The Major League Baseball season is already three months completed and there have been some major story lines, some of which are going on as we speak.
The Cleveland Indians are one of the best teams in baseball for the first time in a long time, while teams like the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants are running through the league behind great pitching and great hitting.
This is also the last season for Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, who has been one of the most consistent players in the league for over 10 years.
Aside from the dominant teams, there are a few teams currently flying under the radar who have the tools and talent to make a run to the postseason. This article will list five of those teams who have the best chances to get to October.
1. Toronto Blue Jays
This season seems a bit similar to the Blue Jays’ season last year, in which they struggled in the first half, but made some moves before the trade deadline, and got some pieces to help them make the playoffs.
The Jays are not necessarily struggling this season, but they are currently three-and-a-half games back in the division, behind the Red Sox and first-place Baltimore Orioles.
If any team in the American League East has the ability to make a second-half run, it’s definitely the Jays. Their designated hitter, Edwin Encarnacion, is tearing the cover off of the ball lately. Outfielder Jose Bautista is currently on the disabled list, but he should get right back to his old ways of hitting homers when he comes back.
The team’s pitching has been somewhat inconsistent, but the talent is there and could make an impact when needed. Don’t be surprised if the Blue Jays go on a run and end up winning their division because it is definitely possible.
2. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers have been a bit of a disappointment the past few seasons. They seem to always have great talent, but can never make it all the way.
The team failed to reach the postseason last season, as their star player, Miguel Cabrera, battled injuries most of the year. Cabrera has been healthy this season, and the team’s record shows. One of their other stars, J.D. Martinez, is on the disabled list with an elbow injury, but other players like Justin Upton and Ian Kinsler have been picking up the slack for the team. The team’s offense is too good to go away quietly and they should most likely keep it rolling into the second half.
The AL Central is a tough division this year, as the Tigers are only in third place, behind the Indians and defending champion Kansas City Royals. A lot of people will say the Indians can’t keep it up, but their pitching is the real deal, and if they keep doing what they’ve been doing, then the Tigers will be looking towards getting one of the wild card spots instead of attempting to win the division. All the Tigers need to do is keep hitting and the wins will fall into place.
3. Houston Astros
The surprise team of last year, the Astros actually made the playoffs last season after being the worst team in baseball for many years prior. They defeated the New York Yankees in the wild card game, but then lost to the Royals in the division series. Young players like Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer fueled the team all year long and are doing the same this year.
The Astros have a tough task on their hands for the rest of this season. They are in second-place in the AL West division, eight-and-a-half games behind the Texas Rangers, who are having a great year. The Astros are currently on a four-game winning streak, so they are still alive in the race for the playoffs, although they may have to play in the wild card game again in order to get into the postseason this year.
4. New York Mets
Another surprise team from last year, the Mets are having an odd season this year. After making it to the World Series last year, they came into 2016 with high expectations, but have just been an average team so far.
Their pitching has been problematic, as their ace, Matt Harvey, only has four wins with a 4.55 earned run average. Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard have been good, but Steven Matz and Bartolo Colon can be inconsistent. The offense has not been doing much either, as Yoenis Cespedes is the only player on the team that has good numbers.
It will be tough for the Mets to make the postseason, as the Washington Nationals lead them in the division by five games. The Mets also have to compete with other good teams, such as the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins, for the wild card.
If Harvey can start to pitch better and more guys step up on offense, the Mets can definitely make the playoffs, but if they continue to play like they have so far, then it will be tough sledding for them.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers
It seems for as long as the Dodgers have had their pitcher Clayton Kershaw, they have been a dominant team in the National League. They are not as dominant this year, as the Giants are ahead of them in the division leading by six games. Kershaw was also recently placed on the disabled list with a back injury, which could keep him out for a month or so.
Losing their starting pitcher Zack Greinke in the offseason seemed to hurt the Dodgers a bit this year. These two occurrences have left the team with not many good pitchers currently able to play, besides possibly Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda.
Once Kershaw returns from injury, the team should definitely get rolling. They are already in first place in the wild card race, so if they can try to play as consistent as possible in Kershaw’s absence, they should be fine in the long run. It will be a tough task to overtake the Giants, who are 20 games over .500. Even if the Dodgers are forced to play the wild card game, they will most likely pitch Kershaw in that game, which will be difficult for any team to go up against.
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