NL West Archives | Baseball Essential

National League West X factors for 2020

Mar 19, 2020

Major League Baseball, National League West, Opinions & Predictions

What players can move the needle for their respective teams in the 2020 Major League Baseball season? Here are X factors for every team in the National League West. Los Angeles Dodgers: Julio Urias Clayton Ke...

The Diamondbacks Were Always This Talented, Recent Surge Only Proves It

Tom Dorsa

Sep 9, 2019

Arizona Diamondbacks, Major League Baseball, Opinions & Predictions, Statistics

The Arizona Diamondbacks really don't belong here. The club sits at 75-68, just a game and a half out of the second and final National League Wild Card position, despite trading their best pitcher, Zack Greinke...

MLB: The Padres and White Sox are Mirror Images of Each Other

Robbie Stratakos

Aug 30, 2019

Chicago White Sox, Major League Baseball, Opinions & Predictions, San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox are touted as two Major League Baseball clubs on the rise, albeit they project to miss the playoffs this season. But these two MLB teams have a lot more in common than...

Starting Pitching Woes Have Brought the Colorado Rockies Back to Square One

Robbie Stratakos

Jul 18, 2019

Colorado Rockies, Opinions & Predictions

The Colorado Rockies (46-50) have been the biggest disappointment in Major League Baseball this season, and their starting rotation is the direct culprit. Last season, German Marquez totaled 230 strikeouts a...

First-Time All-Star Ketel Marte Enjoying Breakout Season with D-Backs

Quinn Allen

Jun 29, 2019

Arizona Diamondbacks, Statistics

On Thursday, the starting lineups for the American League and National League teams were named for the Midsummer Classic that will take place on Tuesday, July 9 at Progressive Field in Cleveland. While a lot of...

Kyle Freeland Will be the Death or Resurrection of the Colorado Rockies

Robbie Stratakos

Jun 14, 2019

Colorado Rockies, Major League Baseball, Opinions & Predictions

The Colorado Rockies were considered a threat to win the World Series in spring training, and now there's doubt concerning whether they will even make the playoffs. If they're going to return to the postseason ...

Hit Man: D-Backs’ Tim Locastro Ties Record for Getting Plunked in a Game

Tom Gibbons

May 25, 2019

Arizona Diamondbacks, Headlines, Major League Baseball

The San Francisco Giants were getting shelled Friday night, and, as often happen in these affairs, an opposing batter could expect to "wear it." So when Tim Locastro came to the plate in the seventh inning with...

The San Diego Padres are Going to be the Next Big Thing in MLB

Robbie Stratakos

May 15, 2019

Major League Baseball, Opinions & Predictions, San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are on the rise, and the rest of Major League Baseball should take notice. Going into spring training there was one individual attracting the bulk of attention at Padres camp: Manny Mach...

Cody Bellinger’s Epic Start is Giving the Dodgers the Invincible Bat They Need

Robbie Stratakos

May 8, 2019

Los Angeles Dodgers, Opinions & Predictions

Cody Bellinger isn't going to be hitting above .400 in September, but his emphatic start to the 2019 season has featured much more than a simple home run threat. And if the heroics continue at a reasonable rate...

The San Francisco Giants Have Become a Black Hole

Robbie Stratakos

Apr 30, 2019

Opinions & Predictions, San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants have become a black hole. Yes, the team that has won the most World Series in Major League Baseball in the current decade (three) has a murky road ahead. And for their sake, it's dif...

Tagged NL West