2016 MLB Picks & Predictions: National League West Expert Predictions & Forecast

2016 MLB Picks & Predictions – National League West Expert Predictions & Forecast: Pitchers and catchers have already reported, and the start of the 2016 MLB season is just over a month away. In order to help get you ready for the season, we are taking a look at all the divisions, and the next stop is the National League West.

The team that is in the news most often and the team with the deepest pockets is the Los Angeles Dodgers, and while all the spending has led to success, the Dodgers aren’t the only threat in the division. The San Francisco Giants, who have had a borderline dynasty with three World Series titles since 2010, made some moves in the offseason. The same can be said for the Arizona Diamonbacks, who already had a solid core to build around.

2016 MLB Picks & Predictions: National League West Expert Predictions & Forecast

1. San Francisco Giants

San Francisco has been one of the steadiest franchises for almost a decade, and a couple of offseason additions to the starting rotation should have the Giants prepped for another potential title run. Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija will join Madison Bumgarner to form an excellent top of the rotation, and the lineup should benefit from having a healthy Hunter Pence to team with perennial MVP candidate Buster Posey.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

They still have the best pitcher in baseball in Clayton Kershaw and a ton of money to try to add pieces as the year goes on, but the Dodgers’ rotation gets shaky after Kershaw, and there are plenty of questions about the lineup. Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Utley and Carl Crawford aren’t getting any younger, and healthy has been an issue for Justin Turner and Yasmani Grandal. If Yasiel Puig doesn’t return to form and Corey Seager doesn’t live up to the hype, this team could be in trouble. The front office should spend their way into playoff contention, but a division crown is no lock.

3. Arizona Cardinals

Armed with Paul Goldschmidt and new addition Zack Greinke, the Diamondbacks have a legit star in the middle of their lineup and atop their rotation. They also have the makings of one of the best offensive outfields, especially if A.J. Pollock builds off of what he did last season. Meanwhile, Shelby Miller should be a solid No. 2 option behind Greinke, and if they Diamondbacks can get respectable seasons from the rest of their starters, it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see them overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers and contend for a playoff spot.

4. San Diego Padres

The Padres aren’t completely devoid of talent by any means, but they do need a lot to go right if they are going to be anything more than an afterthought in the NL West. Wil Myers and Matt Kemp have to stay healthy all year, and Melvin Upton Jr. has to carry over the momentum he built at the end of last season. On the mound, James Shields has to provide a stable No. 2 option behind Tyson Ross, and even then, Andrew Cashner and Drew Pomeranz have to put together solid seasons. The chances of all those things coming together are slim, and a tough division won’t make things any easier.

5. Colorado Rockies

Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon form the core of a potentially explosive lineup, but it probably won’t matter how many runs the Rockies score, considering the state of the pitching staff. Jorge De La Rosa is in line to be the “ace” of the staff, and he had a 4.17 ERA last season. The bullpen isn’t any better, and at the end of the day, Colorado is simply going to give up too many runs to be a threat in 2016.

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