MLB Power Rankings: The 25 Best Players in the NL West Entering 2012

With every NL West team completing trades and carrying out many other significant transactions this offseason, the 2012 regular season is shaping up to be a resurgence of sorts for the entire division.

From the San Francisco Giants' trade for Melky Cabrera and the San Diego Padres' acquisition of Huston Street to the Los Angeles Dodgers retaining outfielder Juan Rivera, Colorado Rockies trading for Tyler Chatwood and the Arizona Diamondbacks bringing Takashi Saito back to the NL West, the last few months of 2011 have proven valuable for the entire division.

As it stands this late December day, these are the top 25 players in the NL West.

25. Dexter Fowler

Team: Colorado Rockies

2011 Stats: .266 AVG, 5 HR, 45 RBI

Dexter Fowler used to be a fast runner, a threat whenever he got on base. In 2009, he stole 27 bases.

In 2011, he stole just 12 and was caught nine times. Paradoxically, Fowler recorded a career-high 15 triples last season, good enough for the third in the National League.

The lanky Rockies outfielder also scored his highest-ever slugging and on-base plus slugging percentages, tying career highs in both batting average and on-base percentage.

Fowler continues to show signs of potential, but with the youngster becoming not-so-young anymore (he'll be 26 on Opening Day), when do signs of potential turn into symptoms of a lackluster career?

24. Chase Headley

Team: San Diego Padres

Stats: .289 AVG, 4 HR, 44 RBI

After playing his fewest number of games due to injury since his part-time season of 2008, Headley saw a sudden rise in his batting average, jumping 25 points since 2010.

In 2011, Headley was unable to record a slugging percentage above .400 for the third straight season, though he did steal 13 bases and leg out one triple.

If Headley is able to fully return from his Aug. 6 broken finger injury, the Padres should expect a reinvigorated third baseman to regain some of the power he lost.

Unfortunately, as Andre Ethier's 2010 broken pinky injury has taught us, regaining power and consistency after a finger injury is not as easy as it may sound.

23. Trevor Cahill

Team: Arizona Diamondbacks

2011 Stats: 12-14 Record, 4.16 ERA, 147 K

Despite earning a career-high 147 strikeouts in 2011, Trevor Cahill was unable to find a winning record after finishing an impressive 18-8 in 2010.

Cahill was an AL All-Star for Oakland during that 2010 season, suggesting this young pitcher with just three years of MLB experience has a lot more to give.

Perhaps a change of scenery and league is all he needs to succeed in 2012. He is certainly joining an organization and fan base which is much more exciting than the regime he left by the Bay.

Cahill will jump into the D-Backs rotation where Joe Saunders jumped out, trying to fill the void left by Dan Haren several years ago when he went down to Anaheim (or "Los Angeles, of Anaheim").

Expect Cahill to bounce back in 2012 with a renewed sense of confidence in a new league. By turning the page, Cahill will relax and pitch a nice season.

22. Mark Kotsay

Team: San Diego Padres

2011 Stats, .270 AVG, 3 HR, 31 BI

In an attempt to shake up their roster, the Padres added Mark Kotsay last month.

A former Padre himself, Kotsay hasn't put up great numbers since the last time he was in San Diego in the early 2000s.

Still, San Diego must do something to kickstart their cellar-dwelling squad, and Kotsay's acquisition just might do it.

Kotsay will not become an NL All-Star overnight, but he has had success recently when switching teams—his batting average shot up 35 points after leaving the Red Sox for the White Sox, and his average shot up 31 points after leaving Chicago for the Milwaukee Brewers.

If Kotsay can keep that streak alive in 2012, he can become a much-needed leader for the Padres.

21. Chris Young

Team: Arizona Diamondbacks

2011 Stats: .236 AVG, 20 HR, 71 RBI, 22 SB

Chris Young plays a tremendous centerfield, thanks to the generous gift of speed that has allowed him to steal 104 bases since his MLB debut in 2006.

Though Young suffered a slight fall from his 2010 All-Star season, he has used the opportunity to learn the fine art of patience, recording a career-high of 80 walks (a career-high four of them intentional) in 2011, which was sixth in the NL.

