Almost every season, we see a team, including the players on it, that seem to surprise everyone.
Teams often get counted out too early, and throughout the season, show why everyone was wrong. Prospects come up, young players form into quality producers, and sometimes, players are acquired.
The most recent example would be the San Diego Padres, who were projected to finish fifth in the NL West by most people, despite the quality pitching they had.
Teams' young talent often gets overlooked, or players are projected to have little impact, and end up breaking out to the point no one could have imagined.
Whether the expectations are high or low, there's almost always a team in every division that does something beyond or below the expectations.
The Red Sox were a big favorite in 2010, and even through they suffered several key injuries across the board and disappointing seasons from guys like John Lackey, they still won 89 games.
With the 2011 season approaching, I've picked a team from each division that could be a surprise team in 2011, whether the division favorite, or favorite to finish in fifth place. So obviously, how dramatic the surprise is will depend on the team.
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