MLB Teams with Bad 2015 Records That Look Primed for a 2016 Breakout
For several lucky MLB franchises, the cooler temperatures of September indicate that playoff baseball is right around the corner. On the other hand, the season's final month can mean something completely different for underachieving teams.
Over the next few slides, we'll identify a handful of those teams that will be thankful to see the 2015 season come to an end. Despite the disappointment of a lost season, the following squads should feel confident about their chances of breaking out in 2016.
Although each team on this list has a .500 record or worse, they have vastly different stories.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a young team that's slowly coming into its own. The Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians underachieved in 2015 but have talented enough rosters to return to contention next season. A talented Oakland A's team was done in by a woeful bullpen, while the Tampa Bay Rays were decimated with injuries.
Let us know what you think about our choices in the comments section below. How confident are you that these teams will bounce back in 2016? Which contenders will take steps back next year? Which team did we leave off?
Every season, we witness teams play well down the stretch and carry it over into the next year. Here are five candidates for doing just that in 2016.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 5
2015 Record: 74-80
The Arizona Diamondbacks weren't pushovers in the National League West this year, but they will finish without a winning record for the fourth straight season.
However, Arizona's future looks bright due to the development of a core group of position players. Behind Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, David Peralta, Ender Inciarte and Jake Lamb, the Diamondbacks rank seventh in baseball in WAR.
Goldschmidt and Pollock are obviously the jewels of the Arizona organization, as both rank in the top 10 in MLB in WAR. But it's the emergence of Peralta, Inciarte and Lamb that should give Diamondbacks fans reason for optimism. Peralta and Inciarte are both hitting around .300, while Lamb (33 RBI) has impressed in roughly 100 games.
While the offense is in good hands, Arizona's pitching staff will be the key to its 2016 fate.
Diamondbacks starters rank 21st in ERA this season. Despite those struggles, Robbie Ray (3.53 ERA), Patrick Corbin (3.28 ERA) and Chase Anderson (4.40 ERA) have emerged as potential rotation candidates to pair with Archie Bradley, Aaron Blair and other pitching prospects approaching big league debuts.
If Arizona can piece together a competent rotation via its young hurlers and free agency, the club can contend in 2016. A perfect storm of young talent is converging in the desert and could pay dividends as early as next season.
Boston Red Sox
2 of 5
2015 Record: 73-80
For most of 2015, the Boston Red Sox have been a train wreck. Boston failed to capitalize on a wide-open American League East early on in the year and has been relegated to playing spoiler down the stretch.
But Boston has a legitimate chance to return to the postseason in 2016 with a few tweaks to the roster.
The most pressing need will be in the rotation, as Red Sox starters rank 22nd in MLB in ERA. Clay Buchholz (3.26 ERA) and Eduardo Rodriguez (3.97 ERA) have earned spots in the 2016 rotation, but moves will need to be made to strengthen the rest of the staff.
If Boston can improve its starting pitching, a talented cast of everyday players can catapult the club to the top of the AL East.
Youngsters like Xander Bogaerts (.325 BA, 80 RBI), Mookie Betts (15 HR, 20 SB) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (9 HR, 40 RBI in 65 games) have combined with veterans like Dustin Pedroia (.298 BA, 12 HR) and David Ortiz (36 HR, 104 RBI) to score the third-most runs in baseball.
If the Red Sox had fielded just an average rotation this season, they would find themselves in the thick of the AL playoff picture. Boston isn't afraid to spend in free agency and could easily be back in contention with upgrades to its starting staff.
Cleveland Indians
3 of 5
2015 Record: 76-76
The Cleveland Indians aren't totally eliminated from postseason play, but 2015 has to be considered a disappointment for a team with such a talented roster.
But it's that talented roster that should give Indians fans hope for 2016.
When talking about Cleveland, it's hard not to start with its starting rotation. Indians starters rank 12th in baseball with a 3.97 ERA, but no rotation causes more swings-and-misses. Behind Carlos Carrasco (fifth), Corey Kluber (sixth), Danny Salazar (10th) and Trevor Bauer (22nd), Cleveland starters top MLB in strikeouts per nine innings.
