MLB Storylines Halfway Through the Season || Final Part || NL West

Edition #118

Intro:

We head into the final part of our series, MLB Storylines Halfway Through the Season. The NL West will be the final division we review.

Let’s get it.

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers:

Yes. It is incredibly surprising that this team hasn’t won 60 games yet. After all, they’ve spent a billion dollars in the offseason.

But, reality struck. Injuries are everywhere for this team. Yamamoto, May, Kershaw (UPDATE: Off the IL. I found out at about 11 P.M. EST), Muncy, Betts, Brasier, Graterol, and more players are currently on the IL. That’s a hella lot and it’s incredibly impacting how they’re playing.

They’re struggling right now, even if they just won the series against the Red Sox. The thing is, they’re going to make the postseason. That’s how bad this NL West division is. Will they survive in October is once again the question.

The Dodgers must be aggressive at the deadline if they want to win it all.

ONE THING TO NOTE: This team is second in the league for the amount of extra-inning games played this season.

Arizona Diamondbacks

This team should be great. They’re coming off a World Series loss, they’re coming off a flurry of moves made by their GM, and they should be great.

But, for some reason, they’re 7 games behind the Dodgers and have the same amount of wins as the Padres who shouldn't be doing that good.

The Diamondbacks are doing that good versus teams in the East which is a bit of a problem as this is the wild card picture right now. Brewers, Braves, Cardinals, and Mets. They also have a huge problem with teams over .500, having a losing record.

This team absolutely needs to improve at the deadline or else things are going to go off the rails.

ONE THING TO NOTE: This team does not do good against lefties.

San Diego Padres

Tatis and Machado are mashing as they should be, but this is still a great season for the Padres which is above expectations.

Nothing really to talk about this team. They weren’t/aren’t supposed to be playoff contenders. I know they want to compete, though. They just shouldn’t do anything dumb which includes: sacrificing prospects for big-name players.

ONE THING TO NOTE: This team is good in extra-inning games, losing only one contest.

San Francisco Giants

They couldn’t land Correa or Ohtani, but they did land Snell and Chapman.

These guys are performing just like how they should perform especially Chapman.

Chapman is a career .240 hitter, he’s hitting .240.

Hence, it’s Farhan Zaidi’s fault or just the Giants luck. Heliot Ramos is something else right now (amazing), but he’s not enough to push this injured Giants team to the postseason.

ONE THING TO NOTE: This team is better in day games than night games.

Colorado Rockies.

You know, there is a guy who’s doing good on this team. That person is Ryan McMahon.

ONE THING TO NOTE: They’re good in extra inning games?