Mound Musings: A Look at Pitching in the NL West

With players reporting, baseball season is finally upon us, and real baseball is only about six weeks away. Don't worry, we'll be ready. It will be interesting to see the impact of the offseason player moves. Interestingly, I don't recall a season in which so many difference-makers changed uniforms. As in the past, I'll cover one division each week, and hopefully, we should have a value-laden pitching staff heading into the 2025 season. I decided to start with the NL West because everybody wants to know the impact of new Dodgers arm Roki Sasaki. Things will surely change as Spring Training progresses, but we handle those on the fly. Remember, the Musings are intended to be interactive. Ask questions and share your opinions. That's what we're here for.

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks look pretty solid on paper, but pitching coach Brent Strom is gone, and where he leads, winning follows. The first couple spots in the rotation belong to newcomer Corbin Burnes and basic ace Zac Gallen. That one-two fits with anybody. Merrill Kelly is also solid, but the rest of the mound corps behind the top two is pretty nondescript. Eduardo Rodriguez will have a spot, but he's never really excited me, albeit he has enjoyed some success, and there is the Strom factor. The final rotation spots actually look a bit interesting. The organization's top young pitching prospect, Brandon Pfaadt, will again have a spot, but the rest of the rotation spots are up for grabs. Lefty Jordan Montgomery gets a slight nod over Ryne Nelson, with Drey Jameson also potentially in the mix after missing all of last season following Tommy John surgery. Montgomery is the sleeper here. After three modestly successful years between the Yankees, Cardinals and Rangers, the wheels fell off in 2024. I expect a bounce-back season in 2025.

The bullpen is the Achilles heel of this squad. Justin Martinez can be pretty dominant at times, but he can lose track of the plate. My guess is he will see the bulk of the ninth-inning duties until they can find someone better. Veteran southpaw A.J. Puk, and righties Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson will see work in the later innings, along with lefties Kyle Nelson and Joe Mantiply. I suppose all could even be considered dark horse candidates for occasional save chances, but none of them scream closer-in-waiting.

Recapping the Diamondbacks:

The arm to roster: Gallen could take another step forward, as he just keeps improving.

He'll likely be overpriced: Rodriguez will command a pretty big price but I'm not sold.

Best of the bullpen: Martinez might be the ninth-inning guy, but they will be shopping.

Colorado Rockies – I'm not a huge fan of streaming, but no Rockies pitcher is really a good fit for any other fantasy role. Coors Field is still Coors Field, and pitchers who spend half their time there are still fantasy risks. There is some quality, but overcoming the risk is always a challenge. German Marquez might be the best of the bunch, but he had Tommy John surgery and then complications when he attempted return. He's logged just 24 innings in two years. Kyle Freeland is different. He doesn't have the big arm of Marquez, but I do like his mound presence. Not surprisingly, following a jaw-dropping 2018, he has failed to replicate those peripherals, but I still think he could be a bit better than he has been recently. After the top two, the options for the last few spots are huge fantasy risks. I suppose Austin Gomber deserves some attention – I have rostered him, but he is strictly a streaming option now, and he is capable of melting down anytime. Ryan Feltner will likely take a regular turn, but he can get very hittable if he gets behind in counts and is better-suited to long relief. Antonio Senzatela missed most of last year so he's a bit of a wild card. Probably the best arm in the organization, young Chase Dollander had a great year in the minors (high A and double AA), so I suppose it's possible he could bring some of that to the big leagues.

The Rockies have tried investing heavily in their bullpen over the past few years. It has generally been a disaster. Many of those guys are gone, but the pen still appears to be a weakness. I'll give a slight edge to Seth Halvorsen. He opened some eyes in limited innings last season. Then we have breaking-ball junky Justin Lawrence, and the oft injured Tyler Kinley along with Victor Vodnik who are other options. They aren't good options, but they are bound to have a lead late in a few games, and somebody will have to pitch. I looked hard for others to at least consider, but talent is scarce here.

Recapping the Rockies:

The arm to roster: If I have to roster one, it would probably be Dollander – say a prayer.

He'll likely be overpriced: Marquez may get more draft day attention than he should.

Best of the bullpen: Halvorsen isn't horrible, and here that's major praise.

Los Angeles Dodgers – Throughout the offseason, everyone has wanted to talk about Roki Sasaki. Well, here's our chance. Do you ever wonder if the rich are really getting richer? Where to start? The Dodgers are almost making that claim a joke. They list Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, not to mention Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Gavin Stone and River Ryan as rotation options with Sasaki. Welcome to Los Angeles Roki and Blake. Money is clearly not a concern. Start with an ace like the massively risky Tyler Glasnow. He's a true No. 1 but he has never made more than 22 starts or hurled more than 134 innings in a season. My top guys are Yamamoto, probably the best pitcher since Ohtani to come over from Japan, and Sasaki might be better than either of them. Problem is, he has never carried a heavy workload (never more than 129 innings), so don't count on him for a full share. If they can stay even close to healthy, they could be stutter worthy. They do have even more dept – just in case – with guys like 2023 rookie standout Bobby Miller, and promising youngsters like Emmet Sheehan, Landon Knack, and Michael Grove. Brad Johnson is back for the 2025 season and breaks down each division starting with the NL West, where the rich just got richer, with the addition of Roki Sasaki

Last year, the Dodgers bullpen was somewhat shaky. They did adjust regularly with Evan Phillips serving most often as their primary closer. He's competent, but it looks like he'll slide into a more comfortable set-up role this year. The Dodgers brought in solid veterans like Kirby Yates and lefty Tanner Scott. Yates impressed me last season, and I look for him to eventually see the ninth inning most days. Experienced closers like Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech should also see high-leverage innings. They also have the very big arm of Brusdar Graterol (when he's healthy), Anthony Banda and Alex Vesia who could all see late innings in games as needed.

Recapping the Dodgers:

The arm to roster: I'll take Yamamoto. He's the real deal and takes a step forward.

He'll likely be overpriced: Sasaki is genuine, but 150 innings might be a stretch.

Best of the bullpen: Yates is my guy, unless they open the checkbook again.

San Diego Padres – The Padres are always a joy to analyze. They are always active, bringing in new faces, and with their developmental organization and PETCO Park, you have to take a close look. I waited until the last minute on this capsule, thinking maybe another stud would find his way home. It hasn't happened yet, but there's still time. So, looking at a rapidly evolving rotation, first up is Dylan Cease.  He's pure nasty at his best, but he needs to stay around the strike zone. When he throws strikes, hitters swing and often miss. Yu Darvish is next up. He was a disappointment last season while dealing with family matters, but I think it's still there. When he has everything in sync, and has an exciting young team behind him plus he's pitching his home games in a pitcher-friendly park, Darvish is, in my eyes, a huge comeback possibility. Unfortunately, it gets a bit thin after the top pair. They have Michael King – who came over from the Yankees in the Juan Soto deal – moving into the three-spot. Is he the next friar to turn into a pitching star? I can't rule it out. The last spot or two likely involves a choice between two other former Yankees acquired in the Soto deal. Jhony Brito is my lukewarm favorite for the four-spot, while Randy Vasquez also looms as a starting possibility. Both might be better served working out of the bullpen, but somebody has to start. There are also a couple wildcards. Matt Waldron was competent when called upon a couple years ago, but the real dark horse is Luis Patino whom they brought back this offseason. Once considered a rising star, he is coming back from Tommy John surgery (expected about July), but there isn't enough depth. Look for the Padres to sign more help.

Prior to last year, the Padres went out and got two Pacific Rim relief stars in Japan's Yuki Matsui, and Korea's Woo-suk Go as they worked on assembling a very competent bullpen. Matsui ended up in a set-up role, and Go is now in Miami. That said, holdover Robert Suarez stepped up in a big way and is locked in as their primary closer. Additionally, Wandy Peralta, Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, and Adrian Morejon will jointly form a solid bridge to the late innings.

Recapping the Padres:

The arm to roster: Darvish is an ace, and I see him returning to form in 2025.

He'll likely be overpriced: King isn't bad, but his value could be a bit inflated.

Best of the bullpen: Suarez stepped up in a big way last year. He's the guy.

San Francisco Giants – San Francisco seems to be constantly chasing the Dodgers and is a frequent landing place for pitchers who intrigue me. That's not necessarily an endorsement, but it does make assessment more interesting. The Giants' pitching staff is engulfed in the chase. Logan Webb maintains leadership of the staff and he is solid enough. However, I feel like he may be reaching his ceiling. Then there is newcomer Justin Verlander who at age 41 might never reach his ceiling. Just kidding (I think) – he will surely become less effective. He did slip a bit last year, but I can't say he's done. I have always liked Robbie Ray. When he's healthy and on his game he's a handful, but I feel like he should have developed more consistency. Unfortunately, the rest of the probable starters are led by a handful of kids with high ceilings and lot of question marks. Kyle Harrison is a legitimate top prospect looking to make his mark, but he hasn't managed to remain healthy. Jordan Hicks also wants to prove he has found ongoing good health and better control while trying to lock down a starting role. You have to love Hicks' arm, and both these guys could be potential contributors in 2025. They are joined by Hayden Birdsong who probably has the edge over Keaton Winn who is looking to come back from 2024 elbow surgery.

The bullpen might offer question marks, too. The logical closer is Ryan Walker, who worked his way into the ninth inning last year. He did a pretty fair job and has good stuff, but Camilo Doval, has even more electric stuff, but he has displayed command issues. I love his stuff. He would be my guy if he could throw strikes. After Walker and Doval, things really get a bit cloudy with a chance of meatballs. Maybe they will also look at Tyler Rogers? His twin brother is gone, but the right-handed submariner with an 82-mph fastball is still an option. I don't see him being in the saves mix. Maybe Sean Hjelle (nice arm) or Erik Miller will also get a high-leverage look, but they, like Tyler, are really best suited to set-up roles. And, a dark horse would be Tristan Beck, but he needs to get past the shoulder woes that have plagued him.

Recapping the Giants:

The arm to roster: They really need Harrison to step up, and I think he might.

He'll likely be overpriced: Webb should be okay, but his price might be prohibitive.

Best of the bullpen: Doval with his hot stuff, but he clearly needs better command.

Next week we'll continue our pitching staff previews with a look at the AL West.