Caleb Wilfinger
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Winter is turning to Spring and the 2023 Major League Baseball season is nearly here. Here at Pickswise we have a ton of content coming to get you primed, so make sure to keep an eye on our MLB tab heading up to Opening Day. With the season rapidly approaching, we are breaking down each MLB division and today we’ll be talking about the NL West.
To no one’s surprise, the Los Angeles Dodgers came out on top last year, followed by the San Diego Padres. The San Francisco Giants came in third, while the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies brought up the rear. The defending NL West champion Dodgers are favorites to repeat as division champs, while the Padres are right on their heels. This will be a fascinating division, so let’s break it all down and look at our best bet.
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NL West Division Winner Odds
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
- Los Angeles Dodgers (-115)
- San Diego Padres (+125)
- San Francisco Giants (+950)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (+4500)
- Colorado Rockies (+18000)
Los Angeles Dodgers (-115)
The Dodgers were baseball’s best team during the regular season last year and it appeared as if Los Angeles would roll through the National League en route to another World Series appearance. However, due to a few key injuries and poor situational hitting, the Dodgers bowed out to the San Diego Padres in the NLDS last October. What followed was a tumultuous offseason for Los Angeles, as they parted ways with Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner — integral pieces to previous Dodger teams. While some would still have Los Angeles as a World Series contender, I’m not nearly as optimistic about the Dodgers prospects given that their rotation is due for some regression and the lineup undoubtedly took a step back between offseason losses and a season-ending injury to Gavin Lux.
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San Diego Padres (+125)
In contrast to their rivals in Los Angeles, the Padres had a successful season last year and built on that momentum with another strong offseason. San Diego signed Xander Bogaerts, Seth Lugo and Nelson Cruz in free agency, while managing to retain Yu Darvish, Josh Hader, Manny Machado and many of its core pieces from past seasons. The Padres rotation is the healthiest its been in years and San Diego will also get a young superstar back into its everyday lineup at some point in Fernando Tatis Jr. This is a “prove-it” year for Tatis, and I expect him to have a terrific season to answer the critics following a disastrous 2022. The Padres upside is immense, especially with a full season of Juan Soto to look forward to. With a loaded lineup and rock solid rotation, San Diego is poised to unseat the Dodgers at the top of the NL West.
NL West Best Bet: San Diego Padres to win the division (+125)
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San Francisco Giants (+950)
After an outstanding 2021 season, the Giants regressed into being a middle of the pack National League West team in 2022. Don’t expect that to change much this season, as it’s hard to imagine San Francisco competing with the Padres or Dodgers at the top of the division. Offseason acquisitions for the Giants include Michael Conforto, Ross Stripling and Mitch Haniger — solid moves, but nothing that significantly moves the needle. I expect this team to be competitive because that’s typically emblematic of the Giants organization. However, I can’t see San Francisco making the playoffs in a loaded National League this year.
Arizona Diamondbacks (+4500)
Arizona has been in franchise purgatory for a while now, and while I don’t see that entirely changing this season, there is room for optimism for Diamondbacks fans. The rotation has Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, plus a revamped bullpen that includes Mark Melancon. Arizona has a ton of athletes in the lineup that can wreak havoc on the base paths, especially with the new defensive rules in place. The Snakes were also a top-10 team on defense in 2022, after finishing 6th in defensive runs saved last season. This still feels like a team that is another year or two away considering that their best pitching prospects are not quite ready for the big league level. However, Arizona will be a fun side to bet on a game-by-game basis throughout the spring and summer.
Colorado Rockies (+1800)
The Rockies were a mess last season, as Colorado finished with a record of 68-94. Colorado bottomed out thanks to poor decisions from its notoriously cheap ownership, which led to the worst product the Rockies have put on the field in some time. This season doesn’t look much better, but there’s hardly any value in placing a wager on their win total at the current price. However, one angle that I’ll be monitoring is the difference in how Colorado’s lineup performs at home, versus on the road. Even in an awful year a season ago, the Rockies still finished above .500 at Coors Field and could pose trouble for even the league’s best pitchers. With a 6-year streak of winning seasons at home, there should be chances to find value on the Rockies in certain spots.
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