The divide between MLB contenders and pretenders is smaller than ever, increasing the impact of each contributor on the roster.
As many as 19 teams are in the postseason running with less than a month remaining. Most of them can thank the new wild-card format, as no division outside the American League East hosts an intense neck-and-neck race.
With so many teams ravaged by injuries, clubs are learning the importance of depth. No one star can carry a team to the World Series. Just ask the Los Angeles Angels.
These guys aren’t MVP or Cy Young Award candidates, but they have blossomed into indispensable players vital to September and October success. Let’s take a look at each team’s most unheralded performer over the first five months of 2016.