Ranking non-playoff teams with the brightest futures: Braves, Orioles can bounce back

With the regular season winding down, we now have a pretty good idea as to which teams are going to participate in this year's postseason. There are a couple of spots up for grabs, but I feel extremely confident that at least 10 of the teams in postseason positioning at the beginning of play on Friday, Sept. 19, will end up getting in.

While there are some teams battling for spots, 12 teams are completely out of contention. Each of the teams listed below is at least 6.0 games back of a playoff spot, making it extremely unlikely they find a way into the postseason.

With those teams looking toward 2026 and beyond, let's take a look at which of the bunch has the most exciting futures based on farm systems, current MLB cores, and willingness to spend money.

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Colorado Rockies

I can't help but feel badly for Colorado Rockies fans. At 41-112, they have not only clinched a third-straight 100+ loss season, but they've ensured that they'll finish with the worst record in franchise history. Oh yeah, there are still nine more games for them to add onto their loss total.

Unfortunately for Colorado, I have no idea when the losing will stop. Their farm system, even after adding Ethan Holliday, is not great. Their MLB core doesn't have much outside of Hunter Goodman and Ezequiel Tovar, especially knowing that Brenton Doyle has had a down year. They have absolutely nothing to get excited about, pitching-wise, either.

The Rockies are willing to spend somewhat, which in a dream world would give fans some hope, but when the team's recent major expenditures have been for guys like Kris Bryant, German Marquez and Kyle Freeland, why should anyone believe they'd make a smart signing? Things are rough in Denver and will continue to be for quite some time.

Los Angeles Angels

As badly as I feel for Rockies fans, I feel worse for Los Angeles Angels fans. I mean, at least the Rockies have had some semblance of success in the last decade. Not only will this be the 11th straight season in which the Angels have missed the postseason, but they've clinched a losing record for the 10th straight year. It's been that bad, and unfortunately, I have no idea when things will get better.

Shohei Ohtani is gone, and the best days of Mike Trout appear to be very behind him. He's had his healthiest season since 2019 but has a .769 OPS, looking like a shell of his Hall of Fame self. The makings of a decent young core is in place with guys like Zach Neto, Jo Adell and Jose Soriano leading the charge, but even Logan O'Hoppe, a player I was incredibly high on entering the year, has regressed heavily on both sides of the ball.

The farm system remains a disaster, and Arte Moreno is unwilling to spend like a big-market owner. He also isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I wish I could see light at the end of the tunnel, but it's hard to. Hey, at least the Angels likely won't go through the kind of season Rockies fans are this season, though, right?

Washington Nationals

I thought the Washington Nationals would be one of MLB's most improved teams in 2025, but at 62-91, I couldn't have been more wrong. In fact, assuming the Nationals don't win out, they'll finish with a worse mark than their 71-91 one from 2024. Not only did they fail to take a step forward, but they've actually taken what's felt like several steps back.

There is a decent core in place with James Wood, MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams, but both Wood and Gore finished their seasons very slowly, and there isn't much in place beyond that trio. Dylan Crews hasn't shown much this season, Luis Garcia Jr. has regressed, and the same can even be said about Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker from the pitching side.

They do have No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits in the pipeline, and I do like pitching prospects Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana a lot, but Willits, as a 17-year-old coming out of high school, is a ways away from the bigs, and Sykora just underwent Tommy John Surgery and won't be seen in the majors until 2027 at the earliest.

I like Wood, but can he bounce back following his abysmal second half? Is Gore a true ace? Who will slot in behind him in the rotation? Will Abrams be around when the Nationals are competitive? Is Crews going to be both healthy and productive? How good is Garcia? Will the Nationals ever address the bullpen? The core has questions, and the roster beyond the core is a mess. The Nationals are suddenly in a bad spot shortly after it looked like they were primed to ascend.

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox have had another miserable year, but things have been better. At 57-96, their record remains abysmal, but they've improved by 16 games in the win-loss column thus far, and they've even gone 25-31 in the second half. Being only six games under .500 in a two-month span is as good as things have been for this franchise in quite some time.

Luis Robert Jr. very clearly won't be part of the next successful iteration of the White Sox, but we're starting to see guys who will be. Colson Montgomery has hit 18 home runs in the second half alone, Shane Smith was an All-Star, and Kyle Teel has a 144 wRC+ in the second half, the same mark as Freddie Freeman. Even guys like Chase Meidroth and Miguel Vargas have shown lots of promise.

