NL West Update

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Who's Hot: Arizona has 6 players this spring who have double digit hits: Brandon Allen (10/29 4 doubles), Willie Bloomquist (11/28 3 steals), A.J. Pollock (11/27), Russell Branyan (10/24 2 HRs 7 RBIs), Wily Mo Pena (10/24 3 Hrs) and Ryan Roberts (13/24 8 walks). Barry Enright has looked good on the mound tossing 9 innings and allowing just a pair of solo homeruns in posting an ERA of 2.00 in his first 3 appearances.

Who's Not: While Arizona has been having success offensively, their pitchers have struggled for the most part. Joe Saunders, a 17 game loser a year ago, has allowed 10 runs in 5 2/3 innings. Wade Miley has allowed 10 runs in 8 1/3 innings in his first camp. Former Tiger Armando Galarraga has allowed 7 runs on 10 hits in 8 innings. Ian Kennedy (7 runs in 8 innings) and Zach Duke (7 runs in 7 innings) and Brian Sweeney (7 runs in 5 innings with a pair of blown saves) have all also struggled out of the gates.

Of Note: Paul Goldschmidt is turning some heads this spring. The 23 year old former 8th round pick blasted 35 homers and 42 doubles while driving in 108 runs and hitting .314 for the Visalia Rawhide (HiA) last season. In 16 at bats this spring, Goldschmidt has 8 hits, 4 of them for extra bases including a homerun, and he's driven in 6. He's not major league ready, but the reigning California League MVP is a name to remember moving forward. His one downside is that he struck out 161 times in 138 minor league games last year.


COLORADO ROCKIES

Who's Hot: Willy Taveras is hitting .360 (9/25) with a team high 5 steals. Ty Wigginton leads the team with 2 homers while hitting .286 (6/21). Ben Paulsen is hitting .444 (8/18) with 3 triples. Todd Helton has 3 doubles and is 7 for 17. Helton enters the 2011 season with 2236 hits and 333 homers. Ubaldo Jimenez looks to build on his breakout season a year ago (19-8 2.88 ERA 214 Ks) and had tossed 5 scoreless innings in his first two starts. Jason Hammel won 10 games in each of the last two seasons and has an ERA of 2.00 through his first three starts this spring.

Who's Not: Jose Lopez is 5 for 23 with 0 extra base hits. Mike Jacobs (3/19) and Thomas Field (2/17) are also having rough starts to the spring. Felipe Paulino, acquired in an offseason trade from Houston has allowed 15 baserunners in 6 innings of work. Eric Stults has allowed 13 hits in his 6 innings. Greg Reynolds has allowed 7 runs and 13 hits in 9 1/3 innings.

Of Note: Troy Tulowitzki struggled with injuries in 2010 playing in only 122 games but still managed to hit 27 homeruns and drive in 95 whilte batting .315. Still only 26 and already heading into his 6th season, Tulowitzki seems poised for a big year. Last September he had 15 homeruns and batted .322. Colorado's other young star, Carlos Gonzalez, was 4 steals shy of a 30/30 season and batted .336 with 117 RBIs. If these two can stay healthy and play at a high level all year, you have to figure the Rockies will be in the thick of things.


LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Who's Hot: Tony Gwynn Jr. is hitting only .273 (6/22) but has stolen 5 bases already this spring. Matt Kempt leads the team with 6 RBIs and is batting .375 (9/24). Jerry Sands hit 35 homeruns between A-ball and AA in 2010 and is 7 for 16 with a pair of homers this spring. Clayton Kershaw has thrown 11 1/3 innings in 3 starts and not yet allowed an earned run while striking out 9. Tim Redding and John Ely, both in competition for a spot in the starting rotation have combined to throw 14 shutout innings and have allowed only 8 hits and struck out 11.

