Los Angeles Dodgers: Predicting the 2019 NL West standings
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the National League West six years in a row and counting and the division will be slightly different in 2019.
The National League West was arguably the best division in baseball two years ago when the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks were all in the postseason. Last year saw the NL West field two teams still but many are calling this year’s version of the division weak.
The jury on the division as a whole will be out after we have enough of a sample size to judge. One thing we do know heading into the year is that the division is going to be slightly different because of the players that have shifted around.
Here are our complete NL West predictions for 2019.
5. San Francisco Giants — 68-94
This is music to every Dodger fans’ ears. The San Francisco Giants coming in last place in the National League West.
The Giants have fallen from being a playoff team rather quickly despite having some of the same core pieces intact in San Francisco. You would think the team would be better with Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Madison Bumgarner but that is not the case.
The starting pitching is shaky, the bullpen is atrocious and there is a realistic chance that Bumgarner gets moved at some point this season. The outfield is the worst in baseball and the Giants simply aren’t deep enough to get even close to .500.
They might not be the worst team in the league but they will be the worst team in the National League, which is not the best send-off for retiring manager, Bruce Bochy.