This team is obviously still a ways away from contention, and I have doubts that Jerry Reinsdorf will be willing to spend much to help the White Sox get back to contention faster, but with this core and prospects like Braden Montgomery, Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith in the pipeline, the path to consistent improvement is certainly there.

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins just tore practically their entire team apart at the trade deadline and completely revamped their farm system in the process. As discouraging as it is to see a team essentially tank, the prospects acquired by Minnesota could help lead to great results.

Their farm system is now among the best in the sport with guys like Walker Jenkins, Eduardo Tait, Mick Abel and Emmanuel Rodriguez leading the way, and while much of their core is now gone, some of it remains. Joe Ryan is still in town for now, and the same can be said about Pablo Lopez, Byron Buxton and Luke Keaschall.

I don't know whether Ryan or Lopez in particular will remain in town when the Twins are ready to win again, but it's entirely possible they'll get traded for even more impactful prospects. Things look bleak right now, but the Twins could be ready to really win in a couple of years. The only reason I don't have them higher is because I have zero faith ownership will be willing to spend close to what it'll take to actually field a winner around this exciting crop of prospects.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have arguably the best pitcher on the planet and arguably the No. 1 prospect in the game as well. Paul Skenes is a near lock to win his first career Cy Young award in his first full season, and Konnor Griffin has taken the minor leagues by storm in his first full professional season. It's entirely possible that the Pirates will have one of the best players on the planet in just a couple of years both on the mound and at the plate, which is exciting by itself.

Adding to this, the Pirates have a really strong rotation forming. Skenes leads the way, but Jared Jones, Bubba Chandler, Hunter Barco and Mitch Keller are in town as well. You'd think with a high-end rotation and a position player of Griffin's upside that the Pirates would be higher on this list, but that simply is not the case.

The offense, to put it lightly, is a mess. Griffin is exciting, but who else will factor in? Even guys we expected to meaningfully contribute, like Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, have had wildly disappointing seasons. Perhaps if the Pirates were able to add in free agency or via trade, they'd improve, but with Bob Nutting running the ship, that won't be happening.

Miami Marlins

I did not expect the Miami Marlins to rank this highly on an exciting future list, but I have to give credit to them - they've impressed me. At 73-80, they've done much better than I expected them to, and a lot of that has to do with their young players showing real signs of improvement.

Edward Cabrera went from a potential non-tender candidate to a guy who has looked like a frontline starter for much of the year. Eury Perez could be a top five pitcher in the game in the not-too-distant future. Sandy Alcantara is starting to look like Sandy Alcantara again. Both Max Meyer and Ryan Weathers have shown glimpses of greatness. That's just on the pitching side.

Kyle Stowers is looking like the big bopper the Marlins have been missing since they traded Giancarlo Stanton away. Agustin Ramirez might get Rookie of the Year votes. Jakob Marsee has taken the MLB world by storm in his brief big league action. Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez are both young, exciting middle infielders.

On the prospect front, Thomas White might be the best pitching prospect in the sport right now. Robby Snelling isn't far behind. Joe Mack is an electric defensive catcher with some untapped offensive potential. Aiva Arquette was just selected in the top 10 of the 2025 MLB Draft. There are some exciting prospects here, and I trust that Peter Bendix will continue to add to the farm system.

The Marlins have the makings of a team that should take meaningful steps towards competing, but as is the case with several other teams on this list, will ownership be willing to spend at all? That's what has this team outside of the top five.

Athletics

The Athletics have one of the best position player cores in the sport, and I don't even think that's a hot take. Nick Kurtz is already a superstar at just 22 years old. Shea Langeliers is one of the best catchers in the game. Brent Rooker is one of the best power hitters in the sport. Jacob Wilson was an All-Star starter in his rookie year. Tyler Soderstrom has taken massive strides. The only somewhat disappointing member of this core is Lawrence Butler, and even he has tremendous upside.

Leo De Vries, perhaps the best prospect in the game right now, is already in Double-A. Perhaps he can meaningfully contribute in the majors as soon as the second half of next season.

The offense looks outstanding, but the pitching is what's holding this team back. The Luis Severino signing has backfired, and other than Luis Morales, who is there for the A's to hang their hats on? Sure, they have exciting pitching prospects like Gage Jump, Jamie Arnold and Braden Nett, but they've combined to throw as many pitches in the big leagues as I have.

Does anyone really expect John Fisher, of all owners, to spend what it'll take to really improve this rotation? Oh yeah, with Mason Miller gone, their bullpen needs a lot of work too. The A's are really fun and their offense should be elite for a while, but Fisher and the pitching will undoubtedly hold them back.

