Tony DeMarco

Two years ago, the San Diego Padres won the National League West with 82 victories. That same win total this season might get you no higher than a fourth-place finish in that division.

It’s a stretch to call any of the three NL divisions a powerhouse -- not when the American League keeps dominating interleague play. But the NL West has stepped into the void as that league’s deepest and best.

Look no further than the team ERA standings for the leading reason why: San Diego is on top; Los Angeles is fourth, Arizona fifth and San Francisco sixth. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers climb to third and fourth respectively (with San Diego on top again) when it comes to bullpen ERAs.

Even with an influx of pitching talent around the game in the last couple of years -- Justin Verlander, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Felix Hernandez, to name three -- there remains a premium on quality arms, and the NL West has collected more than its share lately.

The three California teams have pitchers’ parks on their side. And pitchers’ parks attract quality pitchers. Last winter, Barry Zito moved across the bay from the A’s Network Associates Coliseum to the Giants’ AT&T Park. Jason Schmidt moved south from AT&T Park to Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers brought Randy Wolf back close to home from the hitters’ paradise known as Citizens Bank Park. Greg Maddux moved down the coast from Dodger Stadium to Petco Park.

Arizona’s Chase Field is a hitters’ park, but that didn’t stop the Diamondbacks from making pitching acquisitions of their own, trading for Doug Davis and signing Randy Johnson.

And storing baseballs in a humidor has had definite mitigating effects on offense at Coors Field, helping a Rockies franchise that never had a chance of building a consistently solid pitching staff in the pre-humidor days.

“The humidor is probably the most important thing that’s happened for the long-term health of this franchise,’’ Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said. “It’s given us a chance to build a ballclub where pitching does matter. You have to have pitching, especially in the division we play in.’’

The Rockies also have two of the league’s best players you haven’t seen enough of. Matt Holliday’s coming-out party for the casual fan came during the recent Home Run Derby, but there is a reason why he received the most All-Star votes among players. He is a power hitter in an athlete’s body, with a compact swing that makes him a threat to win the franchise’s sixth batting title.

Slide show   The Week in Sports Pictures Fireworks, crash landings, Wimbledon theatrics and more. more photos

And Rookie of the Year candidate Troy Tulowitzki is the latest -- and possibly the best -- building block from a development system that also has cranked out Holliday, Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook, Garrett Atkins, Brad Hawpe and Manuel Corpas.

But there is emerging talent all around the NL West.

The Diamondbacks are playing Miguel Montero, Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Mark Reynolds and Chris Young regularly, and remain in playoff contention.

You can make the argument that the best young talent in the NL West is in Los Angeles, where James Loney, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton play key roles, and Russell Martin is an All-Star at age 24.

And while San Francisco’s position players are ancient -- and the Giants are the only NL West team currently in a retooling cycle -- Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Noah Lowry likely are untouchables.

Only the Giants are below .500, and through Wednesday’s games, the fourth-place Rockies sat only 5½ games off the division lead and 4½ off the wild card, currently held by the Padres.

In a wide-open pennant chase, in a league that obviously is the weaker of the two, there is a golden opportunity for an NL West team to get to the World Series, which hasn’t happened since a two-year run in 2001-02.

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

Home Game: Cards’ Pujols leads All-Star voting Opinion: Surprising Rangers receive All-Star snub MLB blog: Fans reject Manny, A-Rod for right reasons Open Mike: Baseball fans prove they know their game All-Star starters, pitchers, reserves Live updates on Monday's baseball games MLB blog: Cubs, Wrigley Field sold to Chicago family MLB blog: Manny may get rough reception in N.Y. MLB blog: Phillies might be interested in Pedro MLB blog: Here's what you missed Sunday Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: