Padres pitcher sets the stage for an NL West showdown as his team looks poised to challenge perennial champs

Can the San Diego Padres emerge as NL West champions after the 2023 regular season? If they can, it would mark the first season in a decade that the divisional title has not gone to their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In an interview with USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Padres pitcher Drew Pomeranz spoke about last year's NLDS showdown between the two teams.

“We were the little brother to the Dodgers for so many years," Pomeranz said, continuing to point out that (the shift) finally came when we beat those guys in the playoffs. That was so huge for our organization.’’

"San Diego #Padres no longer the LA #Dodgers "little brother" in NL West" - @ Bob Nightengale

The Padres made their first full-season playoff appearance in 2022 for the first time since 2006. However, they rolled over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a straight sweep before being eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS.

The San Diego Padres have a lot to look forward to in 2023. For one, the 2021 NL home run champion, Fernando Tatis Jr., is back. Tatis' 80-game suspension will be lifted in mid-April. Between injuries and the suspension, Tatis has not taken the field since his 42 home run season in 2021.

Additionally, the San Diego Padres signed former Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year deal worth $280 million. Bogaerts has hit above .300 in nine of his ten seasons in the MLB. NL MVP runner-up Manny Machado hit 32 home runs and 102 as a Padre in 2022.

"If you start watching Game 4 of the NLDS between the LA Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres at exactly 9:28 and 40 seconds tonight, you will start the new year with Jake Cronenworth eliminating the 111 win Dodgers from the Playoffs." - @ Devine Sports Gospel

The main area where the Padres may struggle to measure up to the Los Angeles Dodgers is pitching. In 2022, the Dodgers were the best pitching team in the MLB, by far. With a team ERA of just 2.80, the Dodgers allowed one run fewer per game than the Padres, whose ERA stood at 3.81 in 2022, 11th in the MLB.

Although the NL West is far from decided, the San Diego Padres will provide healthy competition

The truth is that the Dodgers have not had to deal with real competition in their division for a long time. Ever since the mighty San Francisco Giants of the late 2010s began to fall apart, the division has been theirs. Although on paper, the Dodgers are the superior team, last year's NLDS proved that the San Diego Padres have what it takes.