NL West Futures: Who Will Win the NL West This Year?
Updated September 23, 2026
Updated September 23, 2026
The NL West has reached a clear conclusion in the division futures market. Los Angeles separated itself from the pack and has already secured the division, leaving the remaining clubs to finish the regular season with very different goals. San Diego is still working for favorable postseason placement, Arizona is trying to keep a Wild Card path open, and San Francisco and Colorado have shifted their attention to player evaluation and next season.
Los Angeles entered the year as the clear favorite and ultimately justified that position. The season was not completely smooth, with injuries affecting key players and stretches where the lineup was less consistent than expected. Even so, the Dodgers had enough depth, star power, and pitching quality to keep control of the division over the long haul.
The market has effectively reached its endpoint with Los Angeles as the winning side. The club has already secured the NL West and is now concentrating on postseason seeding, health, and getting important players ready for October. A recent win over San Diego also reinforced that the Dodgers are finishing the regular season in strong shape despite lingering injury questions, making LA deserved World Series futures favorites.
San Diego spent much of the season as the most credible alternative to Los Angeles, but the gap at the top proved too large to close. The Padres have played some of their best baseball late in the year, giving themselves a strong chance to extend their season even though the division race is finished.
Their place in the NL West futures market is settled. San Diego can no longer catch Los Angeles for the division, so the remaining focus is on the Wild Card race and the possibility of earning a more favorable postseason position in the NL pennant futures race. The recent loss at Dodger Stadium was a reminder that the Padres still have work to do before October.
Arizona has had a competitive season without quite putting together the sustained stretch needed to threaten Los Angeles for the division. The Diamondbacks have remained relevant deep into September, and recent wins have kept a narrow postseason route open.
From a division futures perspective, Arizona is out of contention. Its attention has moved to the final Wild Card spot, where the club needs a strong finish and help elsewhere. Arizona still has meaningful baseball to play, but that urgency now belongs to the postseason race rather than the NL West title.
San Francisco never developed into the division threat its preseason expectations suggested it could become. Injuries, uneven play, and a roster that increasingly leaned on younger players changed the direction of the season well before the final week.
The Giants are no longer part of the live NL West market and have been eliminated from postseason consideration. Their closing games are more about development and evaluation, with younger players receiving opportunities that could shape offseason decisions. That makes the final stretch useful for the organization, even if the original division goals are gone.
Colorado entered the season as the longest shot in the division and remained far from contention. The year became another development-focused campaign, with attention shifting to prospects, roster decisions, and the direction of the club beyond this season.
There is no remaining NL West futures path for the Rockies. The team is playing out the final week while assessing younger talent and preparing for another important offseason. For futures readers, Colorado was never a serious late-season factor in this market.
