Last fall's World Series featured two teams, the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks, whose presence in the Fall Classic served as the ideal outcome of what were already breakout seasons.
For the Rangers, the new champs, it was a breakthrough for the ages. Not every unexpected contender is going to win a title — or even make the World Series — so what exactly is a breakout team?
We throw around the term a lot in sports, but we don't spend nearly as much time thinking about what it means. Here's a loose definition: A breakout team is a team coming off a losing season that beats its established level of play by at least 10 games and winds up with a winning record.
Last season, there were six, including our aforementioned World Series opponents. Joining the Rangers and Diamondbacks were the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins.