Can the Giants Win the West in 2010?

Of all the divisions in baseball, none are more close in talent than the National League West. Most divisions have their definitely wills and definitely will not's, but the NL West does not have this luxury. No matter what team it is that you are discussing in this league, they have a shot at making the post season. For the past several years, the wild card has usually come from this division as well. This is in large part because the division is so closely matched in talent and ability. Most of the time, there is no way to tell how the west will be won, but this season may be different. There are several signs pointing to the Giants being able to take the pennant as the division champs this season. It will not be an easy trip by any means, but from the look of things at this point, the boys in the bay may be celebrating in late September this year. Being a Padres fan, this is no easy article to write, but being a bigger fan of baseball, I will try to make an unbiased look at this season's favorites to win the division.

As much as I didn't really like the managerial style of Bruce Bochy when he was in San Diego, he is a far cry better than the present Padres skipper. This is evident in the fact that the Pads went from top to bottom in about three years, and the Giants are doing the opposite. While Bochy may not be the best manager to don a uniform, but he is able to motivate a team and turn them into a winning squad. He is currently doing this with the San Francisco Giants. Each year he has been there, they have crept up a notch in the final standings. This season, they may make the apex of "Mount Saint NL West" on their quest of the post season. With the current set up of the team, they are really in a position to win. With a starting rotation that is the envy of most big league clubs and the defense to back them up, this could be the year the Giants squad. This may be a bold statement, but there are some points that will back this up.

It really starts with the starting rotation. The Giants have some quality arms this season. With all five of their starters being pitchers and not just throwers, there is only one that is questionable. With a rotation consisting of Lincecum, Zito, Cain, Sanchez, and Wellemeyer, you can not go wrong. Lincecum has proven that he has the stuff of legends still going strong in his arm and he will be trying to get another Cy Young this season. Now that Jake Peavy is in the American, Lincecum is almost hands down, the best pitcher in the National League. Zito came into this season as a maybe. Considering his problems over the past two seasons, many people were wondering if he could ever rebound like the Giants had hoped. His six shutout innings against the Astros may have hushed the nay sayers (at least for now). He has shown that he will return to his greatness as well. Cain has always been a solid pitcher for the Giants and he will be no different this year. Sanchez and Wellemeyer are the only two in the rotation that may let a couple slip. Sanchez has gotten increasingly better every season, but he still has a little way to go before he can be considered as good as the rest of this lineup. Wellemeyer is the true question to this rotation. His last two seasons have not been very good and he looks to be on his way out. Hopefully the Giants gamble will pay off and he can return to his old self. The Giants have a tendency to squeeze the last little bit of talent from older players into a great farewell season. This may be the case for Wellemeyer. While he is still young, he may prove to have a couple seasons left in his arm. This will be a deciding year for him. This rotation has been touted as the best in baseball. They may not have the huge arm that some teams have, although Lincecum is nothing to balk at, but a highly talented top three with a still very talented bottom two may spell post season for the boys in orange.

Pitching is not the only strength for this Giants team. Most of us have heard the old adage that the best offense is a good defense. The Giants have almost adopted this as a mantra this season. With all the upgrades that the team made in the off season, there will be very few balls to find holes in this defense. This squad may not light up any scoreboards or be up for any batting titles, but their ability to keep the runs for the opposing team down while they rack up a point or two may be the recipe for a winning season. Not that these Giants can't hit, they really can. They put up some impressive strokes against the Astros. I just do not see any silver slugger competitors in this lineup. There will be some big hits and several splash shots at AT&T, but these are not the strength of the team. With the likes of Rowand patrolling the yard again this year, you can be assured of a tight outfield with few holes. The infield is a defensive dream come true for any manager, and a nightmare for many hitters. The only way you can get a hit against this squad would be via the long ball, error, or the ability to thread a camel through the eye of a needle. Renteria, Uribe, and Huff patrolling the infield, it may take a miracle from God to get consistent hits. There will be a bigger chance of a Gold Glove for this team than a Silver Slugger.

Compared to many of the teams in this division, the Giants may be best suited to take the division this season. The Rockies and Diamondbacks have done very little to improve their teams and the D-Backs are still in the rebuilding phase. The Rockies have yet to have a good season since their World Championship, and this year looks to be just as flat. the Dodgers have made quite a few moves, but so far, they have yet to show that they have made any improvements. Manny may be good at leading a young team and driving them to do better, but I don't think Manny will be enough for this Dodgers team. The Padres are the only real threat this year, but that is questionable. There is a huge amount of talent on this young Friar's team, but it is very raw. With the San Diego rebuild still under way, the Giants may not have to worry about them either. As long as they stay healthy, the Giants may be the division champs this season.