Dodgers
Strength - Anytime you have a rotation featuring the best pitcher in baseball Clayton Kershaw and a former Cy Young Winner in Zack Greinke you are dangerous.
Kershaw is clearly the best pitcher in all of baseball. Greinke had another great season on the mound. Hun Jin Ryu is an excellent third started and the addition of Brandon McCarthy will help the rotation even more.
Weakness - The Dodgers always make the playoffs but have been bounced year after year. With a top payroll and all this talent we need to see more from the Dodgers in the playoffs.
Wild Card Players - Jimmy Rollins is a former MVP and Rollins can contribute to this lineup. I think
the move to a contender can definitely rejuvenate him. Joc Pederson may finally get the chance to be in the Dodgers starting lineup. Pederson is a top prospect and a highly touted player. Pederson can potentially bring an impact along the lines of what Yasiel Puig brought when he emerged.
Strength - Once again the Giants have a talented and veteran pitching rotation. The Giants have pitchers who are proven winners and guys who can eat up innings. The Giants have post season legend Madison Bumgarner. They also have Matt Cain coming back from injury. The Giants also have veterans Jake Peavy , Tim Hudson , and Ryan Vogelsong. They also have Tim Lincecum and Yusmeiro Petit. Of the three Vogelsong , Lincecum , and Petit two of them will most likely contribute from the bullpen. The Giants have starters who can produce as starters who can be comfortable pitching from the bullpen.
Weakness - The Giants will never have the best lineup we know that. However they always find a way to win and be competitive. The Giants will have to scrap runs together even more this season as they lost Pablo Sandoval and Mike Morse.
Wild Card Players - Tim Lincecum showed us flashes of him being the freak last years. This can be the year he fully reinvents himself as a starter or it can be the year he moves to the bullpen. If he were to make the move to the pen I think we can see many benefits from this. Lincecum has shown us in the postseason how good he can be in the role.
Strengths - The Padres lineup is greatly improved and so has the starting rotation. The Padres added to the outfield and now have Justin Upton , Matt Kemp , and Will Myers. The Padres also have a strong rotation with Andrew Cashner , Tyson Ross and James Shields.
Weakness - The Padres are taking a gamble. They made some big moves and will rely on some new players to make big strides. We have seen these teams fail in the past but the Padres have as good a shot as any.
Wild Card Players - Jedd Gyorko had a down year last year. Middle infield power is rare and we have seen him put up big numbers in the past. Gyorko will need to bounce back because the Padres can not just rely on the new additions. Andrew Cashner is proving how good he can be. The main concern is
his health. The Padres need him to be healthy.
Diamondbacks
Strengths - The Diamondbacks have one of the best players in baseball in Paul Goldschmidt. He is a
monster bat and is young. He is ready for another great season. Mark Trumbo is another power bat
and he can protect Paul Goldschmidt.
Weakness - The Diamondbacks are really weak in their starting rotation. The Diamondbacks rotation consists of a lot of cast offs and pitchers who are 4's and 5's. Jeremy Hellickson will need to really bounce back and return to form.
Wild Card Players - Aaron Hill is a former all star and he has had big seasons in his own right. Hill has had some down years and injuries but the D'backs need a healthy year from him. The same can be said from former AL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson.
Rockies
Strengths - The Rockies have one of the most powerful lineups in baseball. Troy Tulowitzki is the best shortstop in baseball of course the Rockies need him to stay healthy. Charlie Blackmon and
Corey Dickerson had monster breakout seasons and so did Nolan Arenado. Justin Morneau won the batting title. Carlos Gonzalez when healthy is one of the best players in baseball and the Rockies lineup will be even better if he can play a full year.
Weakness - The Rockies play in the thin air and the ball flys out of the park. The Rockies pitching is never their strong suite. Jorge De La Rosa will be the ace of the staff and he too has battled injuries. The Rockies will rely on some questionable pitchers in both their bullpen and rotation.
Wild Card Players - When healthy Carlos Gonzalez is one of the best players in baseball. If the Rockies can keep him in the lineup the entire year they will have one of the best lineups in all of baseball.
Peter Vitella
@realpete13
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