MLB: 5 Teams That Could Pull off a Surprise Comeback

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There are a few teams who have a chance of sneaking into the playoffs. As the MLB regular season rolls through August, the divisions are probably starting to look the way they will when the postseason arrives.

However some teams could move to the top by the end of September. Whether it’s because of returning players, their schedule or the schedules of their division rivals, these are five teams that could pull off a comeback.

Colorado Rockies

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What had looked to be a promising season for the Rockies quickly turned into another potential rebuilding year.

Despite Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez’s monster deals over the offseason, it wasn’t enough to carry Colorado to the top of the NL West. Now they traded away ace Ubaldo Jimenez in exchange for four minor leaguers.

However, all hope is not lost.  The San Francisco Giants are struggling and the Arizona Diamondbacks are unpredictable. The Rockies have a relatively easy rest of their season. They’ll kick off their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight, and Houston will come to town after that.

Colorado has been known to heat up in the second half of the season and that could happen at any time.

Minnesota Twins

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The Minnesota Twins have been plagued with injuries since the beginning of the year. They are usually at the top of the AL Central but this season have dropped to second to last.

They’ve been able to hang out throughout the season, coming back from owning the worst record in baseball. This is why they should not be counted out from playoff contention.

Players who had been on the disabled list for the majority of the year are back. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have returned, with the latter being the big contributor to last night’s win over the Detroit Tigers.

Minnesota’s big players need to stay healthy in order to hang onto a shot at the postseason.

Cincinnati Reds

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The future of 2011 doesn’t look very promising for the Cincinnati Reds, but there’s still a glimmer of hope.

Cincinnati started the season very well and then faltered. The thing they have going for them is their schedule.

The rest of their season seems to be lighter than that of the Milwaukee Brewers or St. Louis Cardinals. The two leaders in the NL Central face each other six more times, and they both have a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

If the Reds can heat up, there is still a chance to get to the playoffs. A small chance, understandably, but a chance nonetheless.

Chicago White Sox

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The Chicago White Sox have the best chance of any of these teams of coming back. They’re only behind the Detroit Tigers by four games.

They began August by being swept in a four-game series against the New York Yankees. After that, Chicago bounced back with a 9-4 record since then.

The rest of this home stand will be a big deciding factor in the White Sox’s postseason chances. The Texas Rangers come into town today, following a series loss against the Cleveland Indians.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

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The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have the unfortunate task of catching up to reigning American League champions. After avoiding a sweep by the first-place Texas Rangers, they are now six games out of first in the AL West.

However, the Angels will meet the Rangers six more times in the regular season. Texas also has several more tough series left than Anaheim does.

If the Angels could catch up throughout this last month-and-a-half, the AL West winner could be in the air until the end. Anaheim will host the Rangers in their last series of the season.