As everyday players report to spring training this week, it’s time to look at the divisions, team-by-team, and see how they fair going into the season. I will be breaking down each club, starting in the NL West with my hometown Los Angeles Dodgers, assessing one team a day. I will finish with the world champion New York Yankees and their chances of being the first team to repeat since 2000, when they did it a decade ago.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Offense

The Dodgers enter spring training, just like last year, with one of the most potentially potent offenses in the National League.

The top of the order is balanced with Rafael Furcal leading off as the veteran presence on the team (Manny Ramirez may be older but would not be called a locker room leader), followed by a pair of young bats that might turn out to be among the best 1-2 punches in the national league, if not in all of baseball.

The combination of Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp batting second and third in the lineup is one national league pitching staffs will continue to fear, especially with Ramirez protecting them in the cleanup spot. While Ethier has developed in each of the past few seasons and his improvement should continue this season, Matt Kemp is poised to become a real threat this year with his combination of power and speed.

But no matter how well Ethier and Kemp play, what will stand in the way of the Dodger’s offense leading it to the World Series is Manny Ramirez’s motivation.

After announcing this will be his last year as a Dodger and possibly his last in the majors, only Manny knows how focused he will be.

If he can recreate the half-season he enjoyed with the Dodgers two seasons ago, this lineup could be very dangerous on the front end. But if he plays as he did after his suspension last year they might not have what it takes to beat the Phillies in a playoff series.

Rounding out the lineup is James Loney at first base, another young power bat who has improved over the past few seasons, Russell Martin behind the plate, and Casey Blake and Ronnie Belliard filling out the final infield positions at third base and second base, respectively.

While all four are serviceable, the front of the order will have to do the heavy lifting if the Dodgers hope to claim their third straight NL West crown.

Pitching

Whether the Dodgers will regret letting Randy Wolf leave via free agency will be determined by the effectiveness of their two young studs, Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley.

Kershaw, only 21 years old, has the potential to be one of the best power pitchers in all of baseball, and is looking to build upon last season when he struck out 185 and posted a 2.79 ERA. If he can get more run support and produce some more wins, he will be right in the thick of the Cy-Young race.

Billingsley, a 12-game winner last year, also has the potential to break out in a huge way. If he can reduce his walk count from last year (he was fifth in the NL) then there is no reason this cannot be a huge season for the 25-year-old.

Rounding out the rotation is Hideki Kuroda, who is looking to regain his 2008 form after being injured for part of last season; Vicente Padilla, who’s stellar postseason play surprised Dodgers and Cardinals fans alike; and James McDonald, a power arm starting his first season in the rotation.

The hard throwing (up to 100 mph) Jonathan Broxton will start the year as the Dodgers’ closer, and will be set up by a group including lefty and former Baltimore Orioles closer George Sherrill, Hong-Chih Kuo, and potentially Eric Gagne, provided he has anything left to bring back to his original stomping grounds.

Prediction

Even with the second-half prowess the Rockies and Giants showed last season, on top of a healthy Brandon Webb back in Arizona, the Dodgers remain the favorites to win the NL West.

If Ramirez, Kuroda, and especially Russell Martin can find their 2008 form, then this team will be set to make some major noise in the National League, and even possibly topple the Phillies from atop the NL pennant.

But without strong performances from those three, another early round exit from the playoffs will be the most likely outcome for the Dodgers in 2010.