Troy Tulowitzki and the Rockies hope to wrestle the NL West title from the Dodgers.
(Creative Commons)

NL WEST

Colorado Rockies

2009 Record: 92-70 (2nd)

2009 Recap: The 2009 Rockies were a team of streaks, literally. They started the season just 18-28 before the firing of then-manager Clint Hurdle seemed to light a fire under them. Jim Tracy was named interim manager and, from that point, Colorado played the best ball of anyone in the National League finishing the season 22 games over .500 and winning the NL Wild Card.

Playing in the thin air of Coors Field, power is usually a big part of a Rockies offense and last season was no exception. The Rockies had four players with 20 or more home runs, led by rising-star Troy Tulowitzki with 32. But the Rockies hitters also showed their patience at the plate drawing a league-high 660 walks.

Key Additions:
-Miguel Olivo, C
-Melvin Mora, 3B

Key Losses:
-Jason Marquis, RHP
-Garrett Atkins, 3B
-Matt Murton, OF
-Yorvit Torrealba, C

2010 Prediction: First place.
 
Colorado has a ton of speed in the outfield with Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez. They should set the table nicely for the likes of Tulowitzki, Todd Helton and Brad Hawpe, putting the Rockies near the top of the league in run production again.
 
The potential return of left-hander Jeff Francis will help make up for the loss of Jason Marquis to free agency and put the rotation in good shape. The bullpen should also be a strong point after the Rockies re-signed Rafael Betancourt to help bridge the gap to Franklin Morales and closer Huston Street, who starts the season on the disabled list but should be back next week.

Los Angeles Dodgers

2009 Record: 95-67 (1st)

2009 Recap: The Dodgers picked up right where they left off in 2008. Manager Joe Torre rode a mix of young talent and savvy veterans to a second consecutive division crown and back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 1995-96. But it was the same old story for the Blue Crew in October as they fell to the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS.

Despite the lack of success in the playoffs, the Dodgers had plenty brag about. Even without the services of maligned slugger Manny Ramirez for 50 games, the Dodgers still managed to lead the National League in team batting average and on-base percentage. That was due in large part to Ramirez's fill-in, Juan Pierre, who excelled in his new role, batting over .300 and showing some of his speed of old with 30 stolen bases.

On the mound, Jonathan Broxton showed everyone he was ready to take over for former closer Takashi Saito, posting a 2.61 ERA while converting 36 of 42 save opportunities and making his first All-Star appearance.
 
Key Additions:
-Jamey Carroll, INF
-Garret Anderson, OF
-Reed Johnson, OF

Key Losses:
-Randy Wolf, LHP
-Orlando Hudson, 2B
-Juan Pierre, OF
-Jon Garland, RHP

2010 Prediction: Second place.
 
The Dodgers return nearly every player from the NLCS team of a season ago, but that doesn't mean they will produce the same result.

They have a glaring hole at second base with the departure of All-Star Orlando Hudson to Minnesota. The Boys in Blue will have to rely on up-and-comer Blake DeWitt and utility infielder Jamey Carroll to solidify the right side of the defense.

Without a proven ace in the starting rotation, the Dodgers will need another masterful coaching performance out of pitching mastermind Rick Honeycutt to get the most out of what they have. If Clayton Kershaw can develop into the top-of-the-rotation guy everyone expects him to be, the Dodgers may have a chance.

Arizona Diamondbacks

2009 Record: 70-92 (5th)
 
2009 Recap: Arizona was another team that fired their manager midseason. But one of the youngest managers in baseball, A.J. Hinch, couldn't replicate the magic that his counterpart from Colorado, Jim Tracy, did. That was due in large part to all of the injuries the team suffered, most notably the loss of sinker-ball extraordinaire Brandon Webb to season-ending shoulder surgery.

The Diamondbacks also had problems on offense. With so many feast-or-famine hitters in the lineup, they struggled to score runs consistently. They led the majors in strikeouts with nearly 1,300 whiffs and ranked in the bottom third in runs, hits and batting average.

Key Additions:
-Edwin Jackson, RHP
-Bobby Howry, RHP
-Adam LaRoche, 1B
-Kelly Johnson, 2B

Key Losses:
-Max Scherzer, RHP
-Doug Davis, LHP
-Eric Byrnes, OF

2010 Prediction: Third place.
 
With the addition of Edwin Jackson to a rotation that also includes the likes of Webb and Dan Haren, starting pitching should not be a problem for Arizona.
 
The bullpen, well, that's a different story. They struggled last year to close games and, without a proven closer, 2010 looks to bring more of the same.

If Justin Upton continues to improve and the rest of the team can be more patient at the plate, the Diamondbacks will be vastly improved over a season ago.

San Francisco Giants

2009 Record: 88-74 (3rd)

2009 Recap: Tim Lincecum continued to show the world why he is one of the best young pitchers in the game, snagging his second straight Cy Young after finishing in the top three in the league in nearly every major statistical category. But it wasn't pitching that held the Giants back, it was scoring runs.

San Francisco's lone bright spot on offense was Pablo Sandoval who hit .330 on the season, second only to Hanley Ramirez in the NL. But the rest of the team struggled as the Giants ranked second to last in the NL in home runs and scored the fifth fewest runs.

Key Additions:
-Mark DeRosa, UTIL
-Aubrey Huff, 1B

Key Losses:
-Brad Penny, RHP
-Ryan Garko, 1B
-Bobby Howry, RHP

2010 Prediction: Fourth place.
 
The addition of Mark DeRosa will definitely provide some versatility for manager Bruce Bochy, but he won't be a fix-all for the offense. Pitching won't be a problem, but the Giants still lack the pop necessary to provide their pitchers with any kind of run support.

Look for San Francisco's superior starting rotation to keep them in games. If the offense can somehow find a way to score some runs the Giants might be a threat for the Wild Card.

San Diego Padres

2009 Record: 75-87 (4th)

2009 Recap: Let's just call last season what it was: a rebuilding year. By August, the Padres were already out of contention and, as a result, traded long-time ace Jake Peavy to the Chicago White Sox to start building toward the future.

But it wasn't all bad for the Padres. Closer Heath Bell established himself as one of the premier closers in the majors making his first All-Star team and finishing with a 2.71 ERA and 42 saves for a team that only won 75 games. Without any real protection in the lineup, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez came up big again for the Padres with 40 long balls and 119 walks.

Key Additions:
-Jon Garland, RHP
-Jerry Hairston, 3B
-Scott Hairston, OF
-Yorvit Torrealba, C

Key Losses:
-Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B

2010 Prediction: Fifth place.
 
It will be another year of rebuilding for the Padres. Other than offseason acquisition Jon Garland, the Padres starting rotation will be one of the youngest in MLB. On offense, look for Tony Gwynn Jr., son of the former Padres great, to establish himself as a cornerstone at the top of the lineup.

Something to keep an eye on is whether or not the Padres will part ways with All-Stars Bell and Gonzalez at the trade deadline.