TEAM TO BEAT
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Dodgers have won nine of the last 10 division titles and are coming off a 111-win season, but the gap between them and the rest of the division is narrowing. The archrival Giants won the division in 2021, and the Padres upset the Dodgers in the NL Division Series last year. The Dodgers have significant talent to replace after Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner and Tyler Anderson departed and Gavin Lux was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Still, the Dodgers' organizational depth remains the best in MLB, and they have a long track record of seamlessly replacing injured or departed stars. The Dodgers boast the division's best rotation by a wide margin and their lineup remains potent with Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy and offseason signee J.D. Martinez. A rookie class led by Miguel Vargas, Bobby Miller, James Outman, Ryan Pepiot and Gavin Stone could be baseball's best.
TOP PLAYER
MANNY MACHADO, 3B, PADRES
Machado has blossomed into one of MLB's top players and the Padres' clubhouse leader over the last three seasons. He hit .298/.366/.531 with 32 home runs, 107 RBIs and 100 runs scored last year while playing standout defense at third base and finished second in NL MVP voting. He was rewarded with an 11-year, $350 million extension in February, the fourth-largest contract in MLB history. The division is loaded with stars, including fellow Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto and Dodgers standouts Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, but Machado is playing at the highest level of them all right now.
TOP PITCHER
JULIO URIAS, LHP, DODGERS
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