the NL West

1.) the San Francisco Giants

The law of averages sort of demands that the Freak couldn't possibly have back-to-back-to-back Cy Young caliber seasons, but it seems to me that even a slightly diminished Tim Lincecum will be enough to anchor what has been, for years, a rotation solid enough to win a division. The real magic of this staff may be that Barry Zito, after years of post-excellence slumping, may be returning to form. I bandy that term around here, return to form, but if Zito pitches anything at all like what we know he's capable of, the Giants have the undisputed best play-off trio of SPs in Lincecum, Cain, Zito.

The Giants have always been lacking in the O department. Aubrey Huff is at first now, and he could provide some bump. They landed Mark deRosa in left, and while he's not enough of a generator to single-handedly power the team, he'll be a boost. Plus, there's the Pablo Sandoval, who weaponizes lumber like no other West Coaster and answers to Major League Baseball's single greatest nom de plume in the Kung Fu Panda.

The Giants have an upper-percentile bullpen too, featuring the likes of non-Beach Boy Brian Wilson, Jeremy Affeldt, veteran Guillermo Mota, etc. With pitching this strong, the offense needs not be titanic.

2.) the L.A. Dodgers

The Dodgers being perennial contenders may've given them what I'll admit is only a slight edge over the division darling Colorado Rockies. Operating under the Torre aegis scores points. The league's most fearsome outfield (in Kemp {last year's stats} HR: 26, RBI: 101, avg: .297 Ethier HR: 36, RBI: 106 avg: .272 + a career's worth of walk-off heroics {and he's already back at it} and Ramirez HR: 19, RBI: 63, avg: .290, on a suspension-truncated season) scores major points. A roster topped by Ranger outcast (and all around shitty person) Vincente Padilla saps them of enough points to not be my pick for NL West Champs.

Let's not forget that the Dodgers' still have Jonathan Broxton, one of the elite closers in the game, and a decent bullpen to set him up. They've also got the Billingsley & Kershaw duo. [Note: Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw sound more like two foppish gentrymen looking to open a loafer shop than athletes.] Hiroki Kuroda put together a pretty impressive season last year too.

Here's what the infield looks like, from 1st around to Catcher: James Loney, Blake deWitt, Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, Russel Martin.

3.) the San Diego Padres

4.) the Colorado Rockies

5.) the Arizona Diamondbacks