NL West preview: D-Backs duo not enough
By Mile High Mouth
BaseballBigMouth.com baseball news
I regret that I have but one more in the NL West. I was hoping to weigh in on the D-Backs before Spring Break, but what can you do. So what do I think of the Diamondbacks? Let’s start at the beginning. The Diamondbacks had their third best season ever last year, and their best since Bob Melvin took the helm. It was also their first time in the playoffs since 2002. Some people might call me crazy, but I still don’t think they’ll take the top spot this season. The answer behind that is simple: the Colorado Rockies. Anyone who follows baseball would not find the next statement out of place. What the Rockies did last year defies all logic and reason. That’s part of what makes baseball great. However, the major reason I didn’t pick Arizona to win their division is because I saw the team that went all the way last year. They weren’t a very good team. So what did Arizona do in the off season to improve their chances?
Johnsons’ 4616 career K’s trail only Clemens, Ryan
For starters they still have their two best pitchers in their two top slots. Brandon Webb and Big Unit are an ominous duo. And believe it or not, Webb is to be more feared out of this duo. This is not to say Randy Johnson isn’t a phenomenal pitcher, but Webb has the better record of late. It could also be to his advantage that his isn’t on a larger stage than Johnson. Less pressure. More concentration on his game. Any number of things. The rest of the rotation is very impressive too. All the pitchers are in all the right spots. Pitching is definitely Arizona’s strongpoint this year.
The downside to having a stronger side? It means you must have a weaker side. The best betting average of the returning players belongs to Orlando Hudson. Hudson is good, but if he’s your best that’s not a good thing. In a market where clubs can afford to let go of batters with 20+ home runs, 10 isn’t close to competitive. Granted, Hudson doesn’t have the most home runs on the team, but these are things to consider. It’s also important to note that last year did not have a lot of Arizona’s best talent at the plate. Most of the players who are now in Arizona’s top ten records hold records for things like most plate appearances, or games. The management in Phoenix should hope that somewhere down in the farm league, or of the invitees, there is someone ready to break out for the D-Backs.
I’ve made this call before, but I’m making it again. I think the Padres are the team to beat in the NL West with the D-Backs as a close second. The thing is that the D-Backs are good on the pitching side, and weak on the hitting side. Anyone whose team has been lopsided before can tell you, it’s not to your advantage. Even someone who hates baseball could tell you that it’s probably a bad idea. However, I am not ruling out the D-Backs completely. They have enough fight to clench second for the NL West, and quite possibly the Wild Card spot.
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Photo used with permission of Early Era Baseball Photos.com