One Reason Every Non-Contending MLB Team Should Look Forward to Next Season
From the rise of Sonny Gray to the re-emergence of Justin Verlander, there are all sorts of reasons why non-contending clubs like the Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers should look forward to next season.
The first step in compiling this list of reasons for optimism was to figure out just which teams qualify as "contenders" and "non-contenders." Since only five clubs have been mathematically eliminated from the postseason chase, judgement calls had to be made.
The American League wild-card race presented a particular challenge because the Tigers and the Athletics are the only two teams more than seven games off the second spot. For the purpose of this list, the Tampa Bay Rays were the last team classified as a contender. The Rays are on the wrong side of .500 (69-72), but the club is also just five games out of a postseason berth.
The San Francisco Giants are also being counted as contenders. Even though the Giants are 7.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, the squad still has a four-game set left against the division leaders. Plus, as recent history has made abundantly apparent, the Giants should never be counted out until the team is mathematically done.
With those qualifications in mind, here's a look at one reason why things could be looking up in 2016 for every non-contender. As it turns out, Verlander isn't the only rebounding star who's parlayed a big second half into a spot on this list.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 15
The Reason: The Breakout of A.J. Pollock
A.J. Pollock is baseball's brightest star whom no one ever talks about.
The Arizona Diamondbacks table-setter has been doing it all in 2015, as he's posted a .313 average, cracked 16 home runs and piled up 34 steals.
Back in August, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the D-backs could explore the idea of locking up the center fielder with a multiyear deal in the offseason. General manager Dave Stewart told Heyman that Pollock is a "big, big piece of what we're trying to do." Thanks to the way he's played in 2015, the 27-year-old has set himself up to earn a big, big raise from his $519,000 salary.
Atlanta Braves
2 of 15
The Reason: The Arrival of Hector Olivera
Just about everything has gone wrong for the Atlanta Braves at the plate in the second half. Dating back to the All-Star break, the National League East club is last in the bigs in runs (163), slugging percentage (.344) and OPS (.651).
With the offense floundering, the Braves have toppled into fourth place in the East. One new member of the squad who has been tasked with jump-starting the underwhelming lineup is Hector Olivera. His run with the club has been brief, but the 30-year-old is already showing flashes of his potential. In his last seven games, the Cuban has posted a .308 average, and he connected on his first big league home run back on September 7.
Baltimore Orioles
3 of 15
The Reason: Manny Machado is Back on Track
After a knee injury wrecked his 2014 season, Manny Machado isn't just back to his old dynamic form—he's better than he's ever been.
Still just 23 years old, Machado has already smashed a career-best 28 home runs and is on his way to setting highs in average (.293), OBP (.363), slugging percentage (.501) and OPS (.864). Machado has also starred in the field, saving the Baltimore Orioles the second-most runs (14) of any AL third baseman, per FanGraphs.
In a campaign marred by a late-season collapse, the re-emergence of Machado is a much-needed positive development for the O's.
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Boston Red Sox
4 of 15
The Reason: The Rise of the Young Core of Position Players
It's no accident that the Boston Red Sox have scored the second-most runs in the AL since the All-Star break.
The players who have been leading the way in the high-powered attack are emerging standouts like Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rusney Castillo.
Interim manager Torey Lovullo has been especially impressed with the club's new outfield trio both at the plate and in the field, per Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe: “They come from different origins. They’ve come from different places. But they’re all playing really well together.”
Out of that group, the rise of Bradley has been the most unexpected. Previously a glove-first player during his time with the Red Sox, the 25-year-old has been raking in the second half. Since the Midsummer Classic, Bradley owns a .683 slugging percentage and a 1.094 OPS.
Chicago White Sox
5 of 15
The Reason: The Arrival of Trayce Thompson
Trayce Thompson has been on fire ever since arriving at U.S. Cellular Field at the beginning of August.
