Ranking the 18 MLB teams that didnt make the playoffs: Who is best-positioned for 2024?

There are 18 teams that didn’t make the MLB postseason, so while we all enjoy October baseball, I thought I’d power-rank the non-playoff teams based on who is best-positioned to contend in 2024. Much will change between now and next spring, but here’s where these clubs stand and how quickly I think they can turn things around.

The Padres were the best team in baseball that didn’t make the postseason. They finished second in the National League in team ERA and sixth in runs scored. They had the front-runner for the Cy Young Award (Blake Snell) and the front-runner for the Trevor Hoffman Award (Josh Hader). Juan Soto and Manny Machado both hit 30 or more home runs, while Fernando Tatis Jr. blasted 25 and stole 29 bases. Ha-Seong Kim had his best season, hitting 17 homers and stealing 38 bags. The Padres will likely have to do significant cost-cutting this offseason, which would make it difficult to retain several of their free agents, including Hader and Snell. However, they still should be considered a bounce-back candidate for 2024.

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The Reds had the best rookie class of any team this season and have set themselves up to be perennial contenders for the foreseeable future. Their decision at the trade deadline to stand pat and not add veteran starting pitching might have cost them a playoff berth. Still, it positioned them nicely for 2024, as their young rotation, led by Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Brandon Williamson and Connor Phillips, received invaluable experience in the pennant race. The Reds are expected this winter to cut ties with future Hall of Famer Joey Votto, who has a team option for 2024, and will be shopping second baseman Jonathan India for either starting pitching or an outfield upgrade. They have built a strong nucleus of young players, including Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte, Will Benson, Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and TJ Friedl, and I’m already picking them to win the NL Central in 2024.

The Mariners just missed the playoffs this season but have built a pitching staff that should keep them in contention for years to come. They have the rotation, led by veteran Luis Castillo and youngsters Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo, along with Robbie Ray, the 2021 American League Cy Young winner, who should return from Tommy John surgery by the second half of next season. In order to make the postseason next year, the Mariners need to build up the lineup around Julio Rodríguez. They need more contact, fewer strikeouts and more impact along with better lineup depth; address those needs and they could make a run at the World Series in 2024.

The Mets took an important step for their organization’s future in hiring David Stearns as president of baseball operations. Stearns is one of the most respected executives in the game. He’ll build the organization the right way, from scouting to analytics to player development, and it will be interesting to see what he does with a large payroll, something he’s never had at his disposal in his career. That said, this offseason is off to an unusual start, as the Mets have fired manager Buck Showalter, introduced Stearns, accepted the resignation of general manager Billy Eppler, and come under investigation by MLB for improper use of the injured list. Stearns will need to navigate these waters as he revamps the club, but he will have the benefit of loads of good young players in the majors and minors to use as building blocks. He’ll need to try to sign first baseman Pete Alonso, a free agent after the 2024 season, to a long-term contract or consider trading him this offseason while his value is high. Although the Mets are probably a year or two away from World Series contention, I’ll be surprised if they don’t make a run at several top free agents, including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The Yankees somehow finished with a winning record (82-80) for the 31st consecutive season despite the fact that their rotation beyond ace Gerrit Cole, the expected AL Cy Young winner, completely fell apart. Carlos Rodón started the season on the IL, then never pitched up to his accustomed level after signing a $162 million contract last winter. Frankie Montas was sidelined with a shoulder injury for essentially the entire season, Domingo Germán was placed on the restricted list, Nestor Cortes dealt with rotator cuff issues, and Luis Severino dealt with an oblique injury and a lack of command when he was on the mound, leaving Clarke Schmidt and Michael King as the team’s next best starters. On the position player side, Aaron Judge delivered when he wasn’t on the IL, but injuries and underperformance were the story for most of the Yankees’ veterans, from Anthony Rizzo to Giancarlo Stanton to DJ LeMahieu. The Yankees got younger in the final month of the season, which provided a spark on the field and in the clubhouse; Jasson Domínguez was the best of the group until he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required Tommy John surgery. This club has a lot of work to do this offseason to build back its rotation, get younger and more athletic, and add more on-base percentage, contact and depth to the lineup.

