In the past decade, 80% of baseball’s 30 teams have made it to the playoffs at least once. That leaves six franchises that haven’t appeared in a postseason game in the last ten years: the Mariners, Orioles, Blue Jays, Pirates, Royals and Nationals/Expos.
It’d be a surprise if the Mariners, Orioles, Pirates or Royals made a postseason appearance this year, but the Nationals and Blue Jays could contend, especially now that there’s a second Wild Card berth in each league. That said, the NL East and AL East project as tough divisions, so you could make a case for a number of teams (most recent postseason appearance in parentheses).
Which of the six clubs below will end its playoff drought first?
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Nationals (1981 NLCS as Expos) 49% (8,471)
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Blue Jays (1993 World Series) 26% (4,479)
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Royals (1985 World Series) 11% (1,893)
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Pirates (1992 NLCS) 7% (1,202)
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Mariners (2001 ALCS) 5% (818)
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Orioles (1997 ALCS) 2% (384)
Total votes: 17,247
Are you technically in the playoffs if you get a wild card, but lose the play in game against the second wild card?
Yes.
Probably by new definition tho it sure reeks of “Play in” during conventional standings ties.
I think the Mariners could sneak in. I don’t buy the Nationals. I don’t see enough consistent hitting from their lineup. The Blue Jays don’t have the pitching. If the Mariners can get the tiniest bit of offense I think they could surprise people.
However I don’t think any of these teams make the playoffs this season.
You don’t buy the Nats offense but you do buy the M’s. Remember that besides Felix, the M’s rotation isn’t that great. The Nats have the better hitting and pitching of the two.
I’m not really buying any of them for this season, but with the talent in the system the Nats do seem like the best bet to break the drought longer term.
I’m biased, but Nationals seem like the obvious choice
I’m unbiased and agree with you.
I’m not a Nationals fan, but they do appear to be the most likely choice, since it seems they have done the most to improve their team.
I’m a Jays fan and I voted Nats. They play in an easier division (albeit probably the next hardest after the A.L. East). The Phillies are getting older and their domination of the N.L. Won’t last much longer IMO. Gio, Jackson, Strasburg is a good 1-3 and Harper coming up could be a big boost to the offense.
Gio may be able to get with walking half the lineup in Oakland but I don’t think Nationals Park will be as forgiving.
you forgot about Jordan Zimmerman who is likely #2 in that rotation.
I gotta go with the Nats. Lotta talent coming through the pipeline, some decent free agent signings, and some serious question marks for their in division competition. With the new wild card spot I think they have a shot making it pretty soon with a few lucky breaks. I’d say the Jays but their division puts up more serious obstacles.
You like the Mariners but you don’t like the Nats because of a lack of offense???
Mariners have better pitching.
Felix/Vargas/Noesi/Beaven/Millwood are better than Strasburg/Zimmerman/Gonzalez/Jackson/Wang? The M’s will have a sick rotation in a couple of years but right now their pitching is not very good, and by then the Nats or Jays will probably have gone to the playoffs.
Strasburg is no sure thing, Gonzalez walks half of the batters, Jackson is inconsistent and Wang is on the DL. Detweiller is unproven and Lannan is average.
I think Hultzen is probably in line to join the team in the summer.
Not to mention he left Iwakuma out of the M’s rotation. Personally I don’t think either team makes the playoffs this year though.
what is unsure about strasburg? it’s hilarious to claim strasburg is no sure thing, but that we should count hultzen in as if he’s surely going to be an important asset
the mariners pitching is not close to the nationals right now, who also already have two elite arms in the 8th and 9th inning
Don’t forget Jordan Zimmerman, he had a phenomenal year last season so they’ve got a pretty legit 1 – 4.
Royals. Talented young team in a weak division this year. Still don’t see them making it this year, but certainly sooner than those other teams. Blue Jays are WAY overhyped.
Maybe as a Wildcard. The Tigers aren’t relinquishing the title anytime soon.
I don’t think that they’re overhyeped in terms of what they have, I just think they’re overhyped in terms of what they have to overcome. They have a long way to go to prove that they can overtake Tampa and the Angles/Rangers for a WC slot.
their rotation beyond Romero is pathetic. no way they make it this season.
i don’t think they have much of a shot this season either, but morrow is hardly pathetic. alvarez is one of few arms that are poised to step forward, too
maybe i was a little bit harsh on them. alvarez is not part of their rotation yet, right? i thought those cecil, drabek, mcgowan are there, no?
3.5 ERA, 4 FIP in 10 big league starts as a 21 year old last year after breezing through AA. i dunno if they plan to start him with the big club, but i expect he’ll be there for most of the year
he’s locked up a rotation spot already..
Mcgowan, Cecil, Drabek, Laffey fighting for 2 spots.
The Jays would be overhyped if anyone was saying they have a chance of making the playoffs this year, and no one is saying that.
I truly would like it to be the Orioles from that list, but even with The Duke in charge, they have the least chance regardless of how good of a job he does. Lousy overall NL teams and divisions, plus NYY, TB and Boston in the east and an up and coming jays will drive them back.. it’s a shame cause always liked that marvelous franchise.
Wish was a way to move them out of the East and to the AL central somehow.
