MLB: Three Playoff Teams That Won't Repeat in 2017

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The 2016 MLB playoffs were perhaps the greatest in recent memory. From watching the Cubs make history, to the agony of defeat of nine other teams, this season was something special.

Ten teams suited up to play MLB October baseball this year. The National League was very competitive, as no sweeps occurred. The American League was nearly the exact opposite. If it wasn’t for a Blue Jays win in Game 4 of the ALCS, every series would have been a sweep. It all led down to the World Series, a seven-game slug fest that resulted in a curse being broken. Despite being one of the best MLB postseasons in recent memory, there will undoubtedly be some different teams participating next October.

Whether it was because of their playoff performance or trends to end the season, three teams stand out as potentially not making it back to October. These teams may have lost talent, or simply can’t keep up with their division foes. Everything can change in December, however, as these teams may make a splash. But whatever the reason may be, these same teams don’t seem like they will make a big move this winter.

So which teams am I addressing? One team from the NL and two from the AL. These ball clubs will still be competitive next season, and will still make a close push for October. It’s not that they will be complete busts next season, it’s that other ball clubs seem more fit to make the trip to the postseason. There is a very good chance that each one of these teams will prove me wrong and send three other teams out of October. However, because of the trends of last season and the growth of the competition, here are three teams that will fail to make the postseason next season.

3. San Francisco Giants

Now I could base the entirety of my argument on the fact that 2017 isn’t an even year. Odd years seem to be their Achilles heel, as the last time they made the playoffs in an odd year was 2003. However, using this as my basis for argument is really trivial, so that’s just a bonus point. The reason the Giants will fail to repeat in 2017 has a lot to do with their second half performance last season, and that the opposition keeps getting better.

First, the fact of the matter is that the NL West is the Dodgers’ to lose. Yes, Los Angeles can’t put together a deep run in October like San Francisco has three times this decade. But as four-time repeating NL West champions, this is the Dodgers’ division to lose and every offseason they are always bringing in new pieces to ensure that. The Wild Card isn’t going to be a walk in the park either, as both the Mets and Cardinals will surely have better 2017 campaigns, even with the Braves potentially in the mix. The Mets’ young pitching staff will be healthy, and the Cardinals seem to be gearing up to make a splash this offseason.

Not only does the competition seem better, but the Giants finished the season horribly this year. San Francisco went 30-42 after the All Star break. A big reason was their league-leading blown saves, and although they are in the market for one of the big three closers, that may not be enough.

Their pitching staff is good, but if one arm goes down they are in trouble. Matt Moore is a roller-coaster of a pitcher, throwing gems and throwing disasters. Jeff Samardzija is going into his age-32 season, so question marks will be circling around him. It’s not that the Giants will be bad. I’m sure they will get very close to being in October. However, their competition seems to narrowly outmatch them once again in an odd year.

2. Texas Rangers

It may sound a bit far-fetched, but the team with the best record in the American League will not make the postseason in 2017. Other teams are on the cusp of knocking on October’s door, and the Rangers will be left out. They will likely still put together a credible 2017 campaign, but they will not find themselves in October. Not only are other teams going to make a playoff push, but the Rangers do not have the pitching to stay consistent all year.

Just in their division, the Rangers may have problems. The Mariners are on the cusp of making the playoffs, and the Astros and Angels could make a push. Houston and Los Angeles have two of the best hitters in baseball, and with the right offseason can see a change of tide. Not only that, but the Wild Card teams will be great as well. The young Yankees finally look formidable again, and the Tigers and Royals have the potential to make the playoffs. The Rangers may find themselves lost in the mix in 2017.

Texas also only has four starting pitchers at the MLB level at the time of this writing. Outside of Cole Hamels and an injury prone Yu Darvish, they are extremely thin. A team with pitching this thin, regardless of the offensive output, will struggle to stay consistent year-long. Heck, even last season they ranked 23rd in pitching and 16th in batting in terms of total team value. This caused the Rangers to always play in close ball games. The Rangers led the league in one-run victories, and while that is an impressive achievement, they likely won’t have the same fortune in 2017.

#Rangers this season:

In games decided by exactly one run: 34-10 (.773)

In games decided by more than one run: 54-50 (.519)
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) September 17, 2016

1. Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are losing too many pieces to find themselves back in October. Baltimore’s free agents include Mark Trumbo, Pedro Alvarez, Matt Wieters, and Steve Pearce to name a few. Now, some of these guys may re-sign, but it seems unlikely. Baltimore is then left to build around Adam Jones, Chris Davis, and Manny Machado. Baltimore still has talented players, but it seems as if their ceiling is a .500 ball club.

Baltimore’s bats are what got them into the postseason to begin with. Sure, they have the best closer in the game, Zach Britton, but their starting pitching is nothing more than average. Baltimore’s pitching staff ranked 14th in Wins Above Replacement, and 18th in earned run average. Their power is what made them succeed. They only ranked 15th in team batting average, yet led the league in home runs with 253.

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Without the bats of Trumbo (47 HR), Alvarez (22 HR), Wieters (17 HR), and Pearce (13 HR), Baltimore may find it hard to win a lot of ball games. Like with the Rangers, the competition in the American League is only getting better, and Baltimore is falling behind. Unless they can make a big signing, like a Jose Bautista, they will struggle in 2017. Baltimore has too many areas in need of improvement to fix in one offseason, which will push them out of the fold come MLB playoff season.

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