Young is not a power outfielder, but he is a player who can score once he gets on base. Via the steal, hit-and-run, sacrifice or otherwise, Young is a heads-up ballplayer who gets the job done.

Expect more of the same from Young in 2012, after he recorded his second consecutive 20-20 season in 2011.

20. Huston Street

Team: San Diego Padres

2011 Stats: 29 Saves, 3.86 ERA, 55 K (58.1 IP)

Those poor Padres.

After trading away every single pitcher on their 2011 roster that finished the year with a winning record—save for 1-0 rookie Erik Hamren who earned his only win working less than an inning of relief—and losing Heath Bell to the Miami Marlins, the Padres acquired closer Huston Street to fill the void.

Street has seven years of big league experience, three of them with the Colorado Rockies. He is a career 3.11-ERA pitcher, holding the opposition to a batting average of .221 over the course of his time in the big leagues.

Street dominated with Colorado in his first NL season of 2009, recording 35 saves in 37 opportunities, a 3.06 ERA, .194 batting average against and 0.91 WHIP.

Though Street's numbers have gone down since, he might just be the shot in the arm San Diego needs to get going again.

19. Kenley Jansen

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

2011 Stats: 2-1 Record, 2.85 ERA, 96 K

With a remarkable .159 batting average against in 2011, Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen is a dominant closer in the making. His mark of 96 K in 53.2 IP equates to a rate of almost two strikeouts per inning.

The Dodgers rid themselves of closer Jonathan Broxton this offseason following a largely missed 2011 due to injury early in the season.

As a result, Jansen was one of several relief pitchers who auditioned for the role of Dodgers closer throughout 2011.

Considering Jansen's incredible success at pitching late in ballgames, the 25-year-old righty has an excellent chance to move into the closer role in 2012.

Once he begins getting regular playing time, he will develop into an even better pitcher than he already is and perfect the fine art of closing a baseball game.

18. Melky Cabrera

Team: San Francisco Giants

2011 Stats: .305 AVG, 18 HR, 87 RBI

Since leaving the New York Yankees following the 2009 season, outfielder Melky Cabrera has improved, recording his best season yet in 2011.

Finishing in the 2011 American League's top 10 in batting average, hits (201), runs (102) and doubles (44), Cabrera recorded career highs in batting average, OPS (.809), HR, RBI, 2B, hits and runs scored.

He also had 658 bats in which to compile those statistics, his most since 2007 when he went to the plate 545 times.

If the Giants offer Cabera consistent playing time in 2012, he has proven he is capable of piecing together a great season.

17. Seth Smith

Team: Colorado Rockies

2011 Stats: .284 AVG, 15 HR, 59 RBI

In lefty Seth Smith, the Rockies have an player who can hit, field and catch. Of the three outfielders in Colorado, Smith might be the least exciting, but he is a consistent ballplayer in his own right.

Backed by a hitter-friendly Coors Field, Smith hit nine triples in 2011, fifth best in the National League. He stole 10 bases for the first time in his career and recorded a career-high in doubles with 32.

Smith might not always generate the type of excitement CarGo, Tulo or the other Rockies spark plugs are known for, but he is a talented ballplayer who creeps up if you aren't careful.

16. Miguel Montero

Team: Arizona Diamondbacks

2011 Stats: .282 AVG, 18 HR, 86 RBI

As the D-Backs' primary catcher, Miguel Montero hits for average, a moderate degree of power and a great deal of run production.

Montero made his first All-Star team in 2011, an honor supported by his 36 doubles, ninth best in the National League.

He also threw out 32-of-80 would-be base stealers, recording 908 putouts and 78 assists over 997 total chances.

More than anything else, Montero is a consistent battery mate for any pitcher, a position that takes on added importance with Arizona's offseason pitching follies.

15. Jesus Guzman

Team: San Diego Padres

2011 Stats: .312 AVG, 5 HR, 44 RBI

In just 76 games and 247 at bats, first baseman Jesus Guzman injected some life into the fledgling San Diego franchise with his high batting average and unheard-of (in SD) .847 OPS.

Guzman should receive more consistent playing time in 2012, which should allow him to turn into the Padres' newest star.

