17 MLB Execs Unanimously Pick Dodgers Over Padres as Best Team in NL West

The Los Angeles Dodgers' first game against the San Diego Padres is not until May 18. Through Monday, the two teams are separated by half a game in the National League West standings.

A lot can happen between now and then.

The gap between them might be small in reality, and a long season might barely be getting started. Still, the industry perception is that the Dodgers are the better team — and not by a little.

As part of his periodic check-in with anonymous executives around the sport, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand revealed a consensus has formed around the Dodgers as the best team in the NL West.

Despite the Padres' 19-9 start, all 17 executives who responded to Feinsand's survey picked the Dodgers as the best team in the division.

"If you can find something new to say about them," one quoted executive said about the Dodgers, "you’re better at this than I am.”

“Do we really need to ask this question?” asked another.

The Dodgers are 20-9 after beating the Marlins on Monday behind a walk-off, two-run single by offseason addition Kyle Tucker. That matches the Atlanta Braves for the best record in MLB in the early going.

The Dodgers have some underlying numbers in their favor. They're first in the National League in runs allowed (3.31 per game) and second in runs scored (5.66, a hair behind the Braves' 5.72) through Monday. The Padres are seventh and eighth in those categories, respectively.

San Diego is doing this despite not suffering any injuries on the hitting side. Through 28 games, they have hardly gotten any production from several regulars. Second baseman Jake Cronenworth, catcher Freddy Fermin and outfielder Nick Castellanos all have batting averages that begin with a 1.

Their pitching staff has so far survived the loss of Nick Pivetta and reliever Jeremiah Estrada to the injured list.

The Dodgers are making do without Mookie Betts, closer Edwin Diaz and starter Blake Snell, who hasn't thrown an inning in the big leagues this season.

There's reason to believe both teams can get stronger once their injured players return. The Padres are also awaiting the activation of Lucas Giolito, whom they signed last week as a free agent.

The NL West was the only division in which only one team received votes in Feinsand's anonymous survey. Still, they were a confident group. In the AL East (New York Yankees), AL Central (Detroit Tigers), and AL West (Seattle Mariners), the favored team received all but one vote collected in the survey.

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