In his first 24 games for the Chicago White Sox, the 24-year-old outfielder has logged a .415 average. One of the keys to Thompson's success is that the White Sox eased the right-handed hitter into the big leagues by having him face a steady diet of southpaws in his first month of action.
“A young guy, you’re getting him in there, he’s had a nice run against lefties and now you’re getting a look at him with righties," manager Robin Ventura said, per Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. "But you’re also trying to make it a positive thing for him. He’s going up there with a pretty good chance.”
The White Sox have no lack of options in the outfield with Melky Cabrera, Avisail Garcia and Adam Eaton also on the roster. But the way Thompson has been swinging the bat in his first major league go-around, Chicago has no choice but to find a place for him in the lineup in 2016.
Cincinnati Reds
6 of 15
The Reason: Joey Votto's Return to Form
Even with the last-place Cincinnati Reds sitting at 60-81, it's not impossible to find reasons for optimism.
Raisel Iglesias, who owns a 3.38 ERA in 10 second-half starts, has shown that he has a part to play in 2016 and beyond. But no member of the squad has enjoyed a more encouraging season than Joey Votto, who has fully rebounded from an injury-riddled 2014.
Since the All-Star break, the vet has been putting up unreal numbers, as he clocks in with a .385 average, a .566 OBP, a .692 slugging percentage and a 1.258 OPS. Votto's return to form is a welcome sign for the Reds, as the 31-year-old is under contract through 2023 with a team option for 2024.
Colorado Rockies
7 of 15
The Reason: Carlos Gonzalez Just Keeps Boosting His Trade Value
With the worst ERA in the majors (5.08), the Colorado Rockies pitching staff need all sorts of help.
One way for the last-place club to acquire that help would be to deal away Carlos Gonzalez in the offseason. The right fielder has certainly been doing all he can to boost his trade value. CarGo is second in the Senior Circuit with 37 home runs in 2015. The crazy part is that he's hit 33 of those bombs since June 1.
Gonzalez isn't a cheap target, as he's slated to earn $17 million in 2016 and $20 million the year after that. But the way the 29-year-old has been raking, trade suitors will be lining up to acquire the slugger in the winter.
Detroit Tigers
8 of 15
The Reason: The Return of Vintage Justin Verlander
Not much has gone right for the Detroit Tigers in a season that has seen the former heavyweights tumble into the cellar in the AL Central.
An underwhelming starting staff has been right at the center of the team's struggles, as the group ranks No. 28 in the majors in ERA (4.78). With revamping that rotation right at the top of the organization's offseason to-do list, there is one starter who the team can count on: Justin Verlander.
With a 3.43 ERA, the righty is enjoying his best season in terms of that mark since back in 2012. As of late, the 32-year-old has been downright electric. In his last seven outings, Verlander has reeled off a 1.99 ERA.
Miami Marlins
9 of 15
The Reason: Better Luck on the Health Front
The 2015 season hasn't gone to script for the Miami Marlins, as the Fish (61-81) sit in third place in the NL East.
There are all sorts of reasons why the Marlins have struggled, but one of the biggest causes has been the club's terrible luck on the injury front. Giancarlo Stanton, who has been out since the end of June, has slugged 27 home runs even though he's only appeared in 74 games.
Then there's the case of Jose Fernandez, who has been limited to eight outings thanks to a couple of stints on the disabled list. The 23-year-old has been brilliant when he's actually on the mound, posting a 2.08 ERA.
In his return to action on September 12, the Cuban made history by winning his fifth game of the season and improving to 16-0 lifetime at Marlins Park. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, via the ESPN Stats & Info Twitter account, Fernandez has tied the mark for most wins at home without a loss to start a career.
Milwaukee Brewers
10 of 15
The Reason: The Chance for a New GM to Take Over
It's going to take a ton of work to get the fourth-place Milwaukee Brewers back into contention in 2016.
After all, the Brew Crew has the misfortune of residing in the NL Central along with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs, who currently own the three best records in the circuit.
