The turning point in what had been a one-sided rivalry came on a rainy October Saturday night when Petco Park shook as the Padres rallied to beat the Dodgers 5-3 and win the NLDS in four games. The Padres lost the NLCS to Philadelphia in five games.
Shockingly, the Padres will have a bigger payroll than the Dodgers, who have won nine of the last 10 NL West titles. San Diego's projected payroll of $255 million will rank third behind only the New York Mets and Yankees.
The Dodgers sat out the free agent frenzy while losing All-Star Trea Turner and letting stalwarts Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner go. Additionally, they have some key injuries going into opening day. The Padres haven't won the NL West since 2006 and haven't been to the World Series since being swept by the New York Yankees in 1998.“It is a good division. It has been for a number of years," said, who's heading into his 16th season."The Diamondbacks have gotten better. Their rotation’s good. They’ve got some guys who can really hit. The Giants as well, but obviously the Padres. They beat us last year in the playoffs. They have a good team. We like our chances, though.”1.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks appear to be on the upswing but will need a lot of improvement and a little luck to catch the free-spending Padres and Dodgers. They have a young, speedy outfield with Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy and a strong top of the rotation that includes Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Carroll has played just 32 games in the big leagues but, and he’s among the betting favorites to win NL Rookie of the Year.
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