NL West preview: Diamondbacks look to repeat

In order of predicted finish. "Scouts' take" by Bob Nightengale, based on scouts who have watched the teams and requested anonymity for competitive reasons.

1. Diamondbacks

Season story lines: The Diamondbacks, who ran away with the NL West last year as baseball's biggest surprise, made substantial improvements in hopes of going deeper into the postseason. But some plans might be scrapped. Their 3-4-5 starters of Trevor Cahill, Josh Collmenter and Joe Saunders struggled this spring. If that continues, it might force them to accelerate the promotion of prized prospects such as Patrick Corbin, Tyler Skaggs and Trevor Bauer. They also planned to have Gerardo Parra as their fourth outfielder after signing former Minnesota Twins slugger Jason Kubel to a two-year, $15 million deal, but Parra has been their best outfielder this spring. Arizona patiently awaits the return of shortstop Stephen Drew from knee surgery and must rely on Willie Bloomquist for now.

Season stat: 48. The Diamondbacks led the major leagues with 48 comeback victories and were 84-0 when leading after eight innings. Can they possibly rely on the same late-inning magic of a year ago, or will the odds catch up with them?

Scouts' take: They've looked sluggish all spring. Their starting pitching looks like a mess. Cahill looks like he's throwing (batting practice) out there; his ball isn't sinking at all. He was supposed to be a No. 2 starter but looks no better than a No. 4, and that's being nice. I'm not sure Collmenter would make hardly anyone else's rotation. His velocity is just 86 to 88 mph. They have some nice pitching depth, and Skaggs looks like he's close to ready. They have some nice outfielders on the way, too, with A.J. Pollock and Adam Eaton.

Season story lines: The Giants view last year's second-place finish as an aberration albeit an 86-win aberration. Their offense should be improved with the return of catcher Buster Posey, the 2010 National League rookie of the year, and the additions of outfielders Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan. The team resisted temptation to move Posey to first base after he broke his ankle on a play at the plate in May. Patience won't be a virtue with this team. They can't continue to waste superb efforts by their rotation. If first baseman Aubrey Huff struggles, he could be replaced quickly by Brandon Belt.

Season stat: 866. Games missed by players in 24 stints on the disabled list last season. The Giants again don't have the depth to survive major injuries to their front-line starters and will open the year with second baseman Freddy Sanchez and starter Ryan Vogelsong on the DL.

Scouts' take: They've had a good spring, but you still wonder if they'll have enough offense. I wonder about their pitching, too. If Brian Wilson is healthy, they won't have to worry about their bullpen. But you just wonder how healthy he is. I don't know if they're protecting his elbow. They have some nice scrappy extra infielders, but someone is going to have to start at second base for Freddy Sanchez. He won't be ready. The biggest surprise on their team might be (outfielder) Gregor Blanco. He has a nice, compact swing, and he's looking a lot better against left-handers. To me, Brandon Belt should be the first baseman, but they're stuck with that contract for Aubrey Huff.

3. Dodgers

Season story lines: The Dodgers think they have as good a shot as anyone to win the division after the club was sold to a group led by former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson and veteran baseball executive Stan Kasten. It's too late to pick up premier free agents, but they no longer have to worry about resources at the trade deadline. They can beef up their farm system and retain their free agents. The Dodgers can return to being a ballclub again without seeing owner Frank McCourt on TMZ and their club in bankruptcy.

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NL West preview: Diamondbacks look to repeat