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No. 8 Arizona Diamondbacks
2000 Record: 85-77 (3rd NL West) The Arizona Diamondbacks finished a disappointing third in the NL West last season. This year, Arizona's aging team looks to make one last run at the postseason, and I think they can get there. Mark Grace and Reggie Sanders were brought in to strengthen an offense that fell from first to 10th in the National League in runs scored. A healthy year from Matt Williams would help just as much. Williams played in just 96 games last season and hit only 12 home runs. Steve Finley and Luis Gonzalez will have to continue their age defying production, and 35-year-old Jay Bell needs to bounce back from last year's .267 average. With Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, Arizona has baseball's most fearsome 1-2 punch -- and they will be counted on to win big. At 37 and 34 respectively, you might think Johnson and Schilling would be slowing down. But putting these two In Focus , you see that over the last three years one or the other have led the NL in complete games.
Schilling didn't make a difference for the D'backs during the pennant race last season. And he and Johnson will have to be workhorses the entire year to help cover up a questionable back half of the rotation. I think they can do it, and that's why I rank Arizona as the eighth-best team in baseball.
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