Our MLB 2015 Predictions Simulation From MLB 15: The Show
NL West
2015 MLB Standings
- Dodgers 85-77
- y-Diamondbacks 83-79
- Rockies 80-82
- Padres 80-82
- Giants 65-97
“y” denotes Wildcard spot.
There’s not a whole lot to dislike about the NL West. The Dodgers spend their hundreds of millions to procure a division pennant, the Diamondbacks squeak into the playoffs ever so slightly and the Giants are the worst team in baseball. Every other year, indeed. As the hearts of those who first donned a Giants cap in 2010 weep, 4 of the division’s 5 teams performed amicably. You’ll see why soon enough, as a lot of dubious trades and madcap happenings are home to the NL West during the 2015 MLB season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Here is the Dodgers rotation: Andrew Cashner, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Zack Greinke, Brett Anderson and Brandon McCarthy. Yes, that is a wide variety of pitching talents from different teams, converging in just one NL West team. Better yet for the Dodgers, they all played oustanding, with ERA’s of 3.05, 3.09, 2.83, 2.69 and 2.76, respectively. They pitched 27 complete games between them! All pitched above 210 innings! There were 912 strikeouts between them! Everything here should indicate the best team in baseball, just by the pitching stats.
Unfortunately, you can’t win if you can’t score, so while the Dodgers kept runs at bay, the batters themselves were also driven back. Outside of Adrian Gonzalez (41 HR, 116 RBI, .309/.356/.553) and Yasiel Puig (38 HR, 110 RBI, 14 SB, .281/.346/.563), the rest of the team was rather disappointing. The core batters of Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier showed in their respective ages, not completing full seasons while slipping in performances. It was still enough to make the playoffs, but not in an overwhelming fashion.
Next: Arizona Diamondbacks