2015 MLB Non-Contenders Most Likely to Reach 2016 Playoffs

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Despite not having a salary cap, MLB has seemed to have more parity than the other professional sports leagues, especially lately. That means a lot of playoff turnover from year to year. While there are established teams from last year that will likely reach the playoffs again in 2016, there are some 2015 playoff teams that are vulnerable this season.

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With several teams missing out on the playoffs last year getting better over the offseason, expect to see some new teams playing this Fall. Based on what they were able to do this offseason and what teams in their leagues and divisions did, these five teams are the most likely to reach the playoffs after missing out a season ago.

Next: 5. Arizona Diamondbacks

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

There were few teams in baseball that pulled off more surprising moves than the Diamondbacks this offseason. They gave ace Zack Greinke more than $200 million to move to the desert and they sold the farm to land top-of-the-rotation pitcher Shelby Miller.

Those two pitchers give them a nice one-two punch at the top, but let’s not forget about this team’s lineup. They have A.J. Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt at the top of the lineup; those two form what could be the best offensive duo in the NL West. One thing that does hurt them offensively, though, is the loss of outfielder Ender Inciarte.

Inciarte was a great tone setter last season, but he was included in the trade for Miller. Though he’s not the same type of hitter, Yasmany Tomas will have to take a big step in his second season to fill that offensive void. The potential is still there for Arizona to put a lot of runs on the board.

This season, the NL West is going to be really tough. Making the playoffs in the National League is going to be tough, period. Right now, Arizona is on the outside looking in, but that’s better than what they could say for themselves last year.

Next: 4. Washington Nationals

4. Washington Nationals

After an extremely disappointing 2015 campaign, the Nationals are going to be motivated to right the ship in 2016. That still may not be enough, but it sure is going to provide a boost to an already talented roster.

The addition of Dusty Baker as manager is big for Washington. There are varying opinions on his value as a manager, but he has been historically good at taking teams a step away from contention and pushing them that extra step. He will have to be more trusting of young players in Washington than he has been at other stops, though.

Of course, it helps him that he has the best hitter on the planet right now: Bryce Harper. As scary as it is, Harper could build on his monster 2015 NL MVP campaign. If Washington avoids getting hit by the injury bug as much as they did last year, they could give the Mets a run for their money in the division, because they’re a much better offensive team than New York.

Next: 3. Seattle Mariners

3. Seattle Mariners

Seattle is another team that will be motivated by its 2015 shortcomings. New general manager Jerry DiPoto surely did everything in his power to make sure they don’t fall short again in 2016. He went on a trading rampage early in the offseason and drastically changed the team’s roster.

Major additions:

None of those players are huge names, but all of them will provide more depth to a roster deprived of that last season. Benoit and Cishek make the bullpen instantly better and Karns will provide a big boost to the rotation. Additionally, Karns is coming off his rookie season, so he figures to contribute for years to come.

Martin will play nicely at the top of the order and Lind will provide some pop to the middle of the lineup. The Rangers and Astros are still very much the teams to beat in the AL West, but the Mariners could surprise some people.

Based on their more well-constructed roster, expect them to compete for an American League wild card spot at the very least. Who knows, maybe they even make a run at the division.

Next: 2. Boston Red Sox

2. Boston Red Sox

Any time you add David Price to an already talented team, you’re going to be competitive. That’s what the Red Sox did, and it looks like new president Dave Dombrowski has his team in a position to compete right away.

The lineup was very good last season, especially toward the end of the year. That was without significant contributions from big free agent signees, Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez. If they get production out of those two, this lineup could be scary.

If Clay Buchholz stays healthy, he makes for a solid No. 2 starter behind Price, who is the team’s new ace. Eduardo Rodriguez showed promise as a young starter a season ago, so he could be the team’s No. 3 and learn a lot from Price, who is a similar type of pitcher.

In a relatively weak AL East, the Red Sox have a very good shot at claiming the division. After two seasons at the bottom, they want to get back to October. If they get there, they will have Big Papi on their side, playing the last Fall baseball of his career. And if history is any indication, he could carry them deep into October.

Next: 1. San Francisco Giants

1. San Francisco Giants

Very few teams did more to improve this offseason than the Giants, who are already in the midst of a dynasty. Adding to a talented group, the team went out and signed players like Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Denard Span.

The Giants were a playoff-caliber team a year ago, but they had to deal with so many injuries, it was hard to keep up with other teams when they got hot around August. That is unlikely to be the case this year, though, because the team has more depth, especially in the rotation.

Projected 2016 Rotation:

LHP Madison Bumgarner
RHP Johnny Cueto
RHP Jeff Samardzija
RHP Jake Peavy
RHP Chris Heston

That doesn’t even include Matt Cain, who is a major question mark based on his injury history.

San Francisco knows how to win when it matters most. After all, they’ve won three of the last six World Series. In 2010, 2012, and 2014 (all even-numbered years), they claimed the title behind strong pitching and timely hitting.

They have the tools to get it done again, so can they keep the even-numbered year streak going and win their fourth Fall Classic in seven years? After missing the playoffs a season ago, it’s a decent bet.

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