With Heath Bell out of the picture, just about the only question left in San Diego is the issue of who will fill San Diego's roster spot at the 2012 All-Star Game.

With Guzman's potential ready to break through, the young Padres first baseman has a real shot.

14. Pablo Sandoval

Team: San Francisco Giants

2011 Stats: .315 AVG, 23 HR, 70 RBI

After an impressive 2011 season that saw Pablo Sandoval's first NL All-Star team selection, there is little doubt that the Panda's stock has risen heading into 2012.

Sandoval was named NL Player of the Week in late Sept., proving his durability and momentum heading into 2012.

He is an excellent defenseman at the hot corner, committing just 10 errors in 2011 out of 295 total chances.

Sandoval is immensely popular in the Bay Area and feeds off this enthusiasm to put up his tremendous numbers.

After a down year in 2010 and subsequent rebound in 2011, Sandoval is in prime position to return to 2009 form, in which he hit .330 while belting 25 HR and 90 RBI.

13. James Loney

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

2011 Stats: .288 AVG, 12 HR, 65 RBI

With Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw on the LA Dodgers' roster, James Loney can certainly be overlooked.

Like several other Dodgers, Loney experienced a down year in 2011, though his end-of-year performance provides a glimpse at the promise 2012 holds for the first baseman.

In August, Loney recorded a batting average of .367, followed by a .360 effort in Sept.

Loney will face 2012 with a revitalized Dodgers team ready to reclaim their place near the top of the NL West leaderboard.

12. Daniel Hudson

Team: Arizona Diamondbacks

2011 Stats: 16-12 Record, 3.49 ERA, 169 K

Pitching back of Diamondbacks ace Ian Kennedy, starter Daniel Hudson is an impressive pitcher himself.

With 16 wins, he finished sixth in the NL in that category and demonstrated his resilience by pitching 222.0 innings (fifth in the NL) with three complete games (fifth) over 33 games started (fourth).

When Hudson made the shift from the AL to the NL in mid-2010, he finished that year with a 7-1 record for Arizona with a 1.69 ERA.

Though his ERA has gone up after settling in with the D-Backs, Hudson remains a dominant pitcher, now ready to experience his second season of full-time NL starter service.

If that weren't enough, Hudson won a Silver Slugger Award in 2011, batting .277 with one home run and 14 RBI in 65 at bats. His OPS of .678 rivals that of quite a few position players throughout baseball.

11. Madison Bumgarner

Team: San Francisco Giants

2011 Stats: 13-13 Record, 3.21 ERA, 191 K

At times, 22-year-old Madison Bumgarner can channel shades of a young Clayton Kershaw, though he plays on a team that failed to provide much run support in 2011.

With his era of 3.21, Bumgarner cracked the top 10 in the NL ERA race just as he cracks the top 11 in this 25 Best NL Players slideshow.

What makes Bumgarner so threatening in 2012 is how he finished 2011, with a 9-4 record and 2.52 ERA since the All-Star break.

Bumgarner is still very baseball-young and is in perfect position to develop and improve.

The same was said about Kershaw several years ago, and look how he turned out.

10. Andre Ethier

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

2011 Stats: .292 AVG, 11 HR, 62 RBI

In September of 2011, outfielder Andre Ethier finally admitted he had been struggling with knee injuries throughout the season. The Dodgers ultimately shut him down in mid-September, and he underwent successful arthroscopic knee surgery later that month.

Ethier is reportedly in the midst of a rehabilitation that should ultimately result in his return to the club during spring training.

Even with a down year in 2011, Ethier was named to his second All-Star team in July.

Before his injury woes, Ethier hit 31 HR with 106 RBI in 2009, a season in which he won his first and only Silver Slugger award.

Ethier won a Gold Glove in 2011, a significant feat for an outfielder with a knee injury.

Expect Ethier to return from his injury with more power, more consistency and as the same kind of offensive threat Dodgers fans saw in 2009 and early 2010.

9. Buster Posey

Team: San Francisco Giants

2011 Stats: .284 AVG, 4 HR, 21 RBI (Partial Season)

Before Buster Posey suffered a devastating season-ending injury on May 25, 2011, he was in prime position to repeat his 2010 Rookie of the Year award-winning success from the year before.

