We are progressing into the baseball season, and this week we're taking a look at the NL West. The Musings are intended to be interactive. Ask questions and share your opinions. That's what we're here for. 

National League West

Michael Soroka – Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks don't look that good on paper, but they still look average to me. The first couple spots in the rotation probably belong to Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Gallen should be someone to be proud of. They acquired him a couple years ago and he has shown flashy stuff … at least sometimes. Kelly is also solid at times, but the rest of the mound corps behind the top two is not that exciting. Eduardo Rodriguez has a spot and has enjoyed some minor success. The final rotation spots actually look a bit interesting. I think Soroka could theoretically actually lead this staff. The organization's top pitching prospect, David Hagaman, likely will eventually have a spot, but the five spot is up for grabs or will be when guys get healthy. Ryne Nelson gets a slight nod over Corbin Burnes and Cristian Mena, both of whom are expected out until midseason. Blake Walston is also in that mix (and hurt). Basically, there just isn't much depth to rely on.

Tomoyuki Sugano – Colorado Rockies: Does it make sense when I say some pitchers don't seem to fully grasp the dangers of Coors Field? Sugano might fall into that category. Then there is Kyle Freeland. He doesn't have the big arm, but I do like his mound presence. Not surprisingly, following a jaw-dropping 2018, he has failed to replicate those peripherals, but I still think he could be a bit better than he has been recently. After the top two, the options for the last few spots are huge fantasy risks. I suppose Michael Lorenzen deserves some attention – I have owned him, but he is strictly a streaming option now. Jose Quintana throws a few decent innings now and then, but he is capable of melting down. Chase Dollander and Ryan Feltner appear to be the other options for the fifth spot. Neither will help your fantasy team.

Find out which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!

Shohei Ohtani – Los Angeles Dodgers: When money isn't a concern, maybe you just sign a whole new pitching staff, and the best of the bunch, Ohtani, also hits 40 home runs and drives in more than 100. Surround him with an ace or two like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and the massively risky Tyler Glasnow. He's a true No. 1 too, but he has never made more than 22 starts or hurled over 134 innings in a season. Add the very talented but brittle Roki Sasaki. They will also feature last year's rookie standout Justin Wrobleski, with promising youngster hurlers like Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone and Landon Knack also in the mix. I'm anxious to see where Stone is after he missed 2025 with shoulder woes.

Michael King – San Diego Padres: I waited until the last minute on this capsule thinking maybe Blake Snell would find his way home. It hasn't happened yet, but there's still time. So, looking at a rapidly evolving rotation, first up is Nick Pivetta. He was a huge boost last year, and when he has everything in sync and with an exciting young team behind him plus pitching his home games in a pitcher-friendly park, Pivetta is, in my eyes, an ace possibility. And, we have King moving into the two or three spot. He missed much of 2025 but looks healthy this spring. At his best, he's a handful. Randy Vasquez also looms as a strong possibility although depth could push him into the pen. There are also a couple wildcards (the depth). Veterans Walker Buehler, Lucas Giolito and Griffin Canning were added, and if they are at their best, this rotation just got really good. And, it doesn't stop there. Yu Darvish will miss the season, but German Marquez and Joe Musgrove should be back by June. Matt Waldron was competent when called upon last year, but it will be hard to find room for him.

Robbie Ray – San Francisco Giants: Logan Webb maintains leadership of the staff, and he is solid enough. However, I feel like he may have reached his ceiling. I like Ray. When he's healthy and on his game he's a handful, but he needs more more consistency. Unfortunately, his sidekick, Alex Cobb, will miss part of the first half. With him unavailable, there could be some scrambling. The rest of the probable starters are led by a pair of kids with high ceilings and lot of question marks. Hayden Birdsong is a legitimate top prospect looking to make his mark, but he's out for the year, while Trevor McDonald looks interesting but has just 18 major league innings to his credit. More seasoned options like Tyler Mahle, Adrian Houser and Landen Roupp want to prove they have what it takes but, in reality, they just have a lot to prove. Keaton Winn is in the mix, too, They all are in the hunt for a fifth spot starting berth, they all have some small potential for upside and they all have one other thing in common – they probably won't help a fantasy team unless they pop a surprisingly big year.

Next week we'll continue our pitching staff analysis with a look at the AL Central.