The 2026 MLB season is knocking on the door, and nowhere is the spotlight hotter than in the National League West. As teams finalize their rosters for an unusually early Opening Day, the chasm between the Dodgers’ dynasty and the rest of the pack is the defining storyline—but the battle for the spots behind them is thinner than ever. That’s why we are opening the doors to the executive suite once again.

In this edition of Front Office Insights, former GM Jim Bowden and fantasy impact expert Howard Bender cut through the beat-writer speculation to deliver the definitive forecast for baseball’s most top-heavy division. From Los Angeles’ pursuit of a historic "three-peat" with their newest superstars to the Giants’ and Padres’ high-stakes arms race for the runner-up slot, Bowden and Bender break down the finalized lineups, rotation battles, and "GM-eye-view" realities that will define the NL West in 2026.

Los Angeles Dodgers

San Diego Padres 

Arizona Diamondbacks

San Francisco Giants

Colorado Rockies