As the Brewers embark upon that challenge, the club will be lead by a new boss, as former GM Doug Melvin stepped down from his old role in August. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Dan Kantrovitz is "emerging as [a] strong candidate" for the post.
Kantrovitz offers an intriguing background, as he's had the opportunity to work for two of the shrewdest execs in baseball. Currently, Kantrovitz reports to vice president and GM Billy Beane as an assistant GM for the Oakland Athletics. Before that, Kantrovitz was the director of scouting for the Cardinals under senior vice president and GM John Mozeliak.
Oakland Athletics
11 of 15
The Reason: The Emergence of Sonny Gray as a Cy Young Contender
There's no way around it—the 2015 season has been a total bummer for the Oakland Athletics, who are wallowing in last place in the AL West.
But one player who has a major bright spot is staff ace Sonny Gray. The righty has excelled ever since arriving in the bigs back in July of 2013, but he's taken his game to new heights in his second full season in the majors.
The 25-year-old starter earned an All-Star nod earlier this summer and has put himself right in the mix to snag the AL Cy Young Award by posting the second-lowest ERA (2.28) in the circuit. Gray definitely has the support of his manager, Bob Melvin. As the skipper explained, per Manolo Hernández Douen: "I don't see a better pitcher in the AL."
Philadelphia Phillies
12 of 15
The Reason: The End of Ruben Amaro Jr.'s Tenure
The time was right for the Philadelphia Phillies to pull the plug on Ruben Amaro Jr.'s run as the club's GM.
With Andy MacPhail officially set to take over as the team's president at the end of the season, the new exec has plenty of work to get started on. The most important task for MacPhail will be hand-picking his own replacement for Amaro. After all, the club's new GM with have the most direct impact in rebuilding a squad that is sporting the worst record (55-88) in the bigs.
San Diego Padres
13 of 15
The Reason: Matt Kemp's Monster Second Half
Matt Kemp's career with the San Diego Padres didn't exactly begin in a promising fashion.
The vet hit a low point back in May when he checked in with a .186 average in 29 contests. But as Kemp explained, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune, he never lost confidence in himself.
“I wasn’t panicking. I just needed to get better—it’s that simple—and I never panic because I’ve been there before. It’s just part of the game."
And get better is just what Kemp has done. The 30-year-old has really taken off in the second half for the Pads. After sporting a .674 OPS in the first half, Kemp has posted a .921 OPS since the break. Kemp's midseason turnaround is just what the Padres need considering that the club owes the masher $73 million from 2016 to 2019.
Seattle Mariners
14 of 15
The Reason: Nelson Cruz's Big Season at the Plate
The Seattle Mariners took a big risk inking Nelson Cruz to a four-year, $57 million deal.
But right now, Cruz isn't just earning every penny of his $14.25 million salary—he's looking like a bargain. With 41 bombs, Cruz has set a new career high and owns a share of the big league lead.
The 35-year-old is also hitting at an unusually high clip, as his .311 average is on track to be his best mark since 2010. Cruz has also had no trouble adapting to life at Safeco Field, a notoriously unfriendly hitting environment. Cruz actually owns a slightly better average at home (.316) than on the road (.306).
Washington Nationals
15 of 15
The Reason: The Rise of Bryce Harper
Trailing the New York Mets by 9.5 games in the NL East, the Washington Nationals are cooked.
But don't blame Bryce Harper for Washington's trainwreck of a campaign.
The front-runner to win the NL MVP leads the league in average (.333), OBP (.464), slugging percentage (.649), OPS (1.113) and runs (104). And he's doing all that at the age of 22.
From figuring out whether to can manager Matt Williams to deciding whether to re-sign free-agents-to-be like Denard Span, Ian Desmond and Jordan Zimmermann, the Nats' brain trust has a lot to worry about this offseason. The good news for the club is that nobody needs to worry about Harper.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference and MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on BaseballProspectus.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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