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The Los Angeles Dodgers have won four straight National League West titles. In 2017, they’re favored to make it five in a row.

Of course, the Dodgers know as well as anyone about beating the odds. Last season, Los Angeles took the division crown despite dealing with myriad injuries -- even Clayton Kershaw, who previously seemed indestructible, was limited to 21 starts. The Dodgers nonetheless found a way, though it wasn’t all their doing. The San Francisco Giants’ unreliable bullpen nearly cost them a playoff spot, and paved the way for them to blow an eight-game division lead in a little over a month’s time. 

Team 2016 W-L Run diff Pyth W-L 1-run W-L
Dodgers 91-71 +87 90-72 22-20
Giants 87-75 +84 90-72 28-27
Rockies 75-87 -15 80-82 12-20
Diamondbacks 69-93 -138 69-93 22-17
Padres 68-94 -84 73-89 19-31

The rest of the division, meanwhile, was far enough back to operate in their own little world. The Colorado Rockies showed promise, complete with an intriguing young rotation and an excitable offense. Sure, the Rockies finished below .500, but they were the closest thing the NL West had outside of Los Angeles to a feel-good story. The Arizona Diamondbacks were a major disappointment, one whose offseason win-now gambles failed to pay off. A team who knows a thing or two about that, the San Diego Padres, held down the power button on their own competitive aspirations until they achieved a system reset.

What does 2017 hold? Probably more of the same. The Dodgers are expected to maintain their grasp on the NL West, according to SportsLine and various Las Vegas bookmakers. The Giants are the closest thing the Dodgers have to a threat, while the Rockies occupy the division’s middle ground, separating the contenders from the non-contenders. With some luck, the Rockies could make this a three-team race -- perhaps we’re a year ahead of ourselves with that thought, however. Then there’s the rebuilding Padres and the soon-to-be-rebuilding Diamondbacks, who are expected to jockey for draft position.

Team SportsLine Proj. wins Westgate Over/Under SportsLine Div. odds
 Westgate Div. odds SportsLine Post. odds
Dodgers 93.2 94.5 59.8% 1/3 84.8%
Giants 90.7 87.5 38.0% 13/4 74.0%
Rockies 78.0 80.5 1.7% 12/1 7.5%
Padres 72.1 67.5 0.2% 200/1 1.1%
Diamondbacks 71.4 77.5 0.2% 20/1 0.9%

Perhaps the most surprising aspect here -- and again, the division as a whole is projected to remain mostly stable -- is SportsLine’s expectation that the Padres will slightly outplay the Diamondbacks. The former has some exciting young talent on the way, but the Diamondbacks’ core is much better than their 2016 win total suggests.

Is it likely that Zack Greinke, Paul Goldschmidt, and A.J. Pollock lead Arizona to a division crown? No . Still, take those three and add in Robbie Ray, Jake Lamb, David Peralta, and there’s more talent here than these projections might realize. Obviously it’s possible the Diamondbacks engage in an in-season tear-down once summer rolls around, but until then Arizona seems misplaced at the bottom. 

Now that we’ve covered the division as a whole, here’s more on each team to get you ready for 2017.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Jonah Keri wrote in late January that the Dodgers are well set up to give the Cubs a run at NL supremacy in 2017 and beyond. Matt Snyder previewed the Dodgers and their quest to get over the hump and finally return to the World Series. Scott White took a look at the Dodgers’ Fantasy outlook, including the effect of Logan Forsythe joining the lineup.

San Francisco Giants

Snyder questioned whether the Giants have the depth to win the division. White previewed the Giants’ Fantasy outlook, expressing concern about San Francisco’s lack of power and big-league-ready prospects. 

Colorado Rockies

We labeled the Rockies a potential sleeper, due to their lineup depth and promising young rotation. White detailed the Rockies’ Fantasy outlook and concluded much the same -- noting that there’s finally hope in the mountains when a Colorado pitcher takes the mound.

San Diego Padres

Snyder deemed the Padres “worth watching” due to their young talent -- a perk that should distract from the losses San Diego is certain to pile up. White, writing the Padres’ Fantasy outlook, wasn’t as optimistic -- calling the roster “bleak” beyond Wil Myers. 

Arizona Diamondbacks

Snyder sought out reason for optimism in the desert, highlighting the D-Backs’ poor defense as a major cause for their disappointing 2016. White talked about the Diamondbacks’ Fantasy outlook, as players are likely to delight in having Goldschmidt, Pollock, or Greinke on their rosters.