After a busy offseason in which the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants were often tied to the same free agents, there’s hardly an odds-on favorite to be crowned National League West champions in 2016.
PECOTA not only projected a fourth consecutive division title for the Dodgers, but also has them pacing the Majors in wins with a 97-65 record this season.
Should Los Angeles exceed more than 94 wins, it would be their highest total since they won 95 games in 2009. In five seasons with Don Mattingly as manager, the Dodgers best record was 94-68 in 2014.
While PECOTA is bullish on the Dodgers, oddsmakers and some analysts aren’t quite as sold. Their questions appear to be further warranted with news of Brett Anderson’s arthroscopic back surgery that will keep him out three to five months.
In the opinion of ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Giants will win the NL West division this season, and the Wild Card teams will be the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates:
Playoff picks. NL: SF, Cubs, WAS division winners, STL, PIT WC. AL: TB, KC, TEX, w/ NYY/HOU WC. Cubs over KC in the World Series.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 4, 2016
Adrian Gonzalez to exception to Olney’s prediction of the Dodgers missing the playoffs and proposed a friendly bet should they reach the postseason, which Olney appears open to:
@adrian_eltitan We will be in negotiations, sir.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 4, 2016
The Diamondbacks bolstered their starting rotation by signing Zack Greinke to a six-year, $206.5 million megadeal, then trading for young right-hander Shelby Miller. However, Arizona gutted their farm system, including trading 2015 No. 1 overall pick Dansby Swanson in the process of acquiring Miller.
San Francisco rebounded from being spurned by Greinke to sign Jeff Samardzija to a five-year, $90 million deal, and added Johnny Cueto on a six-year, $130 million contract. The Giants also signed center fielder Denard Span during the offseason.
While some may be down on the Dodgers’ prospects of winning the NL West this season, Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale and Giants skipper Bruce Bochy are not among them.
The Diamondbacks have won five NL West titles in their 18 seasons of existence, last sitting atop the division in 2011. The Giants most recently won the NL West in 2010 and 2012, which overlaps with their World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
The Dodgers’ first look at the Giants during the regular season comes on April 7 when they begin a four-game series at AT&T Park. Los Angeles will then face the Diamondbacks from April 12-14 at Dodger Stadium; with the April 12 game being the Dodgers’ home opener.
