With us having looked at the NL's East and Central Divisions, let us address the West. Like the Central, there are three real contenders - LA, San Diego, and San Francisco. The Dodgers tend to be the class of the NL, but as last year shows, that isn't always the case. How this division's order shakes out could have a lot to do with how teams do as far as young players go.
Arizona Diamondbacks - Cooper Hummel
Arizona has a lot of potential catching options with Carson Kelly, Daulton Varsho, and Jose Herrera all as options to break camp with the club, but Cooper Hummel is another option that's much less known but one with the potential to surprise. Hummel played mostly OF in the Minors and the AFL last year, but being able to play C in an era where many teams like to carry three guys who can catch could allow him to stick even after Arizona gets some players back from injury. Hummel's a name to watch mostly because of how he has improve as a hitter slowly but surely since his professional debut in 2016, positioning him for selection to Arizona's roster to keep him away from teams looking to R5 him last year. His .311/.432/.546 slash line with two AAA clubs in 2021 was impressive, but his continued improvement after joining Reno from Nashville (his average jumped by .099) showed he continues to improve at the plate.
Los Angeles Dodgers - Tanner Dodson
A former two-way player and starter, Dodson joined the Dodgers via trade from Tampa this offseason. 2021 was more or less his first professional season with a real solid workload and he posted decent strikeout numbers across two levels. Having not exactly established himself at even AA yet, Dodson may be a longshot to even make the Dodgers this season, but he has the stuff to move quickly, so if he does don't be too surprised.
San Francisco Giants - Jeremy Walker and Sam Delaplane
Here are a pair of RP arms who both missed all of last season with injuries. Both will play most of this season at 27, and depending on the health of both neither may be able to play at all, but after having not played since 2019, both are solid sleepers. Walker broke out in 2019 in his first season out of the pen, making the Majors, while Delaplane, meanwhile, was dynamic for AA Arkansas in 2019, but last played in the 2019 AFL.
San Diego Padres - Steven Wilson
So impressive that he could make the Opening Day roster, Wilson is a name to watch. Wilson has impressed throughout his Minors climb, but he was downright unhittable in the hitter-friendly AAA West last season. A 15.2 K/9 pops off the page, but a 0.881 WHIP in 2021 is incredible as well. If Wilson isn't enough of a sleeper for you, I'd tab Jose Azocar, a former Tigers prospect whose contact-driven approach could help him potentially play his way into a bench spot down the line.
Colorado Rockies - D.J. Peterson
Yes, yes, it isn't 2014, but I am serious here. Sure COL could use good pitchers, but Colorado's hitting core isn't exactly Murder's Row, and the bench in specific could improve. Enter Peterson, who has played in parts of five AAA seasons, but hasn't played affiliated ball since early 2019. Since then he's been in independent ball, and last year it all came together, as he slashed .336/.431/.740. Yes, that's a .740 slugging percentage. He hit 29 HR in just 76 games between the Atlantic League's Lexington Legends and the American Association's Cleburne Railroaders. Sure, expecting production from even a good indy league to translate to even AAA success is risky, but Peterson still has power, and we all know power at COL can become game-breaking.
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