<
>
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
Get ESPN+

What went wrong for MLB's non-playoff teams -- and how to fix them

October isn't in the cards, but there's still plenty of work to do. Starting with Rafael Devers' Boston Red Sox, here's what each eliminated team needs to ask itself first. Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

As 12 teams head to the 2024 MLB playoffs, 18 other teams are on the outside looking in.

What happened? What comes next? These are the first questions teams must ask when the postseason derby begins without them and their offseason starts sooner than they desired. For the eliminated teams, we'll get a jump on the hot stove part of the calendar, asking -- and attempting to answer -- those questions for them.

Here's why each of the 18 teams isn't playing this October -- and what they can do to change that in 2025.