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MLB Teams Poised to Take Big Leaps Forward This Offseason

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves will soon be dangerous. The only question is whether they need more time.

..the Braves rank second in Bleacher Report's farm rankings. They since opened the doors to Ozzie Albies, who hit .286/.354/.456 with 1.9 WAR in 57 games. He should spend 2018 atop the batting order alongside Ender Inciarte and Freddie Freeman.

Dansby Swanson inspired similar optimism last year...[and] one subpar season is not enough to discard a highly regarded 23-year-old shortstop.

Will Ronald Acuna be ready to join them? Although he's only 19, he may quickly outgrow the minors after batting .325/.374/.522 with 21 homers and 44 steals in Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A. Perhaps it's unfair to expect anything from the outfielder next year, but he carries game-changing potential.

The Braves can more reasonably expect contributions from young pitchers Luiz Gohara and Sean Newcomb.

Kolby Allard and Mike Soroka could earn midseason promotions after finding 2017 success in Double-A. A bounce-back campaign from Julio Teheran, who posted a 2.79 ERA in his final nine starts, would pay major dividends.

With so much young talent waiting in the wings, the Braves won't need to make any major offseason splashes. They might anyway.

Rather than taking a typical rebuilding path, they have acquired the likes of Nick Markakis, Matt Kemp, R.A. Dickey, Bartolo Colon and Brandon Phillips in recent years. Linked to Jose Quintana and Sonny Gray in July, they may resume their quest for a front-line starter.

After progressing from 67 to 68 to 72 wins in the last three years, they could spend another season or two gradually improving before the prospects mature and Markakis and Kemp leave the payroll. Don't be surprised if they seek a quicker path back to contention.