In 2010, Posey earned a .305 batting average with an .862 OPS.

As a catcher, he proved his worth with a .994 fielding percentage last season in 361.0 innings of work.

Posey's recovery is reportedly going well, and he should be ready to go by Opening Day.

When he returns, he might struggle at first, but once he gets back into the swing of things, Posey should be even more powerful than he was in 2010.

8. Carlos Gonzalez

Team: Colorado Rockies

2011 Stats: .295 AVG, 26 HR, 92 RBI, 20 SB

Just as his name suggests, Rockies left fielder Carlos Gonzalez is definitely precious cargo.

MLB.com's Breakout Player of the Year in 2010, Gonzalez dipped a little in 2011 thanks to an untimely wrist injury.

If Gonzalez returns in 2012 completely healthy, there is a very good chance he will return to his 2010 Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award-winning numbers.

During that tremendous year, CarGo led the league in both batting average (.336) and hits (197). With 117 RBI in 2010, CarGo was second in the NL and with 34 home runs, he was fourth.

Just as Gonzalez was a breakout star in 2010, he should be a bounce-back big shot in 2012.

He is still looking for his first NL All-Star team selection, which he should receive this upcoming season.

7. Tim Lincecum

Team: San Francisco Giants

2011 Stats: 13-14 Record, 2.74 ERA, 220 K

He might not have had the same success experienced during his Cy Young award-winning seasons of 2008 and 2009, but Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is still one of the best pitchers in the NL West.

As of his 2011 NL All-Star Selection, he has been named to four consecutive All-Star teams and has finished in the top five in the National League in ERA every year since 2008.

When you look at his statistics, Lincecum is a mixed bag.

He was first in strikeouts from 2008-2010 and third in 2011, but his ERA dropped from second in 2008 and 2009 to 19th in 2010. He rebounded in 2011 to take fifth place in the NL ERA race.

Lincecum is a talented pitcher who, like Bumgarner, played for a 2011 squad that had trouble scoring runs.

He has pitched at least one complete-game shutout every season since 2008 and consistently starts 33 games per year while holding opponents to a batting average in the low .220s.

If the Giants can get their offense going again in 2012, Lincecum will see his win-loss record start to reflect the kind of pitcher he really is.

6. Brian Wilson

Team: San Francisco Giants

2011 Stats: 36 Saves, 3.11 ERA, 54 K (55.0 IP)

Make no mistake, the Giants' most valuable commodity can be summed up in one word: pitching.

Despite his club's offensive woes, Wilson earned 36 saves in 41 chances in 2011, picking up six extra wins along the way when he didn't record a save.

Though not as impressive as his World Series-winning 2010 season when he led the NL with 48 saves and a 1.81 ERA, Wilson nonetheless earned his third NL All-Star selection.

Though Wilson stumbled with control at times, surrendering a career-high 31 walks and striking out his fewest opponents since 2007, he also pitched his fewest innings since '07.

Perhaps the keys to Wilson's success lie with San Francisco's ability to hit and put the team in position to win ballgames.

Wilson is still a dominant closer, he just didn't have much chance to show it in 2011.

With Cabrera, Posey and the other newbies or injured players due back next season, expect Wilson to have more of those chances in 2012.

5. Ian Kennedy

Team: Arizona Diamondbacks

2011 Stats: 21-4 Record, 2.88 ERA, 198 K

Finishing in the top five in the NL Cy Young race, D-Backs starter Ian Kennedy had a tremendous year in 2011, punctuated by his winning MLB's GIBBY Breakout Player of the Year award earlier this offseason.

His 21 wins were good enough for a first-place tie in the NL with Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw while his career-low 1.09 WHIP was sixth best in the league.

With Trevor Cahill and the infusion of pitching talent Arizona will see in 2012, Kennedy is expected to be the ace of the Diamondbacks staff.

He has only been a regular starter for two years, but if his turnaround from 2010 to 2011 is any indication, he has many more years of success ahead of him.

The durable Kennedy worked a career-high 222.0 innings in 2011 while allowing a career-low 73 runs.

