NL power shift keeps West teams busy

Published Dec. 15, 2010 10:08 a.m. ET

foxsports

By Jack Magruder
FOXSportsArizona.com

It is no wonder Philadelphia swooped in to sign Cliff Lee.

The NL balance of power has swung to the West, and even those as recently dominant as the Phillies are just trying to catch up.

The Western shift was affirmed by San Francisco's 2010 NLCS victory over the Phillies and ensuing five-game World Series victory over Texas, but the evidence has been mounting over the past decade.

All five teams in the NL West have made the playoffs since 2006, and two