MLB: Four Teams Primed for Sneaky Good Seasons in 2017
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The same teams seem to get all the hype each MLB season. It’s time some of the vastly overlooked teams steal some of the spotlight.
MLB is not exactly an example of parity in its current state. It could easily be argued that the playoff picture could look identical this October to how it looked last October. Obvious contenders include the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians. Look familiar?
Although top-heavy, perhaps a few teams could sneak into contention. Division titles may not be probable, but the flexibility offered by two Wild Card slots provides some of the lesser-thought-about teams a ray of hope. A handful of teams capitalized on the offseason and placed themselves in a position to contend in 2017. Some will contend, while the others will show the promise of possible contention the following season.
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Los Angeles Angels
Mike Trout may have four years remaining on his current contract; however, the opportunity is fading for the Los Angeles Angels to prove worthy of the league’s best player. The team has made the playoffs only once in Trout’s career, the result was a first round series sweep at the hands of the rising Kansas City Royals. That was only three seasons ago, but it feels like an eternity. Could 2017 be the year the Angels return to the playoffs?
Overview
Health will be the key to the Angels’ season. Their starting pitching rotation consists of Garrett Richards, who is recovering from a torn tendon in his knee; Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano, each recovering from Tommy John surgery; Tyler Skaggs, formerly a victim of Tommy John surgery; and Matt Shoemaker, whose last image from 2016 was a line drive heading toward his face. Heaney and Tropeano will not be ready for opening day. Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer will fill out the Angels rotation.
The health of 36-year-old Albert Pujols will also be key. Pujols’ power will be heavily relied upon in the middle of the lineup.
If the pitching can hold up, the team appears to be in good shape. Their offense looks very promising. Mike Trout will lead the way, and the bats of Albert Pujols and C.J. Cron will clean up the table set by Cameron Maybin and Kole Calhoun. Maybin will allow either Yunel Escobar or Andrelton Simmons to drop in the lineup, to a more suitable spot.
The Angels have an outstanding closer in Huston Street. Aside from the ninth inning, they’ve struggled mightily in middle and late relief over the past few years. The team is hoping repeat performances from Andrew Bailey and Deolis Guerra will solve that issue. Newly acquired Jesse Chavez provides a very reliable middle relief option for Los Angeles.
Realistic Result
A deep American League will see a Wild Card race to game 162, maybe even 163. The Los Angeles Angels look to be a part of that race. The American League West may be the most competitive division in 2017. The Texas Rangers, Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners all pose a serious threat to a division title. Los Angeles will have to stay in contention in the West. However, a realistic possibility has them fighting for a Wild Card spot.
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Atlanta Braves
It’s difficult not to improve upon a 68-93 record, but the Atlanta Braves have their sights set on more than out-dueling their previous season’s record. Atlanta acted first this offseason with a couple of starting pitching signings. Veterans R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon look to improve an inexperienced Braves rotation. The Braves are certainly hoping Dickey and Colon will shed some wisdom upon their young arms, but most importantly, they are hoping they can contribute in the win column.
Overview
To say it modestly, Dickey’s knuckleball is what is it. Some days it’s unhittable, some days its unwatchable. One thing is for sure, Dickey is durable and he will pitch for as long as a manager allows him to. 43-year-old Bartolo Colon continues to get the job done. He pitched to a very impressive 3.43 ERA in 2016 and posted 15 wins. He also exceeded the 190-inning mark for the fourth consecutive season. Colon is a true model of consistency, and he’ll provide the Braves a no-stress option.
Don’t forget about the trade for Jaime Garcia. Garcia is slotted at number five in the preseason rotation. Injuries have halted Garcia’s success; however, spotty dominant performances from 2016 provide the Braves hope that he can regain his original form. He is certainly worth a number-five rotation spot.
Atlanta’s offense will improve at the will of phenom Dansby Swanson. Swanson slashed .302/.361/.442 in his introduction to the show. He is a pure hitter with the potential to be a perennial All-Star and the talent to post 200-hit season after 200-hit season. Swanson’s influence will be key to the team this year, but maybe not as key as the influence of Matt Kemp. Kemp had a revived 2016. He drove in 108 runners and crushed 35 homers. Kemp slugged .519 in 56 games with Atlanta. If the Braves want to be taken seriously this season, Kemp must play the role of the cleanup hitter. He must play protector to Freddie Freeman. A potential Swanson, Freeman, Kemp two-through-four in the lineup could be lethal.
Realistic Result
A third place finish in the NL East would be a success for Atlanta. Clearly, they do not have the pitching to compete with the staffs of Washington and New York, but they can certainly surpass Miami and Philadelphia. Third place, along with a .500 season, would be a major upswing for the Atlanta Braves.
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Arizona Diamondbacks
There is no way a team with the offensive prowess of the Arizona Diamondbacks should post a 69-93 record in any season. The team is lacking in key areas; it’s time some of their high-priced commodities step up.
Overview
Yearly MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt, along with sluggers Jake Lamb and Yasmany Tomas, give the Diamondbacks a ready-to-win offense. Sure, they’ll miss Jean Segura‘s bat, but a full season from center fielder A.J. Pollock will more than make up for Segura’s absence. Ultimately, Arizona has one of the better offenses in MLB. The team finished in the top 10 in runs scored last season, and finished third in hits. Offense clearly isn’t to blame, but the finger must be pointed at something.
