Best Player on Every MLB Team: NL West
To finish off the National League portion of this series, let's head out west.
Los Angeles Dodgers - Mookie Betts
It wasn't easy to choose between Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, as both of them will be in Cooperstown once they retire, and they both had elite seasons in 2023. Mookie had a higher WAR, SLG, OPS, AND OPS+ than Freddie, while Freddie hit for a higher batting average and OBP. Freeman had more stolen bases, but Mookie hit more home runs and RBIs in nine fewer games. I gave Mookie a slight advantage because of his power surge, hitting a career-high 39 home runs in 2023. Although Mookie and Freddie didn’t perform well in the playoffs, Freman is under club control through 2027, and Mookie’s contract doesn’t expire until after the 2032 season; therefore, they’ll have a few more years to try and put it together in October and win their first ring with the Dodgers.
Arizona Diamondbacks - Corbin Carroll
Corbin Carroll made history in his incredible rookie season, becoming the first player in MLB history to record 25 home runs and 50 stolen bases. The Diamondbacks did their part, signing him to an eight-year extension worth $111 million. Carroll slashed .285/.362/.506 in 645 plate appearances during his rookie season. With Arizona heading to Texas to play the Rangers in the World Series, you have to give a ton of credit to Corbin Carroll for leading the Diamondbacks to their first playoff appearance since 2017 and first World Series appearance since 2001.
San Francisco Giants - Logan Webb
Logan Webb has quietly been one of the better pitchers in baseball for the past three seasons. Webb somehow hasn’t been selected to the NL All-Star team in any of the past three years, but he’s still been excellent regardless of accolades. From 2021-2023, Webb has a 3.07 ERA in 91 starts. One of the big reasons Webb was so good this season is because he had a league-leading 3.6 walk percentage. He also features a filthy slider, that opposing hitters are batting just .208 against that pitch.
San Diego Padres - Blake Snell
Blake Snell found his 2018 Cy Young form again in 2023. Snell showed off his elite swing-and-miss stuff throughout the 2023 season, placing in the 98th percentile in whiff percentage and 94th percentile in strikeout percentage. Snell led MLB in ERA, recording a 2.25 ERA in 180 innings. The only downside to Snell is that he doesn’t usually go deep into his starts, averaging around 5.2 innings per start. Snell will likely win NL Cy Young this season, making him the seventh player in MLB history to win a Cy Young award in both leagues.
Colorado Rockies - Nolan Jones
The Rockies had their worst record in club history this year, losing 103 games. However, it wasn’t a bad season for 25-year-old outfielder Nolan Jones. Not only did he record a .931 OPS as a rookie, but he also became the first rookie in MLB history to record at least 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 19 outfield assists. It’s also worth mentioning that Jones broke the Rockies single-season record for outfield assists in a single season, and he only played 106 games. If Nolan Jones plays a full season in 2024 and keeps performing like this, he could become one of the best all-around players in MLB.