You have 0 faith in Wilson Betemit and that troubles me.
I am curious (in a way) to see the collection of castoffs, other than betemit The Duke has among the starting 9 by seasons end. If he has his way? It won’t be pretty, unless Showalter over rules him.
I would rather see the O’s let fringe prospects have a go over Betemit type players. They might find a diamond in the rough that way and with the betemits, Lee Tinsley types The Duke targets as “fillers” you get the bottom of the barrel.
Then..That is just me.. If a team isn’t going to win? Watch people who are exciting.
Agreed 100%. I was just kidding on the previous post.
Gotta go with the Royals just over the Nats. They play in the worst division in baseball and could compete for best offense in baseball with Texas and Boston this year if they find a decent catcher. Hosmer, Gordon, Moose, Frenchie, and Butler could have 20+ homers while Escobar and Cain will have 20+ SBs.
The Sanchez addition and a year more grooming for Paulino/Duffy/Mendoza can’t hurt either.
The Nats will be good soon but the NL East is just too good for a guarantee of success.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see Cain put up 20 HRs also
Royals are a long ways away. Weak rotation with no obvious help on the way. Nice little offensive core but that isn’t enough.
Hochevar, Sanchez, Chen and company just might surprise everyone this year.
Those are real long odds, brother.
Whoever it is.. it will be from the NL..
AL wild card– one will come from al west(rangers/angels).. and the other from the al east(TB/NY/Boston)
I am proud to be one of the 61 people who correctly chose the Orioles.
Hahahahaha oh you.
Time to shock the world…lets go O’s!
I’m just going to laugh when the 0’s shut everyone up…
I believe the correct answer is “Blue Jays”
they have to beat out one of the angels/rangers and two of the rays/yankees/red sox just to make it to the play in game for the next few years. nationals have the best chance in terms of making to the play in game in terms of competition in my opinion. royals will be sneaky good in the coming years though.
to me, the mariners and orioles don’t really have much of a chance to beat those guys to the playoffs, although the mariners might have a longer run of playoffs made if they do because of their pitching and potential bats
I believe the correct answer is “None of the Above”
You believe that none of those teams will ever make the playoffs in the history of time from this day forward?
Ouch.
unless that time is from now to December, I doubt he is right.
If the question was which team will do it “this season” then I’d agree, but the way I read it, the question is which team will do it “first.” To that question I’d have to go with the Nationals. They are starting to spend like at least a mid-market team.
I voted for the Pirates — they were in first place last year as late as July 25 — but even if Pedro Alvarez starts hitting MLB pitching that would be a tall order.
Don’t know why so many people are picking the Jays…There’s no way they will be better than the Yanks, Sox, Rays, Rangers or Angels for the Wild Card spots. Absolutely no way. Maybe in like 5 years but not now
The poll is asking “who does it first” not, “who does it this year.” It doesn’t necessarily mean people have faith in the Jays, just no faith in anyone else.
his reasoning actually applies for the next few years though. i think nationals have the talent at the major league level and the talent coming up through the minors to make it to the playoffs first
agreed, the jays are getting good, but the al east is extremely hard division to make it through, same problem that the mariners will have.
Spot on. The Nats can make the playoffs (and will) before the Jays. I don’t think they’re quite ready this year, but probably next
Pretty sure you could have said the same thing about the Rays before 2008, and now they are in your statement as one of the best teams.
Nationals, no doubt. The new wild-card rules almost seem designed to allow three teams from both eastern divisions into the play-offs in the next few years. And I think the Nationals stand a better chance than the Blue Jays (…And Orioles) for a few reasons.
they don’t have to compete with the Yanks and BoSox budgets’
Morse, Zimmerman and eventually Harper offer an offense that people seem to think doesn’t exist.
Zimmermann is awesome. Strasburg will be.
The Phillies are getting old.
don’t forget the angels and rangers budgets too. obviously one will take the division and i’m 80% sure the other will end up in the play-in game.
Royals. Weak division and loads of talent coming through in the system. I have no understanding as to why the nationals have the lead. The Mariners are my second choice.
Mariners are coming along, but with the angels and the rangers teams that are put together, i dont see them breaking free for a couple years. Same problem with royals, will they overduel detroit yet? they have had high draft picks forever and have yet to translate it to wins like the rays. The nats are coming along and the phillies are aging very fast.
Who is going to pitch the Royals to the playoffs?
Because the Nationals have a fantastic pitching staff.
I think not a one of them even with the extra wild card.
Bitter Astros fan…
astros fan, yes. bitter ,no. if i had to pick one of those it would have to be the NATS.
Jays. Nationals and Royals are both a close second.
The Blue Jays have the most talented roster of the teams on the list, the most loaded farm, the most financial resources, and finished with the best record. The upside on that team is 100 wins if everything goes right.
I can reasonably see the Blue Jays, Royals, and Nationals ending their droughts all in one year, and it might be this year.
Geez…poor Orioles can’t even win a poll on MLBTR.
The fact that there is any votes for the Oriloles in this pole scares the living crap out of me.
Then I suggest you don’t follow the Republican primaries. The fact some of those candidates are getting votes makes voting for the Orioles look like a perfectly sane thing to do.