The NL West is full of big pitching names like Clayton Kershaw, Noah Syndergaard, and Yu Darvish. Here’s how the rotations rank in what should be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball in 2023…
Best projected rotation in the NL West: San Francisco Giants
- Logan Webb
- Alex Cobb
- Sean Manaea
- Ross Stripling
- Alex Wood
It really seems like the Giants could pull some random “John Smith” from the stands, put them on the mound, teach them a few things, and then witness him dominate the opposing hitters. A huge reason for the sustained success is that pitching coach Andrew Bailey is a certified genius. The Giants have a solid rotation 1-5 this year. There really isn’t a weak link in the mix for them. Webb and Cobb had dominant seasons a year ago. Manea is a solid veteran that will most likely keep his ERA under 4, and Ross Stripling had the best season of his career last year. If Alex Wood can stay healthy, this might be one of the hardest rotations to face in the MLB.
2nd best-projected rotation in the NL West: San Diego Padres
- Yu Darvish
- Blake Snell
- Michael Wacha
- Nick Martinez
- Seth Lugo
The Padres are absolutely stacked. Their lineup will be one of if not the best in baseball, and their rotation aint half bad either. You want to hear something crazy? The highest ERA out of these 5 pitchers from a season ago; Seth Lugo, 3.60. Do you know how deflating that will be for opposing teams coming into a series? Knowing that the worst starting pitcher they might face had a 3.60 ERA from a year ago. Crazy! Oh yeah, just wait until they get Joe Musgrove back too!
3rd best-projected rotation in the NL West: LA Dodgers
- Clayton Kershaw
- Julio Urias
- Noah Syndergaard
- Dustin May
- Ryan Pepiot
This ranking comes with some asterisks (haha, see what I did there?). The Dodgers are down two of their best starters; Walker Buehler and Tony Gonsolin. Even without them, this is a solid rotation, but with them, it is probably the best in all of baseball. Kershaw will lead the way with his career ERA of 2.48. Free-agent signing Noah Syndergaard should provide a much-needed spark in the middle of the rotation and Julio Urias looks to build off an unreal 2022.
4th best-projected rotation in the NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks
- Zac Gallen
- Merrill Kelly
- Madison Bumgarner
- Zach Davies
- Ryne Nelson
The Diamondbacks have a really strong 1-2 punch in Gallen and Kelly, after that, the punches are a little weak. Madison Bumgarner has not been the pitcher for the D-backs that he was for the Giants. Zach Davies has always been solid but never elite, and the 5th spot in the rotation is still up for grabs but will likely go to Ryne Nelson who hasn’t pitched a full season in the bigs. A lot of questions face this Arizona rotation, but a lot of potential is on their side as well.
Worst projected rotation in the NL West: Colorado Rockies
- German Marquez
- Kyle Freeland
- Jose Urena
- Austin Gomber
- Connor Seabold
You almost have to feel a little sorry for any pitcher that has to pitch in the mile-high city for half of their season. It will be interesting to see how this rotation does during away games. German Marquez had a 6.70 ERA at home and a 3.43 ERA on the road last season. Kyle Freeland’s home ERA in 2022; 6.00. Kyle Freeland’s away ERA in 2022; 3.08. I think you get the picture. These pitchers could probably be elite elsewhere, but unfortunately for them, they are stuck pitching in Colorado.