Don’t let the weather fool you, Cleveland. Even though it’s not going to feel like it, tomorrow is Opening Day, and there are once again high expectations for the hometown baseball team.

The Cleveland Indians have only one playoff game to their name since Terry Francona took over as manager, and it was almost three years ago. Despite this, the team continues to have a sizable amount of hype surrounding it every season. Things are no different this year, as the Tribe will take the field in 2016 with plenty of pundits believing a playoff berth is in the near future.

I’m not here to dispute those predictions. Though the team isn’t without red flags, Cleveland has more than enough going for it this year, and certainly enough to nab a spot in the postseason.

That said, it’s going to be no easy feat. The front office once again bet big on the talent in house, refusing to make any major splashes in free agency over the offseason. While that’s all well and good, management made the same move the past couple years, and each season ended without playoff baseball.

Things could certainly be different this year, but in order for that to happen, the Indians will have to buck some of their past trends. Though the Tribe is a popular pick to contend in the AL Central, the team won’t be able to do so without getting more than a few breaks to go its way.

Since Cleveland has ended each of the past two seasons just outside of playoff contention, the front office seems to have taken the “we were just unlucky” approach. Whether it be injuries, a rough year for a core player or two, or a positive move being made too late, the Indians have been under the belief that unfortunate bounces and bad luck are the main explanations for why they missed the postseason.

Honestly, they’re at least kind of right. Injuries to Jason Kipnis in 2014 and Yan Gomes last year did have a negative effect on the team. Francisco Lindor probably should’ve been called up sooner last season, and you could argue the trades of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn should’ve happened earlier as well. Each move played a part in the Indians making one final push for a wild card berth.

At the same time, to assume these examples were the only reasons Cleveland has missed the postseason the past two years is off base. The team will need a lot more to go right this year besides staying healthy and getting a full season of Lindor.

For one, the offense is going to have to step up considerably more than it did last year.

The Indians boast an incredibly talented starting rotation, but more often than not, the performances from their star pitchers were spoiled when they only got a run or two in support. Ace Corey Kluber felt it the worst, as his 9-16 record wasn’t as much his fault as it was the lack of hitting he received from his teammates.

There also has to be a significant improvement from the defense. Though Lindor’s call-up eventually helped this late last year, the blunders the Indians displayed on the field had a huge hand in their early-season slump. The hope is an infield featuring Lindor and the additions of Mike Napoli and Juan Uribe on the corners will help cut down on the errors this year.

Speaking of which, the free agents the Indians actually did bring in are going to have to pull their weight. Though hardly marquee moves, the signings of Napoli and Marlon Byrd were done to help provide some power. Cleveland has tried to acquire discount offense the past two winters in guys like Brandon Moss and Mark Reynolds, but each finished their respective season on another team. It’s high time the Indians’ attempts to add power while saving money actually pay off.

There’s a ton of potential on this team and there’s no reason the Indians shouldn’t be a contender this year. However, their inability to get out of their own way has spoiled the past couple seasons.

The city of Cleveland no doubt misses the deep postseason runs of the ’90s. It certainly appears as though the current team could potentially pull one off this year. However, in order to do so, the Indians are going to need consistent offense and more than a little luck — two things which haven’t been present the past couple years.