Who's Not: Rafael Furcal is just 3 for 19 this spring with no extra base hits. Catcher Dioner Navarro, in his first season with the Dodgers, is just 2 for 15. Eugenio Velez is 1 for 14, but does have 4 stolen bases. Jay Gibbons who batted .280 for the Dodgers last year in 75 at bats after not playing at all in 2008 or 2009, is 1 for 17 for 4 strike outs and 0 walks.

Of Note: The Dodgers starting rotation is an interesting mix of young stars and talented veterans. Kershaw (23 next week) has had an ERA under 3.00 the past two seasons while striking out over a batter an inning. Chad Billingsley (26) has won at least 12 games in 4 straight seasons and thrown over 190 innings with at least 170 strike outs the last 3 years. Those two will be paired with Ted Lilly (35) who has 113 career wins and is coming off back to back seasons with a sub 4.00 ERA, Jon Garland (31) who has 131 career wins, won 18 games for the 2005 World Champion Whitesox and is coming off a 14-12 season with a 3.47 ERA for the Padres, and Hiroki Kuroda (36) who was 18th in the NL with a 3.39 ERA last year.


SAN DIEGO PADRES

Who's Hot: Chase Headley leads the Padres with 9 hits this spring in just 16 at bats. 21 year old Anthony Rizzo who came over in the Adrian Gonzalez trade is 8 for 18. Rizzo had 25 homeruns and drove in 100 between A-ball and AA last year. 23 year old Cedric Hunter is 8 for 19 and leads the team with 7 RBIs. Brad Hawpe is 6 for 11 in his first four spring games. Cory Luebke was 10-1 in the minors last year with a 2.68 ERA before getting called up to the Padres. This Spring he has struck out nearly a batter an inning and gone 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA.

Who's Not: Kevin Frandsen has 1 hit in 20 at bats. Wade LeBlanc has allowed 15 hits in 8 2/3 innings in his first 3 starts. Mat Latos had a 2.92 ERA in 2010 but has allowed 15 baserunners in 6 innings of work in his first 3 starts this spring. Aaron Harang, in his first year in San Diego after coming over from Cincinnati has allowed 7 runs in 5 innings in his first two starts. Harang is 18-38 over the past 3 seasons.

Of Note: In exchange for Adrian Gonzalez the Padres got pitcher Casey Kelly, Rizzo, and outfielder Reymond Fuentes. Kelly has an ERA of 0.00 in 5 spring innings, Rizzo is 8 for 18, and Fuentes is 1 for 1 in his lone appearance.


SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Who's Hot: Buster Posey is picking up right where he left off after winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award last year. In 2010, Posey hit .305 with 18 homers and this spring he's 10 for 19 with a 8 runs batted in, 5 walks and ZERO strike outs. Mark DeRosa (10/25), Andres Torres (7/18) and Mike Fontenot (8/24) are also swinging the bats well for the Defending World Series Champions. Tim Lincecum has 14 strike outs this spring in 4 starts going 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA. Jeff Suppan has tossed 9 innings yielding a pair of solo homers and that's it. Madison Bumgarner has 12 strikeouts in 11 innings and a 3.27 ERA.

Who's Not: Aaron Rowand is batting just .200 (4/20) with 5 strike outs to start the spring. Terry Evans is 1 for 14 and Charlie Culberson and Eli Whiteside are both 1 for 12. Darren Ford is hitting .200 (4/20) but has stolen 7 bases and scored 7 runs. Ford stole 35 bases in AA in 2010.

Of Note: Got to take a moment to give a shout out to my old youth league teammate Matt Yourkin here. We played for the Sheriffs back in Napa in 1994, our first season on the full-sized diamond. The 6'3" 240 lefty has tossed 4 scoreless innings this spring as he tries to break into the majors for the first time. Last year with AAA Fresno, Matt was 7-8 with a 4.24 ERA in 29 games (24 starts). Best of luck, bud. If you don't make it, maybe I'll see you when the Grizzlies come to town to take on the Zephyrs.