Dodgers Insider Says Padres are Biggest Challenge to LA's NL West Title Quest

The San Diego Padres established themselves as a World Series-caliber team after nearly eliminating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series last year.

And despite losing significant parts of their postseason roster, the Padres have continued to dominate this season. San Diego was off to its best start in franchise history, winning 15 of their first 17 games, before dropping three consecutive series.

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Now, the Dodgers are in first place in the NL West at 20-10, with the San Francisco Giants right behind themat 19-11. The Padres are barely in third at 18-11.

Although San Diego’s success has slowed down through the last three series, MLB insider Sonja Chen said the Padres would be the Dodgers’ biggest competition for the division title.

“My gut says that the Padres could present a challenge down the stretch once more,” Chen said.

Chen added that preserving the health of their players will be a major determining factor in which team will be crowned the division champions.

While several Dodgers pitchers have already gone down with injuries this season, the Padres have plenty of injuries of their own. In addition to All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill, San Diego is also missing second baseman Jake Cronenworth and right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish. Luis Arraez and Jason Heyward returned to the lineup on Tuesday.

“Health doesn't guarantee immediate results, and health is never a guarantee,” Chen said. “I think the Dodgers and Padres have some similar qualities in that regard, where there's a high ceiling but also a lot of uncertainty.”

Even though the Padres will likely give the Dodgers a run for their money, Chen believes that Los Angeles will finish at the top of the NL West.

“I ultimately think that the Dodgers will win the division, but it might not be as cut-and-dried as many assumed it would be after their big offseason,” Chen said.

“The Dodgers are constructed well in that they should theoretically get stronger as the season goes along, and they've already shown that they can find ways to win despite not being at their best,” Chen said.

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