6. Diamondbacks, Padres and Rockies try to break the monopoly
Technically speaking, the National League West is a five-team division. But if you’ve only been following it since 2012, we wouldn’t blame you for thinking otherwise.
To say that the Dodgers and Giants have owned the NL West is like saying President Trump enjoys the occasional tweet pic.twitter.com/yHqS1ppnGw
— Sportsnaut (@Sportsnaut) March 31, 2017
For some perspective, consider the following points.
One, the NL West is the only division in baseball to send only two teams to the playoffs in the last five years. Other than the National League East and American League Central, every other division has sent four.
Two, in that five-year span, only five teams have failed to post a winning record: the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins, and Philadelphia Phillies. Three of those teams occupy the NL’s western division.
That kind of futility gives the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers a tremendous advantage. Getting to play so many games against teams that can’t ever crack 82 wins gives the division’s second-place team a tremendous leg up in the Wild Card hunt.
Technically speaking, San Francisco edging Los Angeles would be a shakeup. The Dodgers have won the division in each of the last four seasons. But really, these are two of the best teams in baseball. Them finishing 1-2 in either order would be far from a shakeup. The shakeup will come when one of those other three teams steps up to at least challenge these two.
Can it happen in 2017?