We have established the Padres are the front runners for the worst team in the NL West, but I could be wrong. I have been before. Ask my girlfriend.

What makes a topic for interesting conversation and debate is where the other teams in the division fall into place. With the Dodgers ability to potentially re-sign Manny and their impressive post-season play last year, I cannot fathom power ranking them 4th. Many would naturally expect the San Francisco Giants to assume this poll position, however I am optimistic for this ball club to make improvements from 2008. I believe the team that deserves to occupy the 4th place power rank in the West is a team that will not be celebrating Hollidays this year”¦wait, I mean Holliday.

Lets take a team that finished at .500 from last year and see what happened to them in the off season. They lost blue-chip sensation, Matt Holliday in a trade to give them financial wiggle room as well as speedster Willy Tavaras and closer Brian Fuentes to free agency. Bummer. What did the Rockies recover from these losses? Some money, and Huston Street the young closer from Oakland. I like Street’s potential, however, the Rockies already have a usable closer in Manny Corpas, so I can’t help but feel that they put their eggs in the wrong basket when trading away Holliday. Why didn’t they go for a marquis pitcher to aide their stomach-churning rotation? Speaking of which”¦

The Rockies arms have to be amongst the bottom seven in the MLB. I suppose they consider their ace to be Aaron Cook, who had a good first half of last year, but proceeded to play like a skunk for the rest of the season. The rotation is followed by Jeff Francis and Franklin Morales who both battle injuries of sorts and neither may play this season. Ubaldo Jimenez could help the team out if he strays from his 100+ walks from last year, and newcomer Jason Marquis may become something good, but has a lot to prove in his first chance as a starting pitcher. For a team that plays 80-some-odd games in a stadium renowned for its home-run hitting ease, this rotation has to be scaring the pants off everyone in Colorado.

Aside from Garret Atkins being a totally overrated bust, the Rockies don’t look too shabby in the field. There is power behind (SS) Troy Tulowitzki and (RF) Brad Hawpe and breakout potential behind (C) Chris Iannetta. The rest of the field doesn’t necessarily dazzle or disappoint. If and when Todd Helton realizes that he is going to be 36-years old this season, he may start to dip in offensive production.

Plain and simply, you can get away with crappy pitching if you have a line-up like the Yankees but you can’t if you’re the Rockies. They have lost speed and power and are getting older at the corners. They will put up a fight within the middle of the pack of the NL West, but when the season is over you will see them in the 75 wins range”¦and occupying 4th place in their division.

As we open the door to analyzing the competitive NL West we must first look at what teams do not have.

I have never heard of a team being wildly successful with as few weapons as the San Diego Padres. Unfortunately, for the city named after “a whale’s vagina” I will be power ranking their ball-club at 5th‚  in the West. I’m hard pressed to believe that the Friars will exceed 70 wins this season, which would be a seven-game victory improvement from last year’s amateur hour.

Jake Peavy is God in San Diego. Without him, the organization might as well take a year-long vacation. He will be 27-years old on Opening Day and is arguably a top-three MLB pitcher. He should be primed for another 200+ strikeout season and double digit wins. But who does he have to support him in the rotation? Exactly. Chris Young fills in as the #2 guy. He’s ok if he can stay healthy, which isn’t a sure thing. Finishing off the depth chart: Cha Seung Beak, a Korean from Seattle with a 5.10 ERA, Kevin Correia, who is barely more than a middle relief guy, and potential rookies Wade LeBlanc or Ivan Nova. Yucky.

Even assuming that Jake Peavy blows away an MLB record and marks 30 wins this season (joke), there isn’t any offense to give run support to the lackluster bats on the team. Adrian Gonzalez has emerged as a legitimate first-class first basemen and will be the center of their offense. The developing and supportive Chase Headley and Kevin Kouzmanoff will bolster the team by sharing third base, with Headley in left as well. The rest of the offense is extremely blasƒ©, however, with David Eckstein (2B), Craig Stansburry (SS), Nicholas Hindley (C) and Bryan Giles, Scott Hairston and Jody Geirut (who might be something) in the outfield.

Heath Bell is now the closer with Hoffman gone, and this simply supports my theory that San Diego will not surpass 70 wins this year.

What San Diego has going for them is the absence of a monster competitor in their division. I can’t see them falling victim to the Dodgers or the Rockies an embarrassing amount of times, but know they will not be able to climb to 3rd in the division either.

Check back soon as I will power rank the rest of the NL West.