One of the primary reasons this MLB season has been so great is there is no clear cut, dominant franchise running away with their respective league.
In the National League, there are seven teams above .500 and at least six that I would consider legitimate threats in the postseason. In the American League, there are eight teams above .500 and at least six that I would consider legitimate threats in the postseason.
It would be great to see even more parity in future seasons, with some rebuilding franchises turning the corner and finally getting back to the postseason. Here are four teams that fit that description, with thoughts on mistakes that these four franchises need to avoid.
Colorado Rockies: a need for new voice(s)
The Rockies are arguably the least progressive team in baseball, and it’s not entirely Bill Schmidt’s fault. Not even close.
Dick Monfort needs to invest significant, meaningful resources into the roster. The front office. Scouting. Player development. Analytics. You name it, and it needs to be better for the Rockies. He’s tried signing Nolan Arenado (who was eventually traded) and Kris Bryant to massive contracts hoping to mask those issues.
Instead, it further made those issues even more glaring.
As general manager, Bill Schmidt has held onto key pieces (Ryan McMahon being one) for too long instead of maximizing his trade value. A new leader atop the front office is something that has been speculated plenty across the industry, and a logical target should be Thad Levine, formerly of the Minnesota Twins. Hiring Levine as president of baseball operations, and a rising name as general manager, would be a strong foundation for Colorado.
If that’s indeed the route that the Rockies take, hiring someone with ties to Levine as manager would make sense. Even then, the Rockies fired a very good, respected baseball person in Bud Black. He was in an impossible situation in Colorado and was the least of their problems.
Pittsburgh Pirates: invest in the offense
I was critical of the Pirates’ trade deadline strategy, and my criticism was misdirected.
Let me wear it.
First, I was critical of the Pirates not trading Mitch Keller, Andrew Heaney, Tommy Pham or others on expiring contracts. In Keller’s case, no team met the Pirates’ asking price. There was not much league-wide interest in Heaney, Pham or any of the players on expiring contracts. In Pham’s case, the Pirates value what he brings to the clubhouse and Pham enjoys being in Pittsburgh, and his value to the organization likely far exceeded whatever the Pirates would have netted in a trade.
The Ke’Bryan Hayes trade was smart and should allow the front office to reinvest those resources back into the lineup.
I was critical of Ben Cherington for not moving any of the above players, and given the circumstances and their markets (or lack thereof), I was wrong.
But the Pirates need to invest in the offense this offseason, and I expect them to. It can’t be a Rowdy Tellez or another veteran flier on a one-year contract. It has to be a meaningful asset, perhaps on a multi-year contract. If they do, the postseason is a distinct possibility with Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler set to head the rotation in 2026.
Washington Nationals: pick the right leadership
The Washington Nationals’ firing Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez during the season was a stunner.
Not necessarily because they were fired, more so on the timing. Days before the MLB Draft, when the team was scheduled to have the No. 1 pick, and weeks ahead of the trade deadline.
These are decisions that the Lerner family has to get right. It’s unclear who they will target to run the front office or the managerial positions, or if they will give interim options Mike DeBartolo and Miguel Cairo a legitimate run at earning the permanent positions.
But this also falls on Lerner. He needs to invest in modern practices to get the organization on par with other high-end teams. He needs to invest into the roster and not penny-pinch. He needs to explore extensions for some of these young assets such as James Wood and Mackenzie Gore, among others.
There’s so much that the Nationals need to get right. On the field, they have foundational pieces. But in order to get back to the World Series, let alone the postseason, they need the organizational leaders – Lerner and whoever is hired – to step up.
Chicago White Sox: Stay the course
If I’m being real, I don’t know how the White Sox get meaningfully better with Jerry Reinsdorf running the show. I really don’t.
But the White Sox are better than they were last year and, all things considered, I think Chris Getz has done a good job running the front office.
They got an absolute haul in return for Garrett Crochet, who is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and that return will be used to guide the next 5-10 seasons of White Sox baseball. Getz and the front office has revamped how the organization runs things, with numerous people inside and outside of the organization noting it's light years ahead of where it was when Getz took over.
There have been their fair share of misses, for sure, such as the Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham trade. The decision to not trade Luis Robert Jr. was met with plenty of criticism, but I respect the organization sticking to its price and not deviating from it.
Getz and the front office just can’t get flashy with it. They aren’t close to contending, and I don’t expect them to go all-out in free agency. And as long as he does that, and continues building the foundation, I expect the White Sox to get better. It’s just gonna be awhile until we see them in the postseason again.