MLB NL West Report Card 2022
It was certainly high noon in the west this year. Some teams had a championship in mind, others wanted to take a big step forward. So with that said, let’s see which teams drawed wins out of their holster the best.
Los Angeles Dodgers (111-51): A
Arguably the most talented roster in baseball made history with their win total. A roster with Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, Will Smith and Mookie Betts would certainly win the World Series, right?
Well, not quite. The Dodgers couldn’t dodge their Padres in the postseason, falling in four games in the NLDS. The expectations were to win the World Series, but the Dodgers didn’t want to meet them.
The Dodgers are an organization that is full of history and any player would love to make it their home.
As long as the Dodgers are relevant, a ring is the goal, but with the departure of key players, it will be interesting to see how they approach the offseason.
San Diego Padres (89-73): A
A lot of fans wondered how the Padres would do this season after the news of Fernando Tatis Jr.'s injury, but they played very solid.
Great pitching from Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish helped keep the Padres in games, shutting down the opposing offense.
Manny Machado had a tremendous year, slashing a .298 batting average along with 32 home runs and 102 runs batted in. Machado is an MVP finalist this year, and it is well deserved after the season he had.
Picking up Juan Soto and Josh Bell helped make a great offense that much greater, and though Tatis will be out even longer due to a suspension, the lineup is in good hands.
San Francisco Giants (81-81): B-
San Francisco saw a gold rush in 2021, winning the division and ending with a 107-55 record. 2022 was quite the downfall. The renaissance turned into the dark ages as the magic ran out.
Carlos Rodon was a bright spot this season, throwing a 2.88 earned run average through 178 innings. Joc Pederson also had a good year, smashing 23 home runs.
Rodon most likely won’t be back in the bay area, but Pederson recently took the qualifying offer and is returning to Oracle Park in the spring.
The Giants have the 7th oldest roster in the league, so look for them to try to get younger and revamp the core.
Arizona Diamondbacks (74-88): C
The D-Backs just wanted to see some improvements after a 52 win season in 2021, and they did get quite a few this past season. Zac Gallen was the main bright spot as he made history late in the year.
Gallen had a franchise record 44.1 straight scoreless innings. He finished the year with a 2.54 ERA. Merrill Kelly was a solid two in the rotation with his 3.37 ERA.
Their young promising prospect, Corbin Carroll was called up later in the year and showed signs of promise in a small sample size.
Colorado Rockies (68-94): D+
The Rockies were supposed to get a tad better after they signed Kris Bryant long term, but no dice. He batted .306, but he didn’t stay healthy for much of the season.
C.J. Cron had a nice year, smacking 29 long balls with 102 RBIs. Other than that, the roster doesn’t really stand out in a competitive west.
The Rockies sit at 8th overall before the draft lottery, so they might get lucky with a great prospect.
Players love to hit homeruns, so Colorado might be a place that catches some eyes. As long as the Rockies are smart, they do have a chance to get back on their feet with the right moves.
Anthony Desher is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.