In the 2015 offseason, the Diamondbacks signed Zack Greinke to a six-year, $206 million contract. The deal followed Greinke’s remarkable season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, in which he won 19 games and pitched to a microscopic 1.66 ERA. Justifiably, Arizona offered him the lucrative contract. In 2016, Greinke had a hideous 4.37 ERA. He gave up 23 home runs and pitched only 158 innings. His WAR dropped from 9.3 to 2.3 in a season’s span. Bottom line, this team has no chance if Zack Greinke doesn’t pitch like an ace, or even a quality starting pitcher.
Also in 2015, the Diamondbacks acquired starting pitcher Shelby Miller from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for the aforementioned Dansby Swanson, who happened to be the first overall pick in the amateur draft that year. Like Greinke, Miller was coming off of a great 2015 season with the Braves. Despite his 6-17 record, Miller had a 3.02 ERA, pitched 205 innings, and struck out nearly eight batters per nine innings. In 2016, Miller went 3-12 with a 6.17 ERA. He posted a WHIP of 1.673 and his opponents’ batting average was .310. Miller was one of the least valuable pitchers in MLB last season.
The mess doesn’t stop there. Robbie Ray struck out 218 batters last season, just to see an 8-15 record with a 4.90 ERA. Arizona’s “future” ace, Archie Bradley, had a 5.18 ERA with a BAA of .276. Although only 24 years old, Bradley will need to improve in 2017.
Realistic Result
Aside from all of the negativity, the fact is the Diamondbacks’ starting pitchers have a tremendous amount of talent. Greinke and Miller are proven MLB successes, and Ray and Bradley each have tremendous upside. Offseason acquisition Taijuan Walker is another young arm with great upside. The talent is there, they just need to put it together as a unit
If the pitching can compete with the offense, the Arizona Diamondbacks could raise some eyebrows in 2017, maybe to the point of Wild Card contention as the season wraps up. We’ll see, as they certainly have their hands full simply in their own division. Regardless, it’s time these big money pitchers prove themselves in a D-Backs uniform. Only then will they have a fighting chance.
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Detroit Tigers
Despite their declared openness to selling off their top players, the Detroit Tigers didn’t do a thing this offseason. Justin Verlander, Ian Kinsler and J.D. Martinez were mentioned as trade bait, and even Miguel Cabrera‘s name came up as a possible trade candidate. However, the Tigers opted to sit still. Perhaps just delaying a rebuild for one year, Detroit looks to be very competitive in the coming season.
Overview
First, we focus on every AL Central team except for the Tigers. The Cleveland Indians are certainly the team to beat, but who else stands in Detroit’s way to a division title? The answer is no one. Chicago is undergoing a mega rebuild, Minnesota has no clue what their identity is, and Kansas City looks every bit like a .500 team in 2017. As is tradition, the Tigers should contend for a division title.
The only notable loss to the Tigers offense is center fielder Cameron Maybin. Although coming off of a career year, the Tigers can manage without Maybin. They know what they will get from Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Ian Kinsler and J.D. Martinez. The kickers are Justin Upton and Nick Castellanos.
Upton’s first season with Detroit was spotty. He slashed .246/.310/.465, hit 31 homers and had 87 RBI. The numbers signify a decent season for Upton. However, most of his production came very late. In September/October alone, the 29-year-old slashed .292/.382/.750. The .750 slugging percentage was a result of 13 home runs in a 27-game span.
Nick Castellanos hit .285 with 18 home runs in 110 games in 2016. He also knocked 25 doubles. Castellanos has improved each season. He has increased in the long ball department, and his overall numbers look more and more convincing year-by-year. The spacious ballpark that is Comerica Park plays into Castellanos’ favor. He is a tremendous gap-to-gap hitter and has the ability to hit the ball to all fields. The Tigers are hoping 2017 is the year their third baseman goes from blending in to standing out in a star-filled lineup.
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Both Upton and Castellanos are key difference-makers due to their places in the Tigers lineup. Upton will likely hit fifth or sixth in the lineup in the upcoming season; Castellanos will likely hit sixth or seventh. Either way, they will each be in a position to drive runners in, especially in a deep lineup. Their respective RBI numbers were not up to task last year. That will need to change this year if the Tigers want to make a run at the playoffs.
Looking beyond the offense, the Tigers pitching staff looks very promising. Justin Verlander is coming off of a reborn season, and 2016 Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer will look to prove himself in his sophomore season. A breakout season from Daniel Norris and a bounce-back performance from Jordan Zimmermann would be huge for Detroit. Each are capable of putting up very good numbers.
The bullpen is a definite area of concern. Detroit relief pitchers had the 26th-worst ERA in 2017. The team will need a couple of relievers to go above and beyond in the back-end of the pen.
Realistic Result
The Detroit Tigers have all the talent needed to make a run this season. They will have plenty of run support from their offense, and their starting rotation is competitive with their AL Central counterparts. It may be time for one last hurrah before general manager Al Avila sells off the big contracts.
