Since the MLB playoffs were expanded in 1995, all the MLB franchises that had previously been unable to earn a postseason berth have made at least one playoff appearance making online betting more open to fans of all teams. Even so, a number of teams have been visibly absent from the playoff arena, led by the Toronto Blue Jays, who have the longest active postseason drought at 21 years.The Nationals, who owned the longest playoff drought at 30 years for the franchise (and 78 years for the city) ended theirs in 2012, with the Kansas City Royals’ drought at 28 years ending in 2014, and Pittsburgh Pirates’ drought at 20 years ending in 2013. Can the Jays, Houston Astros (9 years drought) and New York Mets (8 years drought) follow suit by ending their respective droughts after strong showings in 2015 MLB odds, or will their postseason absence extend beyond this year? Let’s find out, as we give a succinct analysis in the breakdown below:
A Look at the Teams That Could End Postseason Drought in 2016
Toronto Blue Jays
Long gone are the memories the Blue Jays and their last trip to playoffs in 1993, when Joe Carter’s home run helped the team to win the World Series. Toronto fans can, however, be hopeful of an end to the drought, considering their strong 2015 contention for the AL East title or a possible slot in the wild-card spot. In the division, the Yankees still have a six-game lead, but in the AL wild-card standings, the Jays are just trailing the Angels by two games, which could easily see Toronto clinch a playoff spot..@DAVIDprice14 makes his @BlueJays debut against the Twins, live at 1:07 ET. http://t.co/GKVuXkBRpn pic.twitter.com/SjyxbQJ95w
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 3, 2015
In addition to their good form so far this season, the Blue Jays acquired All-Star left-hander David Price from Detroit and also got shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from Colorado, adding a lot of depth to the team. Price, a first overall pick in 2007, is a proven veteran and his addition to the pitching department brings a lot of experience and the potential for improvement, something that is affirmed by the 9-4 record with a 2.53 ERA in 21 starts in Detroit this season. “These types of players, the great superstar players, rarely become available,” said Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos. “We think we’re a good team and adding a guy like Price we think makes us that much stronger and will give us a chance to win. It’s as simple as that.”