MLB: Fixing Holes on Struggling Contenders

There are quite a few teams that were expected to contend this year in the MLB that are struggling. What do these teams need to do in order to get back into contention?

At the beginning of the season, there were several teams expected to contend this season in the MLB. After all, these teams were in contention last year, and with various moves they made or with the general weakness of the division, they were expected to be a part of the postseason once again.

But, you know what they say about the best laid plans. Even those teams that addressed their perceived weaknesses have had issues in those areas, or have seen problems in areas that were expected to be strengths. This is why, as the saying goes, championships are not won based on what a team looks like on paper. Those games still need to be played.

Now that we’re about a fifth of the way through the season, it is a good time to take stock of where each team stands. It is also a good time to get an idea as to what areas may need to be improved, in an attempt to turn around a season before it is too late.

So what areas do these teams need to focus on? Let us take a look at a few expected contenders that have struggled out of the gate thus far in 2016.

Next: American League East