Were now a little over a quarter of the way through the 2025 regular season. With Memorial Day fast approaching, its hard for struggling teams to continue arguing that its still early. That isnt to say playoff positions are set in stone, of course; on this day last year, the Mariners and Twins were firmly in playoff position while the eventual AL West champion Astros were in fourth place in the division and seven games under .500. If the season ended today, the Tigers, Yankees, Tony Phillips Jersey Mariners, Guardians, Royals, and Twins would be your playoff teams in the American League this year. With four-and-a-half months left in the baseball calendar, which team currently outside of that group has the best chance of breaking their way into the mix? Heres a look at a few of the options, listed in order of record entering play today: Houston Astros (22-20) Houstons first season in a post- , world has been an uneven one. does not look like the difference-maker he once was in his age-35 season. Hes hitting .256/.302/.369 (90 wRC+) and has effectively played at replacement level. His batted-ball profile suggests he may even be a bit fortunate to have the modest rate stats he currently po se ses. is injured, is well-below average at the plate, and neither nor is producing the way Houston hoped. On the positive side, (141 wRC+) and (139 wRC+) have both been excellent at the plate. is looking , and the late-inning duo of and is one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball. If Alvarez can get healthy and the team can find some outfield help this summer, it wouldnt be a shock to see Houston make its tenth consecutive postseason. Texas Rangers (23-21) Entering the season, the Rangers looked like they had an excellent offense that would be held down by questions about the pitching staff. The reality theyve faced this year is the opposite: , , , and have all been somewhere between disappointing and terrible. has been injured, and started the year in the minors. , , and have been the only standout performers in the lineup so far this year. Thats been offset by phenomenal performances in the rotation despite injuries to , , and . is back and striking out a third of batters like its 2019, but hes arguably the #3 starter in a rotation where and have sub-2.00 ERAs. Even emergency addition is turning back the clock with a 3.35 ERA acro s seven starts. If the Rangers vaunted offense can wake up a bit, its easy to imagine the 2023 World Series champs making a run. The Athletics (22-21) John Fishers aggre sive offseason after abandoning Oakland for West Sacramento is paying off in the standings, though its mostly been due to young players breaking out. is looking like a unicorn in the mold of . has emerged as a breakout slugger. is in the midst of a career year at the dish. The pitching is cause for concern, but has looked good in his first taste of big league action, while both and have peripherals that suggest their results should improve with time. Three of last years most productive players , , and have taken steps backward, however. That will limit the clubs potential if they cant get back on track. Toronto Blue Jays (22-22) With now in the fold for life, now all the Blue Jays have to do is win with him. The returns on that front are mixed. Veterans like , and are doing their best to make everyone forget about their age, but the performances of longer-term pieces like , and are deeply concerning. has been among baseballs best closers so far and is an above-average hitter again, but has been pedestrian at the plate and Guerreros 131 wRC+, while terrific relative to the rest of the league, represents a major step back from last years 165. A healthy and effective return from future Hall of Famer would go a long way to stabilizing the rotation, but players like Santander and Berrios will need to get going if playoff baseball is to return to Canada this year. Boston Red Sox (22-23) After pushing in by adding and Bregman this winter, the Red Sox entered the year looking like one of the ALs best teams. While they havent exactly been bad, the season certainly hasnt worked out that way so far. Crochet and Bregman are both as-advertised or better, and is looking like a bona fide lefty slugger to pair with . has begun to cool off after a torrid start, however, and the rotation injuries have begun to pile up. Its anyones gue s who will be playing first base on any given day. is . is on the injured list. Devers on another position change. and are knocking on the door in the minors, and perhaps their eventual debuts will be the spark this team needs to get back into the playoff mix. The Rest Of The Field The five teams mentioned above are all within two games of a Wild Card spot, but the rest of the AL cant be counted out. The Rays will benefit from the eventual returns of players like and , but they need more offense from key pieces like , , and . The Orioles should have the lineup to compete, but they have some key bats struggling and will need to figure out their disastrous pitching staff to get back into the race. The Angels have faded after a hot start, but players like and should start hitting eventually. The White Sox still have an abysmal offense, but the rotation has been surprisingly solid with Rule 5 pick in particular looking like a steal. ____________________________________________________ Which of the teams outside of the AL playoff picture entering play today do MLBTR readers think stands the best chance of making it into the postseason? Have your say in the poll below: Which Current Non-Playoff Team Is Most Likely To Make The Postseason In 2025? Boston Red Sox 26.54% (1,248votes) Texas Rangers 20.14% (947votes) Houston Astros 19.60% (922votes) Athletics 8.65% (407votes) Toronto Blue Jays 7.95% (374votes) The current six teams in playoff position will hold on and reach the postseason. 7.14% (336votes) Baltimore Orioles 4.42% (208votes) Tampa Bay Rays 2.34% (110votes) Chicago White Sox 1.81% (85votes) Los Angeles Angels 1.40% (66votes) Total Votes: 4,703 Blake Beers Jersey