Dodgers Projected to Be Neck and Neck with Rival Padres in NL West

The 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers ran away with the NL West. They won the division by 22 games, broke a franchise record of 111 wins, and secured the division by mid-September.

2023 will be a bit different as LA lost some key pieces to the 2022 squad, and their rivals down south, San Diego Padres, have improved their roster.

Everyone knows LA won’t be the same even FanGraphs. The 2023 ZiPS projected standings for the National League divisions have been realized, and the NL West is projected to look a lot more competitive this upcoming season.

“ZiPS surprised me a bit with the NL West. Not so much in terms of the order of the standings, but with the relatively small gap between the Dodgers and the Padres, and then the Giants. The first two are both terrific teams, but there are real downside concerns. The Padres have serious questions at DH and the quality of the rotation drops off quickly, and the Dodgers’ issues aren’t all that dissimilar.”

A tie is something I could see happening between the Dodgers and Padres for the division. San Diego improved their pitching and will get Fernando Tatis Jr back from a wrist injury and suspension.

The Dodgers didn’t go out and get any big-time free agents this offseason, but they will be getting younger, and new faces will be looked up to in the clubhouse.

LA is still favored to win the division, according to vegasinsider.com, at -140, followed by the San Diego Padres at +140 and the San Francisco Giants at +1200.

The Boys in Blue will look to defend their NL West crown and win their tenth division title in 11 years.

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