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The Red Sox fired chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom last month and are focused on their search to replace him as they promise that the new head of baseball operations will have full autonomy. Despite not making the playoffs, a lot of positive signs emerged this season as many of Boston’s young players, from first baseman Triston Casas to outfielders Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela to young starter Brayan Bello, showed their potential in the majors. Trevor Story successfully returned from Tommy John surgery and free agents Masataka Yoshida and Justin Turner lived up to their contracts. The Red Sox also found their catcher for the future, Connor Wong, and their bullpen was much improved. Now they need to make a splash this offseason — whether that’s a trade for Juan Soto or a statement signing like Shohei Ohtani or Cody Bellinger and landing a top free-agent starter such as Blake Snell, Aaron Nola or Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Boston’s ownership must get back to “checkbook baseball” now that the Red Sox have established a strong young core.

The Cubs were in the pennant race until the final weekend of the regular season, thanks to the front-runner for NL Comeback Player of the Year, Cody Bellinger, team leader Dansby Swanson and Cy Young candidate Justin Steele. Manager David Ross did an excellent job of navigating the bullpen, and right fielder Seiya Suzuki lived up to his $85 million contract with a strong second half. The Cubs will have difficult free-agent decisions to make as Bellinger, Marcus Stroman and Jeimer Candelario are all expected to hit the market. They have a strong defensive team and are well-positioned to contend again in 2024, but must be prepared to spend this offseason.

The Giants loaded their roster with average or slightly-above-average major-league players from top to bottom and played like it over the course of the 162-game season, hovering around .500 for most of the year. They operated more like a small-market team, mixing and matching their pitching staff and lineup on most nights to try to win that way. What the Giants need to return to October baseball are some stars — for the middle of their lineup and their rotation. They fired manager Gabe Kapler and it will be interesting to see what type of management style they go with in the new hire. They are expected to be players in free agency this offseason and have plenty of money to spend.

The Guardians had a disappointing season and will head into 2024 with a new leader after the retirement of longtime manager Terry Francona, but all is not lost. They’ve established an incredible starting pitching room, augmenting a staff that was led by Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie with the arrivals of rookies Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen, who established themselves as middle-of-the-rotation starters if not more. However, the Guardians have a lot of work to do to improve their offense around José Ramírez and Josh Naylor. They are expected to shop Bieber this offseason and could look to land a young controllable impact bat in return. Bottom line: If they want to contend in 2024, the offense will need to look a lot different than it did this year.

The Cardinals were the most disappointing team this season thanks to a rotation that completely fell apart and a bunch of outfielders who were injured or underperformed. They missed catcher Yadier Molina more than they expected and didn’t get the offensive production they hoped for from a lot of their young players. The Cardinals will spend this offseason rebuilding their rotation and need to make at least two or three upgrades if they want any chance of turning things around in 2024. The good news is they still have the best corner infield in the game with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, along with three top young players in outfielders Jordan Walker and Lars Nootbaar and shortstop Masyn Winn. With a strong offseason, the Cardinals have the infrastructure to get right back into the NL Central race next year.

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Detroit’s offseason started with president of baseball operations Scott Harris hiring Jeff Greenberg as GM. This past season, the Tigers began to make progress at the major-league level, as outfielder Riley Greene and first baseman Spencer Torkelson started to live up to expectations. Rookie center fielder Parker Meadows and right fielder Kerry Carpenter established themselves as key contributors. Tarik Skubal successfully returned from flexor tendon surgery and by the end of the year proved he was a No. 1 starter the club could build around. The key for the Tigers in 2024 will be the development and health of their young starting pitchers and adding more thump to the middle of their lineup. Under the leadership of Harris and manager A.J. Hinch, they’re headed in the right direction.

