5 struggling MLB teams that shouldn't give up on their postseason dreams just yet

It's too early for teams and their fans to throw in the towel. It's important to realize that all hope isn't lost, even with the slow starts.

Last season, the Houston Astros started 12-24. Eventually, the stars woke up, and by the end of the season, the Astros found themselves atop the AL West yet again.

If you find your team on this list, then don't be quick to give up on them. There are still reasons to believe the postseason aspirations aren't dead, even though that lifeline looks weak.

5 MLB teams that can recover from slow starts

Baltimore Orioles (14-23)

After two consecutive postseason appearances, the Orioles are barely treading water this season. They have a -69 run differential, which is hard to believe with the young stars powering the offense. One of the team's biggest struggles has been the putrid starting rotation. The post-Corbin Burnes experiment has failed massively. The team ranks 28th in starters' ERA (5.65), no thanks to Tomoyuki Sugano being the only starter with a sub-5.00 ERA.

The reason to believe in the Orioles is the star-studded offense. Jackson Holliday is finally translating his minor-league success to the big leagues, and Cedric Mullins is on pace to have a career year. They have a wRC+ of 115 and 138, respectively, and aren't showing signs of slowing down.

Even with their hot starts, the offense can use Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, and Tyler O'Neill back in the lineup from the injured list. If the starting rotation can figure their stuff out or get much-needed reinforcements, the AL East could be in trouble. The Orioles need significant improvements to their record before July, and if that happens, then pitching help must be acquired to return to viable postseason contention.

Toronto Blue Jays (18-20)

The Blue Jays' power production is been drastically down this season. They're tied for last in MLB in home runs (26), which is a major contributor to their -36 run differential. During his contract talks, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. struggled in the power department, not homering until April 16. Since the signing, he has returned to his normal, consistent production, although the home runs are still down.

Anthony Santander and Andrés Giménez haven't panned out as offseason acquisitions the Blue Jays thought they were getting. They have a 76 and 68 wRC+, respectively. The Blue Jays need their production to pick back up if they want to give the Yankees a run for the division title.

The team is only four games out of first in the AL East, so they'll be buyers at the deadline so long as they keep pace with New York in a wide open division.

Washington Nationals (17-22)

The Nationals were one of my favorite underrated teams going into this season. MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker, CJ Abrams, James Wood, and Keibert Ruiz show that the youth movement in Washington, D.C. is alive and well. Fans have plenty to be excited about in the organization's future.

The issue for the Nationals is they're in a stacked NL East, so a Wild Card berth is likely their only hope for the postseason, but they need help from the bottom four of the batting order, where no one has a higher than 75 wRC+. That includes Dylan Crews, who was the preseason NL Rookie of the Year favorite.

Texas Rangers (18-21)

The Rangers are two years past winning their first World Series title, but this year's offense has been non-existent. They rank 28th in runs scored (123) and runs batted in (120), and rank 27th in OPS (.650).

The starting rotation has carried the team, with Jacob DeGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and Tyler Mahle all posting sub-2.70 ERAs in more than 35 innings each, and Patrick Corbin is having a resurgent season, posting a 3.28 ERA in 24 2/3 innings.

The offense will eventually get rolling, and when it does, the Rangers will be one of the top teams to beat. Adding quality bullpen arms would improve their chances of achieving a postseason birth.

Minnesota Twins (19-20)

The Twins were a few games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central last season until a 12-25 record in their last 37 games, which saw the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals usurp them in the standings. They find themselves in fourth place again, but they are only one game out of the final Wild Card slot in the American League.

Carlos Correa has just a 65 wRC+ and a .586 OPS, and Royce Lewis has yet to get a hit after returning from the injured list on May 6. The offense needs these two superstars to turn things around if they want to compete with the Tigers, Guardians, and Royals in one of baseball's deepest divisions.

More MLB: