Under-the-Radar MLB Teams Poised to Impress This Spring

Spring training performance is not always the best indicator for regular-season success, but we are nonetheless often impressed or disappointed by how an individual player or entire team performs during the MLB preseason.

Focusing on the team side of things, there are a handful of clubs flying under the radar heading into 2015 that are poised to impress this spring.

Teams were pegged as "under the radar" if Vegas oddsmakers projected them for fewer than 81 wins this season, with those totals coming courtesy of Business Insider. Despite the low expectations, these teams are set to turn heads for a number of reasons, whether it's a wealth of young talent on display signaling a bright future or the potential to outperform projections with a few good breaks.

Also included are each team's respective World Series odds, via International Business Times.

This is not meant to be a prediction that any or all of these teams will make the playoffs, but simply a look at some less hyped teams capable of making some noise, starting this spring.

Houston Astros

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Win Projection: 74.5
World Series Odds: 50/1

Why They Will Impress This Spring

Following perhaps the most drastic rebuilding effort in baseball history, which saw the Houston Astros trim their payroll to as low as $26,105,600 in 2013, the team finally appears to be on the upswing.

After three consecutive 100-loss seasons, the young roster took a big step forward in 2013. It won 19 more games than the previous season to improve to 70-92 and actually finished ahead of an injury-ravaged Texas Rangers team in the standings.

That was enough for the team to finally start spending some money this offseason. The Astros added the likes of Evan Gattis, Colby Rasmus, Jed Lowrie and Luis Valbuena to shore up the offense while overhauling the bullpen with the additions of Luke Gregerson, Pat Neshek, Joe Thatcher, Will Harris and Roberto Hernandez.

However, the real storyline to watch will be the continued emergence of the Astros' high-end young talent, particularly a healthy George Springer.

The 25-year-old had an .804 OPS with 20 home runs and 51 RBI in just 295 at-bats last season, before missing significant time with a quad strain. If he can stay healthy alongside guys like Gattis, Jose Altuve and Chris Carter, the offense has a chance to be really good.

The pitching staff also figures to be fun to watch, with two of the biggest surprises of 2014 in Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh looking to prove last year was no fluke. Veteran Scott Feldman fills the No. 3 starter spot, but the final two jobs are up for grabs among a number of young arms.

It's fair to say that every team in the AL West has at least an outside chance to finish above .500 this coming season, but the Astros look to have the most potential upside relative to their projections.

Arizona Diamondbacks

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Win Projection: 71.5
World Series Odds: 100/1

Why They Will Impress This Spring

The Arizona Diamondbacks followed up a surprising 2011 NL West title with back-to-back 81-81 seasons, but the wheels fell off this past season when they finished with a league-worst 98 losses.

That led to some house cleaning from the top down, with Tony La Russa and Dave Stewart now pulling the strings in the front office and Chip Hale hired as the new manager this offseason.

So, what puts the Diamondbacks in a position to potentially impress?

Despite their rough finish, there is a lot of talent on the roster, starting with superstar first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

He'll be joined by a hopefully healthy Mark Trumbo and highly touted Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas in the middle of the order, and if everything breaks right, that trio has a chance to hit as many home runs as any in baseball.

Center fielder A.J. Pollock was in the midst of a breakout season when a fractured hand cost him 87 games, though his absence did allow David Peralta and Ender Inciarte to flash some intriguing potential.

The starting rotation is the big question mark, as newcomer Jeremy Hellickson and Josh Collmenter look to be the only locks at this point.

Behind them, Chase Anderson, Vidal Nuno, Randall Delgado, Trevor Cahill, Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, Robbie Ray and top prospect Archie Bradley all figure to be in the running this spring. There is also 2013 All-Star Patrick Corbin, who is expected to return from Tommy John surgery around midseason.

There are a lot of moving parts on this roster, and a lot of open jobs to be claimed this spring, but if the pieces fall into place, this could be a better team than a lot of people expect.

Tampa Bay Rays

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Win Projection: 78.5
World Series Odds: 66/1

Why They Will Impress This Spring

The Tampa Bay Rays lost a ton this offseason, starting at the top with general manager Andrew Friedman and manager Joe Maddon. They also traded Ben Zobrist, Wil Myers, Sean Rodriguez, Matt Joyce and Joel Peralta.

