Not even a blank slate can deceive MLB teams into believing 2018 will open without a clear top tier.
Only two 2014 playoff participants (the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers) made last year's postseason, so long-term parity exists. Yet a select few have established cozy real estate atop MLB's hierarchy. Making matters bleak for fringe contenders, youth buoys the aspiring superteams—the best way to avoid a quick fall from grace.
Last season, each league's second wild-card spot gave hope to a handful of squads that otherwise may have checked out in late August. Six elite clubs will again play October baseball, barring a string of awful luck.