Padres
The MLB season is a couple of weeks, and the NL West is already a packed division. After the NL East, this is the most competitive division in the NL.
In this article, I will highlight the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Click the image for live odds
The Dodgers are in second place in the NL West with a 9-10 record, but I would still bet on them to win the division. Los Angeles may have lost Trea Turner and Justin Turner in free agency, but they have maintained most of their roster from last season.
The Dodgers lineup consists of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, J.D. Martinez, Max Muncy, Chris Taylor, and Will Smith. This is one of the best lineups in baseball and can cause problems on any given night. The Dodgers also have three reliable starters in Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, and Julio Urias.
Kershaw is still dominant on the mound, and May and Urias have been holding it down.
2023 MLB odds: NL Weast
- Los Angeles Dodgers: 94-68
- San Diego Padres: 91-71
- San Francisco Giants: 88-74
- Arizona Diamondbacks: 79-83
- Colorado Rockies: 61-101
The Padres are off to a slow start and have a 9-11 record. Their lineup is off to a slow start but will be unstoppable when they get going. San Diego has Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Nelson Cruz, and Xander Bogaerts.
The Padres should be crushing the ball and destroying opposing pitchers night in and night out. It is only a matter of time until they return to form. The Padres pitching is not as strong as their hitting, but they still have Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Seth Lugo. This group will not win the division, but they will finish in a Wild Card spot.
The Diamondbacks are in first place in the NL West with an 11-8 record. They will probably slow down with time but are hot right now. The Diamondbacks have some strong hitters in Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Corbin Carroll.
This is not an exceptional group of hitters, but they can hit for a few runs. The Diamondbacks success has come more from their pitching. Arizona has four consistent starters in Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Ryne Nelson, and Drey Jameson. These starters will be the key to Arizona’s success or failure. It will be an uphill battle for Arizona, but they can take a Wild Card spot.
Drop your NL West predictions. Where are the Dodgers finishing? Who's winning the division this season?https://t.co/8x7yneHn2p
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) March 28, 2023
The Squatchpicks.com simulation model, which simulates every Baseball game thousands’ of times, is up +31.45 units over the last three years. We have released 249 total games with 136 WINS and 113 losses for a win % of 54.62%. A $100 bettor of our MLB would have netted a profit of $3,145 and, a $1,000 bettor would have won $31,400. We have released only a handful of MLB games so far this season. Now is the time to sign-up and start winning.
| Title: NL West Predictions
| Author: Max Heering
| Date: April 21, 2023