Tampa Bay Rays

At 75-78, the Tampa Bay Rays are almost certainly going to miss the playoffs, but they aren't quite as bad as their record says they are. Their expected record is 82-71 thanks to a +52 run differential. They've been perhaps MLB's unluckiest team when pointing to expected records, and that's thanks in large part to a 22-28 record in one-run games. The Rays' run differential suggests they should be much better than they are, and that's with Shane McClanahan, their ace, missing the entire season due to injury.

McClanahan should be back, guys like Jonathan Aranda and Josh Lowe should have healthier seasons, and who knows what Junior Caminero will do in his second full season? He has 44 home runs as a 22-year-old and could easily hit 50+ as soon as next season.

A rotation consisting of McClanahan, Ryan Pepiot, Drew Rasmussen and Shane Baz should be quite good, and the same can be said about a lineup which includes Caminero, Aranda, Brandon Lowe, Yandy Diaz, Carson Williams and Chandler Simpson. Even if the Rays elect to do Rays-like things and trade Lowe and/or Diaz, does anyone expect them not to ace the return?

Their core is solid, and prospects like Brody Hopkins and Xavier Isaac aren't far away. The AL East is brutally tough, and ownership's unwillingness to spend makes things tougher, but the Rays have an outstanding track record. Everyone should expect them to be right in the thick of things next season.

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals have arguably the best player of any team on this list, Bobby Witt Jr., to build around for the next decade-plus. He, alone, will ensure the Royals are somewhat competitive. The reason why I have them at No. 3 on the list, though, is because the supporting cast, particularly on the starting pitching front, is quite good.

Cole Ragans, when healthy, is an ace. Kris Bubic, when healthy, is an All-Star. Noah Cameron might be receiving Rookie of the Year consideration if Nick Kurtz didn't exist. Veterans Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are steady. Even guys like Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek have shown promise. They have starting pitching up the wazoo.

The lineup might not have much alongside Witt, but there are some things there to get excited about. Vinnie Pasquantino is really good, Maikel Garcia was an All-Star, Salvador Perez still rakes, and who knows, maybe Jac Caglianone can figure it out.

Witt, being a 25-year-old franchise cornerstone, elevates Kansas City's ceiling exponentially. I love the starting pitching the Royals have in place. I might not love the lineup, but there are some pieces to get excited about. Pairing all of this with an owner who is willing to spend somewhat and a division that is mostly subpar outside of the Detroit Tigers, and I like Kansas City's chances to be competitive for a while.

Remember, while 2025 has been a down year, this team was postseason-bound in 2024. Don't be shocked if they get back there in 2026.

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles have arguably been the most disappointing team in the American League this season. While a lot of their issues were self-inflicted, they've dealt with a slew of injuries, too. Perhaps I shouldn't feel this way, but I still believe in the Orioles long-term for a couple of reasons.

First, after a brutal start to their year, they've played pretty well for a while now. Baltimore started its season 19-36 but has gone 53-45 since. That's a 98-game sample size of the Orioles being eight games over .500. That mark would have them right in the Wild Card race over the course of a full season, and that's even when taking into account the fact that the Orioles were major sellers at this year's deadline.

Second, the core that was so good in 2023 and 2024 is still largely intact. Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday and likely Adley Rutschman aren't going anywhere, and guys like Samuel Basallo, Dylan Beavers and Coby Mayo are in the majors now. The Orioles should score a lot of runs assuming guys like Henderson and Westburg stay healthy, and their pitching is better than it's given credit for.

Yes, it was a disaster early on, but have you seen what Trevor Rogers has been doing? Kyle Bradish is healthy now, too. Grayson Rodriguez will be healthy at some point. Orioles ownership has said it's willing to spend, too, so if that's true and they land an impact starter or two, this team can be really good as soon as next season.

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are an easy team to place at the top of this list. Yes, the 2025 season was nothing short of embarrassing. Yes, there are some clear concerns Alex Anthopoulos must address, but how can this team be this bad again?

The rotation, when healthy, is absurd. From Chris Sale to Spencer Schwellenbach to Spencer Stider to Reynaldo Lopez to Hurston Waldrep to Grant Holmes the Braves have more rotation options than spots. Lineup wise, Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Drake Baldwin, Jurickson Profar and Michael Harris II aren't going anywhere.

There are obvious durability concerns and the farm system is far from stellar, but assuming the Braves willl be healthier and willing to spend on the bullpen, why can't this team be really good in 2026 and beyond?