Reason for optimism: Miguel Sano has started a parade of lineup talent that can form the core of a championship contender.
Reason for pessimism: Until the pitching staff is overhauled with arms that can strike out batters, it won't matter how good the offense gets.
Most baseball bettors, including me, got the Minnesota Twins' outlook very wrong in 2015. Pegged to finish last in the AL Central, the Twins played like a bottom-tier team for exactly seven games, opening the season with a 1-6 record. From that point on, Minnesota was nine games over .500, occupied first place as late as June 4 and finished ahead of everyone in their division except the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals.
I protested all year that the Twins were, at best, a 72-win team that had no business even being in the wild-card discussion -- and yet, it really didn't hurt me on a daily betting basis. Why? Because oddsmakers felt the same way I did all year long.