Every team has a certain level of expectation when the season starts. It could be as low as starting a long-term rebuild or as high as deeming the season a failure if the team does not win the World Series.
The implementation of the second wild-card berth in each league has shifted expectations in the last three seasons. Because of that extra spot, more teams see themselves as postseason hopefuls. The evidence is in extreme offseason makeovers and so many teams unwilling to declare themselves sellers as the July 31 trade deadline approaches.
This has led to unmet expectations for a number of those teams this year. At the halfway point of the season—most teams are around the 81-game mark by now—some clubs have certainly underachieved.
But the second half still carries hope. Those clubs see the trade deadline and the next 80 or so games as their time to rebound and make good on a year that was supposed to last beyond the final game of the regular season.
Based on recent performances, the advanced metrics and what could happen at the trade deadline, a handful of disappointing teams can still break out of their slumps, starting now.