A year ago, five teams that missed the 2015 postseason made the playoffs including the American League champion Cleveland Indians. Repeating can be extremely difficult and with at least a couple of teams poised to take a step back this season it could open the door for a handful of surprise teams to make their move this season. Here is a look at the four MLB teams poised to bounce back after disappointing seasons.
Houston Astros
The Astros failed to live up to expectations in 2016 when they finished with an 84-78 record to place third in the American League West last season. However, Houston is loaded with star talent and could be primed to bounce back as a playoff team in 2017. The Astros could have one of the most dangerous lineups in the majors with Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick and Brian McCann added to a group led by Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and George Springer. In addition to the offense, Houston has at least a couple of bounce back candidates in a starting rotation that should be better. The bullpen has an excellent 1-2 punch in a healthy Ken Giles and Luke Gregerson. If everything comes together then the Astros could be a legitimate World Series contender in the AL.
Detroit Tigers
Injuries derailed the Tigers season in 2016 but they return enough talent to bounce back and contend for a playoff spot this coming season. The rotation features reigning AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer and Cy Young candidate Justin Verlander while Miguel Cabrera leads a loaded offense that includes J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton and Victor Martinez. The offense ranked 11th in the MLB in runs scored and eighth in home runs. Detroit needs to avoid the injury bug and play more consistent baseball in 2017 and if those two things happen then they should challenge for a playoff spot.
St Louis Cardinals
St. Louis finished 17 games back of the eventual World Series champion Chicago Cubs in the NL Central and missed out on a Wild Card spot in 2016. However, they are still one of the most talented teams in the National League and they should be in for a bounce back season in 2017. The addition of Dexter Fowler should help in center field and in the lead-off position while lefty Brett Cecil fills a void in the bullpen. Matt Carpenter, Jed Gyorko, Kolton Wong and Yadier Molina will need to be more consistent in order to grind out runs to help a quality pitching staff and if the offense can produce then the Cardinals will challenge for a playoff spot in the NL. This is a team that is typically competitive and – for the most part – is coming off a down year. They seem to have plugged a couple of key leaks and should be one of the MLB’s playoff teams next season.
New York Yankees
The Yankees need more from their veteran hitters like Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Chase Headley after they underwhelmed last season. The Yankees finished 19th in the MLB in terms of home runs and 22nd in terms of runs scored. If they can produce, it will create a very interesting dynamic. New York is ready for a new era led by Gary Sanchez and a number of young players that are set to steal the spotlight and if they can get strong contributions from both the youngsters and the veterans then they could really make some noise. Matt Holliday and Chris Carter were added to bring some power to the pinstripes lineup to add some pop while Aroldis Chapman returns to lead a dominant bullpen. Oddly enough, the Yankees seem to have the pitching they need but the hitting – one of the aspects of the team that’s traditionally strong – is what is lacking. The Yankees have plenty of talent and if it all comes together then they could surprise as a playoff team in the 2017 MLB season. It should help that the Toronto Blue Jays look like they’ll take a small step back in 2017 too.
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