax. Those are awfully big shoes to fill. Billingsley is growing into his #3 role very well. Kuroda has been solid - although currently he’s hurt. Wolf will give you starts.  I think Pedro would have looked really good in that 5^th spot for them, but they couldn’t make it happen.

DBacks: Without a doubt the best rotation in this division for my money. Webb has struggled and is on the DL, but he should bounce back. Danny Haren is consistently brilliant. Max Scherzer is looking like he’ll be every bit as good as AZ hoped. Doug Davis has quietly moved from #2 to #4 and is still winning games. He’s a solid pitcher. Jon Garland has been hot and cold for the DBacks so far, but he’ll be better than average when the season’s done.

Giants: I know everyone like the Giants rotation because everyone keeps telling me that they like the Giants rotation. Lincecum is a freak. Matt Cain is getting better every start. Randy Johnson has looked positively stellar so far. But in the end, I think this Giants offense is going to be their downfall. I don’t think that they’re pitching is good enough to win games 1-0, 2-1 every night. They need to be able to win games 5-3, 6-5, 7-4 and I don’t think that the offense is good enough to put 5 runs on the board with any consistency.

Rockies: When Jeff Francis returns from the DL, I think Colorado could be a very dangerous team. The offense is still largely intact and they can always score runs. The starting pitching is actually pretty good at the front of the rotation. It’s once you get past Jimenez that I think you’ll start to see teams beating up on the Rockies. If the Rockies take this division, it won’t be on the strength of the starters.

Padres: The Pads have started the season red hot. They have been winning games and they’re looking good. Peavy might stay past the deadline, who knows. Chris Young is pitching well so far. But they Pads have some question marks in that starting rotation.  If I was a manager, I wouldn’t want to count on Walter Silva every fifth day. Or Kevin Correia or Shawn Hill. Shawn Hill was cut from the Nationals for Chrissakes. I know they’re hot now and winning games, but I wouldn’t count on them being at the top past May.