In a division where every game feels like October, the NL West has once again asserted itself as Major League Baseball’s fiercest battleground. And at the heart of it all are three teams — the Los Angeles Dodgers, Padres, and Giants— whose rivalries, reputations, and resentments are shaping what could be the most compelling pennant race of 2025.
Three franchises separated by little more than a few hundred miles of California highway—are locked in a high-stakes clash not just for divisional supremacy, but for postseason survival. After taking two of three from the Padres in San Diego this week, the Dodgers exited Petco Park with a one-game edge in the division over San Francisco and a renewed sense of urgency.
“This is the gauntlet,” said manager Dave Roberts. “We’re in a stretch now where we’re facing playoff-caliber teams every night. There’s no let-up.”
The NL West Gauntlet: Los Angeles Dodgers, Padres, and Giants Heat Up Baseball’s Toughest Division
That stretch includes a red-hot San Francisco team, surging into the picture on a six-game win streak. Once written off in April, San Francisco has pulled even with the heavyweights in Los Angeles and San Diego, reminiscent of their 107-win shocker in 2021. The Dodgers host them this weekend in what could be an early battle for first place—and yet another chapter in a rivalry that dates back more than a century.
But it’s the Dodgers-Padres clash that’s taken on a new level of intrigue in recent years. Three postseason meetings since 2020, a dugout-clearing incident last October, and a growing sense that San Diego’s finally knocking on the door have made each matchup feel like a mini-playoff series. The latest round saw LA bounce back from an 11-1 loss to take the rubber match 5-2, with Teoscar Hernández delivering a three-run bomb and eight pitchers combining to shut down San Diego’s high-powered lineup.
“This being a playoff atmosphere – against this team – awesome series to be a part of,” said Dodgers pitcher Ben Casparius.
Still, not everyone in the Dodgers clubhouse is ready to anoint the Padres as true rivals. “They bring all the energy of a rivalry,” said Max Muncy, “but our rival is the Giants. That’s never going to change.”
Even so, the stakes speak for themselves. With the Diamondbacks looming and the wild-card race tightening, the path out of the NL West is a minefield. For now, the Dodgers are leading the charge—but in a division this competitive, even a single series can shift everything.
Welcome to the gauntlet.