The Arizona Diamondbacks are on an impressive run, winning six straight games, 20 of 25 since the All-Star break, and 30 of 40 since late June. This kind of performance would usually be enough to take charge of the NL West. But it’s not that simple.
The NL West features three of baseball’s hottest teams right now: the Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
With around 40 games left in the season, this division race is shaping up to be the most exciting, featuring stars like Shohei Ohtani, Manny Machado, and Ketel Marte facing off regularly.
“We’re very aware of it,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts about his team’s shrinking lead last week. “I’d be lying if I said no one’s watching the scoreboard and appreciating how good the rest of the teams in our division are playing. That just puts the onus on us to play good baseball.”
The Dodgers, who have won the division in 10 of the past 11 years, seemed on track for another title by mid-June. They boast a strong lineup with Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, and a solid rotation led by Tyler Glasnow.
However, Betts missed a month and a half with a broken left hand, which impacted the team’s performance. This allowed the D-backs and Padres to gain ground.
Both the Padres and the D-backs have been exceptionally strong since the All-Star break, with San Diego holding a 19-4 record and Arizona at 20-5. The Dodgers have a 15-9 record in the same period but are struggling to maintain their lead in the division.
As of Thursday, the Padres (69-53) and D-backs (69-53) are just two games behind the Dodgers (71-51). Get ready for an intense finish.
“It’s fun to be a part of, a lot of hard work goes into it,” D-backs slugger Joc Pederson said about his team’s success. “Everybody comes to the field every day prepared to do their thing to help the team win. It’s a powerful thing when you’ve got all the guys pulling on the same string.”
The Dodgers still have a lot of talent. Betts has returned from his injury with strong performances, adding power and speed to the lineup. Los Angeles also brought in right-hander Jack Flaherty through a trade, and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is back, joining Glasnow and Gavin Stone in the rotation.
“I think the biggest thing for us is we’re getting some guys back,” Kershaw said. “We’re getting our lineup the way we want it. We’re getting some guys — starter-wise, reliever-wise, everything — we’re having our team look like what we want our team to look like.
“I think you’ll see us kind of start to take off here pretty soon.” They need to, because the Padres and D-backs are closing in fast.
The Padres have been a frustrating team in recent years, with high-priced talent but mixed results. However, this year’s team has been strong.
Jurickson Profar is having a standout season, and All-Star rookie Jackson Merrill is also performing well, joining veterans like Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and David Peralta.
Right-hander Joe Musgrove has looked good in his recent return, helping a rotation that includes Dylan Cease, Michael King, and the recently acquired Martín Pérez.
“I am going to give it everything I have as long as they will allow me to hold the ball out there,” Musgrove said. “Me being healthy down the stretch is a big part of this team.”
And then there are the D-backs. After making a surprising trip to the World Series last year, they started this season slowly with a 39-43 record on June 29. Since then, they’ve been 30-10, boasting one of MLB’s top offenses and a starting rotation that’s getting healthier.
Marte is having a season worthy of MVP consideration, and players like Jake McCarthy have been making significant contributions. NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll is also improving after a tough start to the season.
New additions such as first baseman Josh Bell and reliever A.J. Puk have performed well, and even rookies like Adrian Del Castillo are making important plays.
Three strong teams are competing for one division title. With six weeks of baseball left,
“I love where this team’s at,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “I don’t want to get too far ahead of things. We try to stay present. Try to stay humble. We go out there to do our best every day and go 1-0.
“We’re a really good baseball team. And when we do things right, we can get on this type of run.”
