As we start to look ahead to the rest of the 2006 season and decide which baseball tickets are going to be the ones to get for contending teams as they push towards the finish line, we'd also like to look beyond October. Certain teams are building a young nucleus of players that will put them on many fans' "watch list" in 2007. Although none of these teams have been mathematically eliminated yet this season, they are all realistically out of time to make up the ground necessary to contend this year. However, the teams below should create excitement among their fans come spring.



Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are looking like they're going to finish 2006 with a winning record, and that's quite an accomplishment considering they share a division with the Yankees and Red Sox. The Blue Jays' core may not be "young" in the pure athletic sense, but Troy Glaus, Reed Johnson, Vernon Wells and Roy Halladay are all around 30, which is generally a baseball player's prime. All are having huge years, and everyone but Johnson is under contract through at least 2007. If Johnson comes back and the rest of their young players continue to grow, the Blue Jays will be the real deal in 2007.

Cleveland Indians

The Indians also play in a brutal division, and they've been battling with the Tigers, White Sox and Twins all year. They're hovering just a bit below .500, but Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez and Grady Sizemore have been bringing it at the plate all season. All of them will be back next year as well, which means that the Indians need to add some quality pitching and fill out their roster with high-quality role players. The team is close to putting together a winning formula, and the trio listed here is guaranteed to provide another season of thrills for Indians fans in 2007.

Florida Marlins

Can you hear the locomotive coming from Miami? Baseball tickets will be a hot item in South Florida in 2007, as the Marlins are following their traditional pattern - win the World Series, then rebuild with young and talented players and contend again a few years later. Next year could be that year. Their nucleus consists of young players like Miguel Cabrera, Hanley Ramirez and pitcher Josh Johnson. None of them appear to be going anywhere this offseason, and if Dontrelle Willis returns, this will be a heck of a young team that could hit its collective prime next season. There are no perennial powerhouses in their division anymore, so the Marlins won't have to run the gauntlet to compete for the division title.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers were simply terrible for years, but they've quietly been putting together a team that features several potential stars who have been growing in the minor leagues over the past couple of seasons. Offensive weapons such as Bill Hall, Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks all got significant time with the big club this season, which is why there's cause for optimism for the team in 2007. If Ben Sheets can ever stay healthy and team with pitchers such as Derrick Turnbow and Tomo Ohka, the Brewers will have a team that will give the Reds and Cardinals fits next season.

Although this is an early guess, these teams seem to be putting it together for the long haul. Other clubs could surprise, which seems to happen every season, but fans of these teams should be ready to grab their baseball tickets as soon as they become available for the 2007 season.