Arizona Diamondbacks Tickets

2008 Arizona Diamondbacks Playoff Outlook The Arizona Diamondbacks are currently in a dead heat in a battle for the National League West crown with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Diamondbacks got off to such a hot start to the season and it appeared as though they would run away with the West by the All-Star break. However, the team made it's way quickly back toward the .500 mark, tightening up the division.

The offense has been suspect at best. Young outfielder Justin Upton drew comparisons to Ken Griffey Jr. earlier in the year when he was scorching at the plate and carrying the offense, but he has been mired in a slump since the spring.

It also doesn't help that outfielder Eric Byrnes has been on the disabled list with a hamstring injury nearly the entire season after having a career year in 2007. What seemed like a minor injury at the time has turned into a season-ending one.

To upgrade the offense, the Diamondbacks traded for Cincinnati Reds slugger Adam Dunn. He has made a major impact in the middle of the lineup by adding some protection for the other hitters as well as knocking in runs and drawing walks.

Arizona has great starting pitching at the top of their rotation, but then there is a pretty major drop off. Ace Brandon Webb has had a fantastic year outside of a few starts in the middle of the summer, and he is the top candidate to win the Cy Young award.

Dan Haren came over from the Oakland Athletics in a trade in the offseason and is essentially the pitching staff's second ace. The Webb-Haren combo will throw a scare into any potential playoff foe, particularly in a five-game series.

The team continues to look for help at the back end of the rotation. They are hoping Doug Davis gets better as he works his way back from cancer, and there has been hope that pitching phenom Max Scherzer will be ready for the big time soon.

The bullpen has been an issue, especially at the end of games. Closer Brandon Lyon has been shaky at times, and the Diamondbacks acquired Washington Nationals closer Jon Rauch as some insurance and to bolster the bullpen.

The Diamondbacks should win this division based on talent alone. It also doesn't hurt that the Dodgers are constantly dealing with injuries and haven't been able to get over the hump since June.