Dodgers: How the league’s strongest division will impact the NL Champs

4. San Francisco Giants:

2017 Record:  64-98

My Predicted Record for 2018: 72-90

The San Francisco Giants intrigue me. In 2016, they nearly won the division, ending the season only 4 games back of the Dodgers, and they made it to the NLDS, a series in which they lost to the eventual World Champion Chicago Cubs. In 2017, after losing Madison Bumgarner to the DL in April, the Giants finished last in the league.

Though the loss of Bumgarner hurt the Giants, it wasn’t the only reason they failed to finish above .500. The Giants lost their way in 2017. They didn’t hit, and their pitching was not consistent. The Giants seem headed for a rebuild.

At this point, it seems inevitable.

Then again, the Giants could follow the rebuilding style of the Yankees, and rebuild without falling out of contention completely. The addition of Evan Longoria, who the Giants acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays just before Christmas, will help. The Giants, in all possibility, will be better in 2018.

Still, I am not fully convinced that the Giants will have a lasting impact on the Dodgers’ season. Opening Day will be exciting, with the Rivalry heading to Dodger Stadium on March 29th, but fans have grown to expect nothing less.

The Giants, like the Padres, are fully capable of playing great baseball, and with the addition of another starter, and a few more arms in the pen, they’ll get there.

The question for the Giants now is not if, but when.