As a result, most have them picked to finish in the AL East cellar, and understandably so, with an offense that features Evan Longoria and little else in the way of impact bats.

However, their starting rotation is really, really good, and it has a chance to be one of the best in all of baseball once Matt Moore returns from last season's Tommy John surgery.

Alex Cobb will step into the role of staff ace now that David Price is gone, while Drew Smyly (25), Chris Archer (26) and Jake Odorizzi (24) are just entering their respective primes and coming off of strong seasons themselves.

The No. 5 starter job is wide open for Alex Colome, who has the stuff to be an impact starter in his own right but has been blocked the past two seasons while pitching in Triple-A.

Adding pitch-framing guru Rene Rivera behind the plate should also help the pitching staff, as will an outfield that features plus defenders across the board in Steven Souza, Desmond Jennings and Kevin Kiermaier.

The Kansas City Royals made a surprise run last season without much in the way of power hitting, and while the Rays don't have the same game-changing speed on the bases, they could be in a similar position to impress given the overall makeup of their lineup.

A 24-42 start sunk them last season, but it's worth pointing out they finished the season 53-43 from there, including a 20-5 stretch that began in late June.

This is a better team than a lot of people think. A playoff team? Maybe not, but it should still impress some people.

Atlanta Braves

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Win Projection: 73.5
World Series Odds: 66/1

Why They Will Impress This Spring

In all reality, it's probably going to be a long season for an Atlanta Braves team that already featured one of the worst offenses in baseball prior to dealing away Justin Upton, Jason Heyward and Evan Gattis this offseason.

Those moves set the Braves back in 2015 but should work out long term. Clinging to a roster that collapsed down the stretch and hoping to contend would have only prolonged a needed rebuild another year, and no one wants to become the next Philadelphia Phillies and not know when to pull the trigger on reworking the roster.

So while the regular season could be a long one, this spring figure to be an exciting time for Braves fans, as they will get to see a lot of the young pieces they traded for this winter in action.

Pitcher Shelby Miller, the prize of the Heyward deal, joins Julio Teheran and Alex Wood to give the team a terrific young trio to anchor the rotation for the foreseeable future.

It's the back end of the rotation that will be fun to watch, though, as hard-throwing Mike Foltynewicz and former prized Yankees prospect Manny Banuelos will look to beat out non-roster invitees Eric Stults and Wandy Rodriguez for the No. 5 starter job.

Outfielder Mallex Smith, who was part of the Upton deal, and third baseman Rio Ruiz, who came over from Houston in the Gattis trade, will both be in major league camp. So will speedy second base prospect Jose Peraza. All three could make an impact in Atlanta before 2015 is over.

Taking a step back is never easy for a perennial contender, but the Braves will be better for it down the road. For the time being, their newly acquired young talent will have a chance to impress this spring.

Minnesota Twins

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Win Projection: 70.5
World Series Odds: 100/1

Why They Will Impress This Spring

In a wide-open AL Central, the Minnesota Twins may be the only team not being given a legitimate chance to emerge as a contender in 2015. That doesn't come as a huge surprise given the fact that the team is working on a string of four straight seasons with at least 90 losses.

However, there is reason to believe this team could surprise some people, and it begins with the starting pitching.

The Twins have boasted the worst starters' ERA in the league each of the past two seasons with a mark over 5.00 both years.

The addition of free agent Ervin Santana and the potential impact of top prospect Alex Meyer could help change that, though, alongside pleasant surprise Phil Hughes who will once again be atop the rotation.

Then there is the return of top prospects Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, two players with tremendous upside who both suffered through what were essentially lost 2014 seasons.

Sano missed the entire year with Tommy John surgery, while Buxton played just 31 games while dealing with a wrist injury and then a concussion.

Are the Twins going to make the playoffs this year?

Probably not, but they could certainly exceed their 70-win projection. With some exciting young talent on display this spring, look for them to impress with a glimpse of their bright future to come.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, unless otherwise noted.