2 | Arizona Diamondbacks
2024 | 89-73 3rd in West
Last year in playoffs | 2023
The Diamondbacks led baseball last season in runs, batting average and on-base percentage yet missed the playoffs a year after making the World Series. They again should be formidable and probably will present the biggest challenge for the Dodgers, especially after fortifying their starting rotation with Burnes.
First baseman Christian Walker left as a free agent but was replaced by Josh Naylor, who hit 31 home runs and drove in 106 runs with the Cleveland Guardians last season. Designated hitter Joc Pederson also departed. Otherwise, it’s pretty much the same lineup, with productive hitters throughout, beginning with Ketel Marte. The starting rotation behind Burnes is solid. The departure of closer Paul Sewald shouldn’t cause much concern — he was average at best — but the role has not been filled. Bullpen veterans Kevin Ginkel and A.J. Puk are the candidates along with youngster Justin Martinez and his triple-digit fastball.
Diamondbacks projected roster
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ projected 2025 lineup with 2024 stats.
Table with 6 columns and 20 rows.
Starting lineup HR RBI AVG OBP SLG
RF Corbin Carroll 22 74 .231 .322 .428
2B Ketel Marte 36 95 .292 .372 .560
1B Josh Naylor 31 108 .243 .320 .456
LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. 18 75 .279 .322 .435
CF Jake McCarthy 8 56 .285 .349 .400
3B Eugenio Suarez 30 101 .256 .319 .469
DH Randal Grichuk 12 46 .291 .348 .528
C Gabriel Moreno 5 45 .266 .353 .380
SS Geraldo Perdomo 3 37 .273 .374 .718
Pitching rotation REC SO BB ERA WHIP
RH Corbin Burnes 15-9 181 48 2.92 1.096
RH Zac Gallen 14-6 156 54 3.65 1.264
RH Merrill Kelly 5-1 63 19 4.03 1.167
LH Eduardo Rodriguez 3-4 47 19 5.04 1.500
RH Brandon Pfaadt 11-10 185 42 4.71 1.239
Setup REC SO BB ERA WHIP
RH Kevin Ginkel 8-3 77 15 3.21 1.2
Closer REC SO BB ERA WHIP
RH Justin Martinez 5-6 91 36 2.48 1.307
LH A.J. Puk 0-1 43 5 1.32 0.732
2024 stats from Baseball-Reference.com
LOS ANGELES TIMES
3 | San Diego Padres
2024 | 93-69, 2nd in West
Last year in playoffs | 2024.
A protracted legal battle among members of the Seidler family after beloved owner Peter Seidler died in 2023
seemed to handcuff the Padres front office this offseason. Yes, they still have Tatis Jr., and Machado. Sure, center fielder Jackson Merrill finished second in rookie-of-the-year balloting. And starters Michael King, Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish are back from a team that won 93 regular-season games, a wild-card series and pushed the Dodgers to the limit in a five-game NL Division Series.
But while the Dodgers and to a lesser extent the Diamondbacks and Giants made splashy offseason moves, the Padres pretty much stood pat. John Seidler, older brother of Peter, was approved by MLB on March 12 as the Padres “control person,” creating stability. Whether than means a resumption of general manager A.J. Preller’s freewheeling ways or continued belt-tightening remains to be seen.
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Padres projected roster
The San Diego Padres’ projected 2025 lineup with 2024 stats.
Table with 6 columns and 19 rows.
Starting lineup HR RBI AVG OBP SLG
1B Luis Arraez 4 46 .314 .346 .392
RF Fernando Tatis Jr. 21 49 .276 .340 .492
CF Jackson Merrill 24 90 .292 .326 .500
3B Manny Machado 30 91 .258 .319 .462
2B Jake Cronenworth 17 83 .241 .324 .390
SS Xander Bogaerts 11 44 .264 .307 .381
C Connor Joe 9 36 .228 .320 .368
DH Elias Diaz 6 39 .265 .313 .382
LF Jason Heyward 10 37 .211 .288 .412
Pitching rotation REC SO BB ERA WHIP
RH Michael King 13-9 201 63 2.95 1.192
RH Dylan Cease 14-11 224 65 3.47 1.067
RH Yu Darvish 7-3 78 22 3.31 1.065
RH Nick Pivetta 6-12 172 36 4.14 1.126
RH Stephen Kolek 3-0 39 12 5.21 1.521
Setup REC SO BB ERA WHIP
RH Jason Adam 7-2 81 23 1.95 0.855
Closer REC SO BB ERA WHIP
RH Robert Suarez 9-3 59 16 2.77 1.046
2024 stats from Baseball-Reference.com
LOS ANGELES TIMES
4 | San Francisco Giants
2024 | 80-82, 4th in West
Last year in playoffs | 2021
Under the new front office leadership of former All-Star catcher Buster Posey, the Giants began the offseason with a major splash when Adames chose them over several other suitors. Not much happened thereafter, however. They did sign Justin Verlander, a cinch Hall of Famer, but he’s 42, coming off injuries and a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts last season. They also lost two-time Cy Young winner Snell to the Dodgers.
Spring training didn’t prompt hope to spring eternal, either. Top prospect Bryce Eldridge, a power-hitting first baseman, rose through four minor league levels last season but batted .182 with a bushel of strikeouts this spring and will start the season in triple-A. Since posting 107 wins in 2021, the Giants have hovered just below .500 and offer no reason to think they won’t again finish behind the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Padres.
Giants projected roster
The San Francisco Giants’ projected 2025 lineup with 2024 stats.
Table with 6 columns and 19 rows.
Starting lineup HR RBI AVG OBP SLG
1B LaMonte Wade Jr. 8 34 .260 .380 .381
SS Willy Adames 32 112 .251 .331 .462
CF Jung Hoo Lee 2 8 .262 .310 .331
3B Matt Chapman 27 78 .247 .328 .463
LF Heliot Ramos 22 72 .269 .322 .469
C Patrick Bailey 8 46 .234 .298 .339
DH Wilmer Flores 4 26 .206 .277 .318
RF Mike Yastrzemski 18 57 .231 .302 .437
2B Tyler Fitzgerald 15 34 .280 .334 .497
Pitching rotation REC SO BB ERA WHIP
RH Logan Webb 13-10 172 50 3.47 1.231
RH Justin Verlander 5-6 74 27 5.48 1.384
LH Robbie Ray 3-2 43 15 4.7 1.141
RH Jordan Hicks 4-7 96 47 4.1 1.45
RH Hayden Birdsong 5-6 887 43 4.75 1.389
Setup REC SO BB ERA WHIP
RH Camilo Doval 5-3 78 39 4.88 1.576
Closer REC SO BB ERA WHIP
RH Ryan Walker 10-4 99 18 1.91 0.85
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