After taking home the National League West and the World Series shortly after, the Los Angeles Dodgers are once again the favorites to win their division.
They've made several key additions to get even better, but we can't ignore the growth of some other teams in this division as we look to get the full picture as to how this race will go.
Let's break down where each of the NL West teams stand and preview the MLB Futures market.
All odds via
DraftKings
as of February 21, 2025.
Los Angeles Dodgers Odds to Win (-450)
As you may suspect, the Dodgers are the clear favorites here. There's not much to expand on, honestly; the best team from a year ago has gotten even better with the additions of Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki in the rotation and will receive another unnecessary boost with Shohei Ohtani making his way back to the mound.
- This team was able to win the World Series a year ago despite several holes in the lineup and a wealth of injuries -- most notably losing Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow for the playoffs.
- Now, they've gained back some health and have re-tooled to go for yet another title.
With Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott coming to town, Michael Kopech will take his excellent form into a setup role after dominating in the late innings upon his arrival last year. Michael Conforto hit well in San Francisco and with the tutelage of the Dodgers' staff shouldn't be overlooked here. We'll get to see a full season of Tommy Edman, to boot.
If there are any holes here, they're in the same spots as last year which come at second and third base. Max Muncy and exciting Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim will have the first crack at shoring things up, but as we saw last year this team can easily trade from its organizational depth to upgrade at the deadline if they so choose.
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Arizona Diamondbacks
Odds to Win
(+550)
The Diamondbacks' offense, seen as a flash in the pan when they made it to the World Series two years ago, was excellent in 2024. They managed to couple a solid walk rate with their high-contact approach and speed on the bases, and they managed to sustain what had previously been sporadic power.
- So, things would theoretically set up nicely for the season ahead -- though you'll have to color me skeptical.
First of all, Corbin Carroll finished with very disappointing numbers and helped this team very little around a couple of hot stretches. Yes, it's good news that Arizona hit well in spite of him, but now Eugenio Suarez, Ketel Marte and Lourdes Gurriel are a year older and Joc Pederson is in Texas.
Can we trust this aging core to keep the offense afloat if Carroll continues to struggle? How do we rate Gabriel Moreno after an inauspicious start to his career at the dish? These are fair questions, and the addition of Josh Naylor is distracting many from the issues present.
The rotation does get better with Corbin Burnes, but he clearly declined last season and isn't the unbelievable ace he was in years' past. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly also took steps back, as did rising youngster Brandon Pfaadt. I just don't get this price.
San Diego Padres
Odds to Win
(+1000)
The Padres turned into a team I quite like last year, taking a contact-heavy approach and limiting the strikeouts. They didn't manage to walk much, or hit for power, but still finished sixth in wRC+ and could be a sleeper in 2025.
- San Diego, as was the case at this time last year, seems to have no idea what it's doing in the bottom half of its order, but that didn't prevent it from cobbling together good numbers last season.
The top four in this order are unquestionably good, and Jackson Merrill may be turning into one of the better hitters in the National League, but the Padres will need Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts to remember how to hit if they'd like to realize their full potential.
Still there's enough talent here on offense and the bullpen remains strong after last year's deadline. Nick Pivetta will also fit in quite nicely in a strikeout-focused rotation. Who knows.
San Francisco Giants
Odds to Win (+1800)
The Giants actually pieced together a great lineup last year, only to be dealt several huge blows in the injury department. They successfully resurrected Matt Chapman and turned him into a weapon, and they found some great contributions from post-hype prospects like Heliot Ramos and Luis Matos.
- Now that Jung Hoo Lee is healthy and Chapman is back on an extension, this team may have some juice -- and it's clear the front office recognizes that as well with the signing of Willy Adames.
This team has always had a knack for developing pitching, and that's most of the reason why I see plenty of promise here. Jordan Hicks had a good first year as a starter, all things considered, and Kyle Harrison has all the talent in the world which San Francisco should be able to tap into this year.
Colorado Rockies Odds to Win (+25000)
The Rockies caught fire for a bit last year, and it's a sign of things to come rather than a simple fluke. They've managed to put a good, young team on the field headlined by Brenton Doyle in the leadoff spot, and after coming back up from Triple-A, Michael Toglia was an on-base and slugging machine.
It's probably too early to say the Rockies can compete for the division, something that's especially true with its continued failure to develop pitching, but there's hope for this offense. Some journeymen seemed to find some success in Colorado last season, though, so who knows!
Best bet for the NL West Futures
You don't want to be staking all this money on the Dodgers, even with their title run a year ago, so why not take a shot?
The Giants had a rough first half, particularly at home, but by the end of the season figured out how to best play to their spacious ballpark. Chapman made serious gains, and Lee was good before going down. There's a ton to like about this team, and Adames is a bonafide stud at the plate who will fill a huge hole at shortstop.
This team checks most of the boxes for me. They're young and getting better offensively, and they develop pitching year after year. Why not?
Best Bet: Giants to win the NL West (+1800)
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