NL West

Yasiel Puig's first home run of the 2014 season may not stop traveling until he hits his second. 

The powerful-yet-sometimes-polarizing right fielder crushed a towering shot off of the San Diego Padres' Ian Kennedy in the first inning on Tuesday afternoon, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. 

With the finalization of Bruce Bochy's 25-man roster, it's time to take a look at where the San Francisco Giants' top prospects landed following the all-important decision. Only a few lucky youngsters cracked San Francisco's 2014 big league squad, with the majority of the top talents sent back to the minor leagues to continue to hone their skills.

That creaking sound you hear coming from the general direction of the NL West is that of a door of opportunity opening up, and it has everything to do with an injured $215 million pitcher.

During a rare season when the San Francisco Giants' starting rotation struggled as a whole, finishing with the seventh-highest ERA (4.37) in baseball in 2013, Buster Posey's decline in production went relatively unnoticed. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers began the defending of their 2013 NL West division title by pummeling the Arizona Diamondbacks in their two-game series in Sydney, Australia, last Saturday. The 3-1 and 7-5 victories were an ideal start to a campaign filled with champagne dreams. However, Dodgers fans should resist the urge to start waiving World Series championship flags with 160 games still left on the schedule.

The Dodgers picked up 2014 right where last season left off—dashing the rival Diamondbacks' hopes and dreams on their home field. Only this time, the "home field" was in front of thousands of Australian fans at Sydney Cricket Ground. 

It's safe to say for the San Francisco Giants, everything looks different now than it did at the beginning of spring training.

Mark Minicozzi became a household name among Giants fans before getting optioned to the minors. Brandon Hicks has completely changed the infield battle. Ryan Vogelsong has worried many with his performance, but the other pitchers have quieted many critics.

Following Saturday morning's 3-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won their season opener in four consecutive years for the first time since 1963-66, per ESPN Stats & Info.

The distance between Los Angeles, Calif., and Sydney, Australia, is roughly 7,500 miles or 6,500 nautical miles.

The Giants System Check video offers a quick overview of the team's farm system, addressing its strengths and weaknesses and how it can improve moving forward. The video also provides a breakdown of the Giants' top prospects for 2014, pitchers Kyle Crick, Edwin Escobar and Chris Stratton, including each player's ETA in the major leagues and potential long-term role within the organization.