MLB Playoff Predictions: Which Teams Won't Be Back in the Postseason Next Year?

So we know which teams have made it to the MLB postseason in 2011. But which of these eight teams won't be back in the playoffs in 2012?

Much can change for a ballclub over the course of an offseason and then another grueling 162-game marathon.

Here's a look at each team's chances of playing October baseball come next season.

Tampa Bay Rays: Yes

The Rays punched their ticket to the postseason in such dramatic fashion that many are calling their comeback win over the Yankees on the final day of the regular season one of the greatest games in baseball history.

Tampa Bay finished with a record of 91-71, one game ahead of the Boston Red Sox, which managed to blow an eight-game lead in the AL Wild Card race in just the final weeks of the season.

Will the Rays be back again next year?

Yes and the two primary reasons why are pitching and defense.

The Rays finished 2011 second in the AL with a 3.58 team ERA and first with a .234 opponents' batting average. They also had the best fielding percentage in the league (.988).

Pitching and defense wins games and gets clubs to the postseason, especially in the new pitching-dominant era MLB has entered.

With starters like David Price returning, and manager Joe Maddon's stewardship, the Rays will return to the postseason in 2012.

Texas Rangers: Yes

The Texas Rangers won the AL West by 10 games over the Los Angeles Angels, and the Rangers will remain the class of the division come 2012.

The only club that may give them a battle will once again be the Angels, especially if they can pick up a free agent bat like that of Carlos Beltran.

The Angels led the American League in team ERA (3.57) and the pitching staff is likely to remain intact for next season. With a little offensive help, the Angels can give Texas a run for its money.

The A's appear to be headed for another rough season in 2012, and despite having good pitching in Oakland, free agency will likely gut the club of any offensive pop.

The Rangers will likely stave off any contenders in the West, however, and will return to the playoffs in 2012.

Detroit Tigers: No

The Tigers had a fantastic 2011 with AL Cy Young and MVP candidate Justin Verlander leading the way.

But beyond Verlander, the Tigers have real issues with their pitching staff. The Tigers posted a team ERA of 4.04 in 2011 and their collective WHIP was 1.32.

So while the hitting is there in Detroit, unless Verlander can reproduce another utterly dominant season like he did in 2011, the Tigers will face an uphill climb to reach the postseason in 2012.

With new managerial leadership in Chicago, the White Sox may just be the team to beat in the AL Central next year.

New York Yankees: No

The New York Yankees are the prototypical American League franchise, scoring a ton of runs and having just enough pitching to make things work.

The Yankees won the AL East handily in 2011, finishing with an AL-best 97-65 record. But 2012 won't be the same, as the Boston Red Sox will very likely have retooled their pitching staff come spring training.

The Red Sox scored the most runs in the American League this season (875), but were ninth in the league in pitching, with a 4.20 team ERA.

If Theo Epstein and company correct this disparity, look for the Red Sox to take the division crown over the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays to take the AL Wild Card, leaving New York to watch the postseason from home next October.

St. Louis Cardinals: Yes

Whether Albert Pujols re-signs with the Cardinals or not this offseason, St. Louis has taken steps to ensure that its offense will continue to produce.

The Cards have sluggers Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman locked up, and with starters Kyle Lohse, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Jake Westbrook all returning, look for the Cards to return to October baseball in 2012.

Philadelphia Phillies: Yes

With Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, among others, all signed through 2012 and some much beyond, the Philadelphia Phillies are going to remain contenders for the foreseeable future.

The Phillies will definitely be in the postseason come October 2012.

Milwaukee Brewers: No

Prince Fielder said it all when he told a reporter that this was probably going to be his last season in Milwaukee.

With that, the Brewers were given a sense that this might be their best shot to win a World Series title in Milwaukee for some time to come.

The one-two punch of Fielder and Ryan Braun was powerful in 2011, but if Fielder does leave, an offense that ranked fifth in the NL in runs scored may have a hard time filling some big shoes in the middle of that lineup.

The Cardinals will beat out the Brewers for a Central Division title in 2012, and the Brew Crew will watch the playoffs from home next October as the wild-card team will come from the East.

Arizona Diamondbacks: No

The Arizona Diamondbacks were by far the biggest surprise of MLB season, and manager Kirk Gibson has them playing well beyond their potential.

Statistically, the D-backs are in the middle of the pack in offense and pitching in the National League, yet they were still somehow able to run away with the NL West title, finishing eight games ahead of the reigning World Series champion-Giants.

This wonder, however, will be of the one-hit variety. The Diamondbacks won't return to the playoffs in 2012.