He pitched his first complete-game shutout in 2011 and is poised to make his first NL All-Star team in 2012.

4. Troy Tulowitzki

Team: Colorado Rockies

2011 Stats: .302 AVG, 30 HR, 105 RBI

In 2011, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki ranked fifth in the NL in RBI, sixth in OPS and triples, ninth in doubles and 10th in batting average.

Like many others on this list, Tulowitzki is under 30 years of age and has spent several years—in his case, his entire six-year career—with one team.

Tulowitzki might have peaked as far as batting average is concerned, but his power numbers are on the rise, and he recorded his first season with more than five intentional walks, being passed on 12 times in 2011.

This is a sign of the reputation Tulowitzki is beginning to get around the league, along with his 2010 and 2011 All-Star appearances, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards and his 2011 receipt of the Rockies Heart and Hustle Award (he also won in 2007).

Outside of Denver, Tulowitzki is an underrated enigma. This is a player who is ready to burst, and he will do so with a phenomenal 2012 performance.

3. Justin Upton

Team: Arizona Diamondbacks

2011 Stats: .289 AVG, 31 HR, 88 RBI, 21 SB

While no single statistic of Justin Upton's necessarily jumps off the page, Upton is still a serious offensive and defensive threat in the NL West.

Upton's 2011 was a breakout year as far as power and productivity are concerned. Upton's 39 doubles ranked second in the National League last season, his 105 runs were good enough for third place and his 31 home runs landed him in the No. 9 spot.

With 21 steals, Upton swiped the most bases of his career in 2011, also recording career highs in hits (171) and intentional walks (nine).

He won a 2011 Silver Slugger award, was named to the NL All-Star team and finished in fourth place on the NL MVP ballot, behind winner Ryan Braun, runner-up Matt Kemp and third place Prince Fielder.

Just as the Diamondbacks provided excitement in late 2011, expect Upton to lead the charge in 2012, when the Diamondbacks will be expected to contend for the NL West title.

2. Clayton Kershaw

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

2011 Stats: 21-5 Record, 2.28 ERA, 248 K

When Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw finished his 2011 season by securing the NL Pitching Triple Crown, he all but guaranteed himself a Cy Young Award.

Kershaw indeed won the 2011 Cy Young Award and will return in 2012 as the reigning best pitcher in the National League and certainly the best hurler in the NL West.

Kershaw will turn 24 years old on March 19, 2012, and he has steadily improved every season since his MLB debut with the boys in blue on May 25, 2008.

Kershaw's wins and strikeouts keep rising while his ERA and walks surrendered keep falling—the toughest challenge any NL West batter will have to face in 2012 is solving Kershaw.

In 2011, Kershaw made his first All-Star team, won his first Rawlings Gold Glove and won the MLB Players Choice for outstanding NL pitcher.

Even though he plays just 1.5 days per week, Kershaw is dominating enough to be the No. 2 player in the NL West.

1. Matt Kemp

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

2011 Stats: .324 AVG, 39 HR, 126 RBI, 40 SB

After a second-place finish in the 2011 NL MVP race, Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp was clearly the best player the NL West had to offer last season.

Had the Sept. 8 Dodgers vs. Nationals game not been cancelled and the Dodgers allowed to play out their full 162-game schedule, Kemp might have even joined the illustrious 40-40 club.

During the late-November press conference in which the Dodgers announced their eight-year, $160 million contract extension, Kemp responded to the tough news of his No. 2 MVP finish with resiliency and determination: "I'm going to go 50-50 next year. I'm telling you, y'all created a monster... I'm serious."

Pitchers beware, Kemp has done everything but sign a contract that guarantees a gigantic 2012 season on the heels of his incredible 2011 campaign.

To put it succinctly, Kemp led the league in home runs, RBI and runs scored (115) in 2011. He finished second in slugging percentage and OPS with .586 and .986 percentages, respectively. His stolen base mark of 40 steals was also second-best in 2011 while his batting average of .324 was third-best in the league.

If Kemp walks the walk after talking the talk this 2011 offseason and has an even better 2012 than his 2011, there is no question he will be the NL West's best player once again, if not the best player in all of Major League Baseball.