The battle of the NL West favorites is here

This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell's Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The Padres beat the Dodgers in the playoffs last year. Since then, they signed Xander Bogaerts and welcomed back Fernando Tatis Jr.

So, yes, things have changed in this once-lopsided rivalry.

Earlier this spring, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that his team was no longer viewed externally as the National League West favorite. He added that he was just fine with that.

Joe Musgrove, who takes the ball Friday night against Roberts’ Dodgers, feels the same way. Yes, the Padres are favorites, Musgrove says. That also doesn't mean much.

"I think he's right," Musgrove said. "I think we are the favorites. But all that stuff is talk, and it's all [on] paper. Nothing that's said or that's expected is just going to actually happen out there. We've got to go out and make this thing happen. ... Talk's all pretty cheap until you get out there and start playing."

This weekend is as good a chance as any for the Padres to stake their claim as favorites in the NL West. The Dodgers come to town for three games with three extremely fun pitching matchups:

Friday: Clayton Kershaw vs. Musgrove

Saturday: Dustin May vs. Yu Darvish

Sunday: Julio Urías vs. Blake Snell

“It’s going to be fun,” Tatis said. “It’s going to be great baseball. A lot of history behind us. But way more history now coming ahead of us. Let’s see how that unfolds.”

Friday's game marks the first of 13 matchups this season between the Padres and Dodgers. That's six fewer than in previous seasons as a result of MLB's balanced scheduling in 2023. As a result, when they do play, the stakes are higher -- particularly with the season-series winner earning a head-to-head tiebreaker.

"It's nice that we don't have to face each other quite as much," said Musgrove. "But it makes those games that you do play a little more impactful. It's a chance to directly impact the standings."

As things currently stand, the Dodgers lead the Padres by two games (with the upstart D-backs 1 1/2 behind L.A.). With six games between San Diego and L.A. over the next 10 days, it’s a chance for the Padres to make an early move in the divisional race -- starting Friday night with Musgrove.

"You try to look at it as another start," he said. "But obviously those games are pretty exciting, and that atmosphere here is going to be great."