Well... We're underachieving

Joe Mauer has battled injuries all season long

Every year there are always teams that should rise to the top of the sport but instead the team cracks and then falls apart. Here are some of those teams that had high preseason expectations but have failed to produce.


Minnesota Twins: The Twins came into the season riding high after winning the AL Central for the second year in a row. They were very confident with the likes of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau in the line-up while Matt Capps and Co. were on the mound. The Twins instead dropped a deuce in the first quarter of the season, holding the MLB's worst record for a while. The Twins have been gaining ground but with a high powered Tigers team on top and a young and determined Indians line-up chasing them they look to be out of the hunt. Minnesota fans had hoped that this was their year with the resigning of several key players and the addition of pitcher Matt Capps. Instead it looks like the Twins will have to wait till next year.

Cincinnati Reds: A young Reds ball club surprised many last season when they dominated the NL Central and came out as the champs to reach their first playoff birth in 15 years. They looked poised for another playoff appearance and hopefully another playoff run after retaining all of their key players and signing the World Series MVP, Edgar Renteria, and outfielder Fred Lewis. Instead the Reds have fallen well off the pace in the NL Central as the Brewers and Cardinals look to be in a two team race. Last season they won all the close games and this year they aren't pulling that off. The pitching has been very unimpressive, beside Johnny Cueto, while the batting has failed to capitalize on many opportunities. Look for the young club to be back and battle atop the NL Central next season.

Carlos Gonzalez hasn't been close to
repeating his 2010 season

Colorado Rockies: The Rockies will likely make another late season run but with the D-backs and the Giants so far a head it looks like they will come up short once again. The Rockies had two of the best players in the NL returning to their line-up and they had an upcoming star on the mound but all three have been having unfulfilling seasons. Carlos Gonzalez had a career year last season when he was batting an NL best .336 while blasting 34 homers drove in 117 runs. Gonzalez has battled with injuries all season and has mustered up a .289 average and has overall been far less efficent at the plate. Ublado Jimenez was stellar on the mound last season with 19 wins and even started for the NL at the All Star game, but he hasn't lived up to the hype this season and was traded to the Indians. Troy Tulowitzki has played pretty well all season but in several clutch moments at the plate the star has failed to produce. If it wasn't for hot hitting 37 year old Todd Helton, the Rockies could be even further back.

Los Angeles Dodgers: I am just going to skip all of the off field problems and get to the problems on the field. With the exception of Cy Young candidate ,Clayton Kershaw, and MVP candidate, Matt Kemp, the Dodgers have failed to produce for a second straight season. Clayton Kershaw is the seventh best hitter on the entire roster... that just shows you how much this team needs to improve at the plate. On the mound Clayton Kershaw has wowed batters all season and Hiroki Kuroda has pitched well with a sub 3 ERA but hasn't gotten much help at the plate. After those two the rest of the line up is up over a 4.15 ERA and when you have a cold hitting offense you can't give up four runs a game.

These teams aren't extremely far out of the race but at this point in the season and how they have been playing, the playoffs seem like a long shot.