The Pirates have quietly positioned themselves to be a surprise team in 2024. They have built a strong young core of talent with Bryan Reynolds, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Jack Suwinski, Henry Davis, Endy Rodríguez, Nick Gonzales, and Oneil Cruz, who next year will be coming back from ankle surgery. Those players are all capable of having breakout seasons or making real strides next year. The question of whether the Pirates are ready to contend will come down to their rotation, which includes Mitch Keller, Quinn Priester and Johan Oviedo.

The Nationals are taking their time to rebuild the right way, realizing it can take five to seven years to become a World Series contender. This was their fourth straight season winning fewer than 72 games, and they should be ready to at least approach .500 next year. The Nationals’ strong farm system features prospects Dylan Crews, James Wood and Brady House, all of whom should make it to Washington in the second half of 2024, which would set the team up to be legitimate contenders by 2025.

The Angels started their offseason by firing manager Phil Nevin and soon likely will be saying goodbye to Shohei Ohtani, although they will make a strong push to re-sign him when he hits the open market. Ohtani is expected to prioritize winning in free agency and the Angels will have a tough time making the case they’re the best destination after six years of playing under .500 with him. The Angels do have some positives they can take from 2024, including the flashes of excellence from rookies Nolan Schanuel, Zach Neto and Logan O’Hoppe. They still have one of the game’s best players, Mike Trout, if they can ever keep him healthy. However, this is a team loaded with below-average major leaguers and a farm system that ranks as one of the worst in baseball. The Angels don’t have much to trade and still have a lot of bad money on their books, including Anthony Rendon’s contract, which has three years and more than $115 million remaining.

The White Sox fired their top baseball executives, EVP Ken Williams and GM Rick Hahn, and replaced them with incoming GM Chris Getz. He is expected to be aggressive this offseason in rebuilding the major-league team and has already told his peers in other front offices that there are no untouchables on the roster, although it’s unlikely he’d consider moving center fielder Luis Robert Jr. The White Sox are hoping to get more out of Eloy Jiménez, Yoán Moncada and Andrew Vaughn next year and want to focus on improving the team’s defense and clubhouse culture. They also must significantly improve the rotation before they can contend again.

The Rockies finished in last place again this season but had some positive signs, including the contributions of rookies Nolan Jones (4.3 bWAR) and Ezequiel Tovar (2.5 WAR). Jones looks to be a mainstay in the middle of their lineup, while Tovar is an elite defender who showed he’s their long-term answer at shortstop. It’s always been a challenge for the Rockies to develop a pitching staff good enough to win at Coors Field, but no one should complain about their efforts in the draft and in trades.

The Royals have one of the best young players in baseball, Bobby Witt Jr., who I think will hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in 2024. Salvador Perez is still their team leader, while MJ Melendez and Maikel Garcia are starting to establish themselves as solid everyday players. Cole Ragans, whom they acquired from the Rangers in a shrewd in-season trade for Aroldis Chapman, became their best starting pitcher, as he posted a 2.64 ERA in the second half. However, the Royals lost 106 games and do not have a strong farm system nor much to trade on their major-league roster, so it will take time for them to turn things around.

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The A’s are in the midst of a complete rebuild and they are many years away from contending. However, although they finished a major-league-worst 50-112, they did get strong contributions from rookie first baseman Ryan Noda and second baseman Zack Gelof. Another rookie, center fielder Esteury Ruiz, led the AL in stolen bases but was erratic defensively. JP Sears (4.54 ERA in 172 1/3 innings) was their best starting pitcher and rookie Mason Miller showed impressive stuff. The A’s are expected to move to Las Vegas eventually but it’s unlikely they’ll build this roster into a contender by the time they open their new stadium. Like the Royals, this won’t be a quick fix but hopefully 2023 is rock bottom.

(Top image photos: Fernando Tatis Jr.: Orlando Ramirez / USA Today; Elly De La Cruz: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images; Triston Casas: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)

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