When BaseballProspectus released their projections this week, they gave the team a 69.9% chance of making the playoffs, behind only Detroit in the American League.
"He showed how dominant he can be in a relief role during last year's playoffs, " says Kevin Goldstein, national writer for scouting and player development at BaseballProspectus, a print and Web baseball publication.
According to the projected playoff odds from BaseballProspectus, 25 of the 30 Major League teams entered the season with at least a 10% chance of either winning their division or securing one of the wild card play-in game spots.