2017 National League Division Series Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers

This could be possibly one of the best postseason series ever, especially it being a first round series as these two teams could possibly be the two best in the National League. It is a little unfair that they will be facing one another in the first round, but this is where they will have to play. Lets take a look at the teams.

Arizona Diamondbacks

After winning the National League Wild Card game, the Diamondbacks will have to face their toughest test in the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks had a historical run of winning over 10 games including sweeping the Dodgers twice in that span. Because of that, it looked like the Diamondbacks were going to be one of the best in the league and an opponent the Dodgers didn’t want to face in the playoffs especially with them winning the season series over Los Angeles. The team looks mostly the same outside a few players being added and subtracted like Taijuan Walker, but to look at the roster, check out the NL Wild Card Preview I wrote two days ago.

Los Angeles Dodgers

This team had a wild ride, but are a favorite to win the World Series this year. They had two historic runs as they at one point went 43-4 and looked like the best team ever assembled then they lost 11 in a row and 16 out of 17, the first time any team had any run like that in the history of baseball. However, they look like they could finally break through and head to the World Series for the first time since 1988. Lets take a look at their team.

Pitchers

Pedro Baez

Tony Cingrani

Yu Darvish

Josh Fields

Rich Hill

Kenley Jansen

Clayton Kershaw

Kenta Maeda

Brandon Morrow

Ross Stripling

Tony Watson

Alex Wood

This rotation is incredibly good especially with the best pitcher in baseball in Kershaw followed by other great starters like Darvish, Maeda, Wood, and Hill. This bullpen is very stout too including having the best closer this year in Jansen.

Catchers

Austin Barnes

Kyle Farmer

Yasmani Grandal

Grandal is a very good catcher, but he has two very good backups in Farmer and Barnes.

Infielders

Cody Bellinger

Logan Forsythe

Corey Seager

Justin Turner

Chase Utley

Some questionable calls as to why they are not on the roster like Adrian Gonzalez, but this infield is very good especially with the rookie sensation in Bellinger and the young star in Seager.

Outfielders

Andre Ethier

Curtis Granderson

Enrique Hernandez

Yasiel Puig

Chris Taylor

Also another place where questionable calls were made especially why Joc Pederson didn’t make the team, but this is a very good outfield with great talent like Puig and Taylor and having veteran players in Ethier and Granderson.

This really was a tough call for me when picking a winner. A couple months ago I thought it was a bit easier, but now it isn’t. While I really like the Diamondbacks and I think they could sweep or take in four or five, but you can’t count out the Dodgers, especially after the season they had. Dodgers are due for a World Series appearance.

Prediction: Dodgers