These four MLB teams had great seasons resulting in deep playoff runs, but they did not quite reach the World Series.
The MLB offseason has arrived, but a handful of teams are still thinking about the finish to their seasons. These four won a playoff series or two, but they will need to figure out how to reach the Fall Classic.
San Diego Padres: Approaching a Title
Given all of their talent, it is surprising the Padres have not yet reached the World Series with their current core. The 1-2-3 punch of 2B Manny Machado, OF Fernando Tatis, and 1B Luis Arraez gives pitchers fits each time through the order. But they aren’t quite the stars of the last few seasons, and Machado fell short of 30 homers. Tatis also missed two months, but the most exciting team in MLB expected a little more offense.
The flashy exuberance of the Padres rubs old schoolers the wrong way, but style is not what wins ballgames. And to get more hits at the plate and outs in the field, San Diego needs to recover from oh-so-close syndrome. Reaching Game 5 against their archrivals and then getting shut out is a classic case of underperforming on the biggest stage. The Padres, for all their hype and hope, have not delivered a title to a starving fan base.
Despite the mounting frustration, there is still reason for optimism. A World Series is on the horizon, even though Machado and 2B Xander Bogaerts are almost 32. This is still a young team with plenty of talent and sky-high potential. To key to taking the next step is feeding off each other’s energy and coming up in the clutch. If they are in the same position next year, it will be time to ask the tough questions. But hopefully this fun-loving team can finally win the pennant.
New York Mets: Don’t Need Scherzlander
Ironic. After signing SPs Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to win a title in 2023, the Mets ended up selling at last year’s trade deadline. But this year, with neither on the team, New York won their first playoff series since 2015. This was a remarkable turnaround for a team that entered June 24-33. If you predicted a playoff bid in Spring Training, congratulations, you are better at picking MLB playoff teams than us.
First things first, the Polar Bear will always be made entirely of ice. The storybook moment of 1B Pete Alonso’s career sent the Mets to the NLDS. He hit a go-ahead home run in a winner-take-all-game and brought sheer joy to a fan base that is often hopeless. They needed to know the players could come up in the clutch, and SS Francisco Lindor delivered in the next round with a game-winning grand slam. The players manifested what the fans have been saying: “you gotta believe”.
The Mets this year have been a story of belief and disbelief, going from a great low to an incredible high. While a World Series appearance would have been more fitting, these Mets simply refused to doubt themselves. For all the criticism leveled at an aging roster, this team of veterans always believed in themselves. SS Jose Iglesias was a sparkplug while SP Luis Severino ate innings and SP David Peterson was a pleasant surprise.
For a team with such a high payroll, people might assume owner Steve Cohen wants to balance youth and experience. But here are the Mets, after a year in which the veterans led the team and 3B Mark Vientos was the only contributing youngster. It is unclear right now whether this team has a stable and successful future, but New York will enter 2025 with greater expectations.
Cleveland Guardians: Sick of the Bronx
This is getting old. Every year the Guardians make the postseason and prepare for a World Series run, those darned Yankees stand in the way. Cleveland always has a strong enough roster to beat them, going back to the days of Lindor. But playoff defense has always been an issue, and this year SS Brayan Rocchio misplayed a grounder in Game 4 of the ALCS. Guardians fans suffered a classic case of deja vu, as the error was eerily similar to OF Jay Bruce’s mistake from seven years ago.
But the Guardians can be proud of a series win and a number of clutch hits. Stephen Vogt’s squad was the best in a stronger AL Central than usual. Cleveland has remained a consistent contender for a decade with a low payroll by relying on team-oriented veterans like 3B Jose Ramirez. The most exciting player is still CP Emmanuel Clase, who will receive Cy Young votes.
Speaking of Clase, the team should take full responsibility for letting him pitch Game 4 of the ALCS. This should be considering one of the biggest managing mistakes in MLB history, especially since Clase blew the lead.
Other key players include OF Steven Kwan, who had a tremendous postseason, including 11 hits and six runs in the ALDS. 2B Andres Gimenez and 1B Josh Naylor both played their part against the Yankees, and Naylor drove in three in their lone win of the series. And we can’t forget about DH David Fry, who hit the walk-off homer to win Game 3.
It bodes well for the team that Kwan and SP Tanner Bibee are still young and inexpensive. Ramirez will be a mainstay through at least 2028. The team can take solace in the fact that the future is bright, and they’ve won five and the last nine division titles. Nobody will count this team out.
Detroit Tigers: Zero to Hero
It’s times like this you wish you put $20 down in March for your team to make the MLB postseason. Or, in this case, in mid-August, when the Tigers were eight games under .500. In the span of six week, Detroit went from reckoning with another lost year to celebrating their first playoff berth since 2013.
After trading SP Jack Flaherty at the deadline, the Tigers had others plans than playing out the string. They went 31-13 after August 10 to finish as the hottest team in MLB. Then, not only did they upset the Houston Astros, but they also tore the team’s heart out in the process.
Undoubtedly the new leader is OF Riley Greene, who led the team is basically every offensive category. He has large shoes to fill now that 1B Miguel Cabrera is retired. 2B Colt Keith and 3B Matt Vierling were both pleasant surprises with over 130 hits. Though the stats don’t show his full impact, OF Parker Meadows was an integral part of the playoff run and will be an All-Star next year. But SS Javier Baez continues to be the biggest disappointment with a big contract and nothing to show for it.
Of course, the headline player is SP Tarik Skubal, who will be the unanimous Cy Young winner. The Tigers haven’t had a true ace since the days of Scherzer and Verlander, and Skubal can guarantee six quality innings.
Now, this could be a one-year blip for the team where they drop back down next year. To make sure that doesn’t happen, Detroit needs to be confident of its identity. Nothing is guaranteed in baseball, and the Tigers understand that better than most. Detroit may be on the prowl, but can they roar again?
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