NL West Overview

Sacramento Terrible Two's
Team Strengths: The lineup, outside of whoever plays SS, is very good; the Two's have scored the 3rd most runs in the NL. Fausto Bennett and Albert Boone have been excellent atop the rotation, and the rest of the rotation is also very good. The relievers have been generally superb; the relievers that haven't been effective either don't have very many innings or throw exclusively in low-leverage situations.

What they need: The Two's are basically set for the season. The closest thing to a pressing need they have is at SS; both Felix Drew and R.J. Lee can flash very good leather, but they also hit like Tony Pena Jr. with a Wiffle Ball bat. Getting a SS with even a mediocre bat would be a huge boost to the offense. They could also deal for a few bench bats, although it's certainly not a pressing issue.

Outlook: The Two's were seen as the division favorites heading into the season. Over 100 games in, nothing's changed.

Odds of winning the division: 1-2
Odds of making the playoffs: 98%

Portland Jacks
Team Strengths: Relievers Lew Oliver and Matthew Pierce do a great job preventing runs late in the game. They have a patient lineup (2nd in the NABCL in walks) that does enough to support a staff that consistently pounds the strike zone; they've walked fewer players than any team in the NABCL outside of Anaheim. Despite not having a true ace, the Jacks have a multitude of average or better pitchers that are capable of starting a game.

What they need: A legitimate power bat to support Tony Soriano and Benito Pichardo; the Jacks are 28th in the NABCL in HRs.

Outlook: As good as they've looked at times this season, there's no reason to believe that they'll end their 5 season streak of finishing in 2nd. There's really no shame in that, especially since it'll likely lead to a 3rd straight postseason appearance.

Odds of winning the division: 5-1
Odds of making the playoffs: 85%

Honolulu Anteaters
Strengths: The team's 3.63 ERA paces the NL this year, and it hasn't been all Singleton either, as starters David Beltran and Diego Guerrero have both been effective. Warren Collins has been an absolute monster at the plate, slugging .605, with 37 HR's and (as an added bonus) 19 stolen bases. He could easily go 50-30.

What they need: A quality hitter or two. The lineup is 29th in the NABCL in runs scored, and park effects only explain so much of it. The bullpen is also paper-thin; closer Sun Pong is far from a sure thing, and the Anteaters don't have much behind him. A 4th starter couldn't hurt, either.

Outlook: Even without Singleton, the Anteaters would still have a respectable pitching staff. With him, they have a leg up against any team in the league during his starts. However, the the offense might prove to be their downfall. Still, they're primed to earn the 2nd and final WC slot in the NL, and they have the rotation to compete with the big boys.

Odds of winning the division: 10-1
Odds of making the playoffs: 65%

Colorado Springs Coyotes
Strengths: The rotation is genuinely solid; like all of the other NL West teams, the foundation of this squad is pitching; they're 5th in the NL in ERA, which actually ranks them dead last in the division (#1 Honolulu, #2 Sacramento, #4 Portland). Adding veteran starter Felipe Matos can only help.

What they need: Adding Matos gave them the extra starter they needed; the onus now falls on a rather weak bullpen. Trading for a reliever or two might make sense. They also need a true middle-of-the-order bat. Jason Liverman and Antone Burks are good, but not great; adding a true slugger to that mix would make the lineup far more potent.

Outlook: They've been very good this season, but they have the misfortune of playing in the toughest division in the NABCL. They have a reasonable shot at the playoffs, but they'll have to leapfrog one of the teams above to do so. That won't be easy.

Odds of winning the division: 30-1
Odds of making the playoffs: 40%