Arizona Diamondbacks Tickets

One of the youngest teams in baseball is hoping that more seasoning will lead to a National League West crown.

There is no doubting that amount of talent up and down Arizona's roster, only if they can put it all together for an entire season.

The outfield is young and talented, led by Chris Young and Conor Jackson. Young is a speedster who should only continue to improve his all-around game while Jackson is one of the sluggers in the lineup.

Jackson could also see time at first back, as could Chad Tracy. Tracy lost his third base job to Mark Reynolds, who has an impressive blend of speed and power. He just needs to become more consistent so he isn't so prone to long slumps.

I'm just waiting for outfielder Justin Upton to have a breakout season. Upton, who is the younger brother of Tampa Bay Rays center fielder B.J., has been often compared to Ken Griffey, Jr. That is high praise to say the least.

Randy Johnson left the Diamondbacks to sign elsewhere in the offseason, leaving a large (literally) void in the starting rotation.

Not to fear though, as I love the top of the rotation out in Arizona. Brandon Webb is a true ace and one of the top five pitchers in the league. The ground ball pitcher is joined by Dan Haren, who was a solid No. 2 in his first season with the Diamondbacks.

Doug Davis rebounded from cancer last year and should be more effective this year now that he has regained some of his strength and feel on the mound. The team brought in Jon Garland in the offseason, a solid innings-eater who could really benefit from the weaker lineups in the N.L.

The fifth spot in the rotation should belong to electric rookie Max Scherzer, who has the potential to be a staff ace down the road. He saw some time last year, but injuries and inexperience slowed his progress.

The team has several options at closer, but look for Chad Qualls to get the first crack. Tony Pena and Jon Rauch will be valuable in setup roles and both could get a look if Qualls struggles closing out games.

The Diamondbacks have a very talented, balanced team that could take them a long way. After struggling down the stretch in 2008, I expect this club to compete for a division title and much more in 2009.