K's aren't everything, but they indicate that the rotation won't experience a decline in production moving forward. With starters who can shut down an opposing offense on any given night, Cleveland's lineup won't need to do too much for the team to succeed.
But that offense will need to improve on its No. 20 ranking in runs scored. Cleveland does have two centerpieces in Jason Kipnis (.302/.373/.449) and Michael Brantley (.314/.381/.486) to build around, but the most promising development has come via a talented young shortstop.
Since his promotion in June, Francisco Lindor has captivated the baseball world. The 21-year-old has hit .317 and gone deep 10 times for the Tribe, all while playing elite defense at shortstop. In significantly fewer innings than his peers, Lindor has recorded six defensive runs saved in 2015.
By shedding payroll via Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher in August, the Indians improved their financial flexibility for the upcoming free-agency period. However, many of the pieces are already intact, which bodes well for a bounce-back year in 2016.
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Oakland A's
4 of 5
2015 Record: 65-89
The Oakland A's may have the worst record in the American League, but there were signs this season that a bounce-back year could be in the cards in 2016.
On paper, it's puzzling to understand how the A's have fallen from grace. Oakland ranks eighth in MLB in starters ERA and 17th in runs scored.
Then again, a team with an 18-32 record in one-run games is always going to struggle. A poor record in close games usually indicates a subpar bullpen, and the A's are no different. Oakland relievers have the third-highest ERA in baseball this season due to injuries, trades and an overall lack of talent.
Fortunately, bullpens are the easiest unit to address in the offseason. If general manager Billy Beane can improve his late-inning options over the winter, Oakland has the pieces to contend.
The most impressive piece is Sonny Gray. The right-hander has posted a 2.73 ERA in over 200 innings in 2015. Gray, Jesse Chavez (2.3 WAR) and Jesse Hahn (3.35 ERA in 16 starts) give the A's the makings of a formidable rotation.
Offensively, the emergence of Stephen Vogt (18 HR, 67 RBI) and Billy Burns (.299 BA, 26 SB) has been a silver lining in Oakland's lost season. Josh Reddick (20 HR, 76 RBI), Marcus Semien (13 HR, 11 SB), Mark Canha (15 HR) and Brett Lawrie (16 HR, 58 RBI) have also proven to be reliable components heading into 2016.
Oakland's record isn't pretty, but its roster has plenty of promise. The A's can shine in 2016 if Beane can fix one of the worst bullpens in baseball this winter.
Tampa Bay Rays
5 of 5
2015 Record: 75-79
The Tampa Bay Rays carried postseason hopes into September but have since fallen under .500.
When you consider the injuries Tampa Bay has dealt with in 2015, it's pretty amazing the Rays were in contention that long to begin with. Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly and Matt Moore all missed significant time this season.
Although Tampa Bay's chances were affected by those injuries, those open spots allowed other young hurlers to prove themselves. Erasmo Ramirez (3.39 ERA) and Nate Karns (3.69 ERA) were the main beneficiaries and should be useful pieces in 2016.
Tampa Bay also saw the development of two front-line starters in Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi. Archer has pitched well in previous seasons, but the right-hander took the next step in 2015 by striking out nearly 11 hitters per nine innings. Odorizzi has provided the Rays with a solid No. 2 starter behind Archer, posting a 3.49 ERA in 27 starts.
The Rays did struggle offensively, which will need to be addressed in the offseason. However, a few young talents emerged as dependable everyday options in Kevin Kiermaier (40 defensive runs saved), Brandon Guyer (120 wRC+) and Steven Souza (16 HR).
Tampa Bay could break camp next spring with a rotation of Archer, Odorizzi, Cobb, Smyly and Moore with Ramirez and Karns waiting in the wings. If the front office can add a few offensive pieces on the cheap, that starting staff is as good as any in the AL East.
Stats courtesy of FanGraphs and accurate as of Sept. 26.
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