Lots of MLB teams are fighting for a playoff spot.
However, some clubs have had to endure a rough season, and finishing at or near .500 would be a small victory.
These three MLB organizations should be thrilled with a .500 finish.
3. Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians went through a lot in the 2021 MLB season.
The year has included, so far, a name change, some key injuries (Shane Bieber comes to mind), a few young pitchers completely losing the strike zone (early-season Triston McKenzie, and James Karinchak), and a weird trade deadline in which they gave away assets just to erase some payroll.
At 65-64, and with no certainty that Bieber will come back, Cleveland will surely be thrilled to finish at .500.
They just lost McKenzie, too, and Karinchak’s struggles leave them without their bullpen weapon.
If, despite all those things, Cleveland manages to finish the season with at least the same number of wins as losses, it should be quite a feat.
After all, several players need to show something to be considered part of the future.
Bobby Bradley needs more consistency and to cut down the strikeouts, Amed Rosario, currently on a good run, has to shine in September, and some of the young pitchers have innings available to show what they are made of.
Bobby Bradley is the future of the franchise. #Indians
— Jake Johnson (@__jakejohnson__) July 1, 2021
If Cleveland finished at .500 or better, some things surely went right for them, and the franchise needs some joy.
2. Colorado Rockies
After everything that happened to the Rockies in the last couple of years (most of it would be self-inflicted damage, to be fair), finishing at or near .500 would actually be encouraging for the future.
Granted, it would be very hard for them to reach .500 when all is said and done, but a hot finish would mean they get close to it.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Rockies are 60-72.
Perhaps a big finish can get them close to .500.
It would probably mean that some of the young players took a step forward.
If Colorado gets close to .500, maybe it will be because Brendan Rodgers, Ryan McMahon, Raimel Tapia, who are seen as part of the future, went on a tear.
Player development is, at this point, the only thing to watch in Colorado the rest of the season, and if a few prospects can make a leap, it probably means wins for the club.
1. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are coming off several losing seasons with little to no hope.
A third-place finish likely awaits at the end of the season, and the last time they finished that high was in 2018.
Detroit has been losing for a while: that year, they had a 64-98 record.
They were last in 2019 (47-114) and 2020 (23-35).
However, the Tigers have taken a collective step forward and are 62-71 in 2021.
They have been decent for a while.
Your Detroit Tigers:
✅2nd place this late in season since 2016
✅9 series sweeps
✅9-3-2 in last 14 series
✅T-3rd best record in AL since the break
✅12 games over .500 since May 8— Austin Drake (@austin_drake) August 12, 2021
A .500 finish would be very, very difficult, but it’s not completely out of the question.
Detroit has plenty of reasons to get excited about the future: Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, Eric Haase, Spencer Torkelson, Akil Baddoo, Gregory Soto, and more.
Getting to .500 would be the icing on the cake.
The Indians are the WINNINGEST TEAM in the AL since the 2016 season and only trail the 400M payroll dodgers in overall wins.. The Tribe has been utterly decimated by losing their entire cy young staff, a terrible owner and a half AAA lineup, yet the GM and the best player development/coaching in the game make CLE a perennial power….you are beyond clueless….. im literally embarrassed for you
Oh, and Jose Ramirez will have his FOURTH top 3 mvp finish in five years but u talking heads wouldnt even know he is more than liikely …what a joke