Tampa Bay Rays

[Igoe4Mariners]

This is one great team. No I'm not just saying this because they are kicking our tails at the Safe on their way to a sweep, but they really are a good club.

They have so much balance throughout their lineup and their pitching staff is very potent from top to bottom.

The only weakness they have might be their bullpen, but even that is pretty solid.

I sure hope they have enough to dethrone the Yankees and Red Sox because I am tired of seeing them hoist the trophy at the end of the year.

[Igoe4Mariners]

Guess noone else likes the Rays haha? Maybe I jinxed them since they go and lose a series at Oakland.

[JosephC]

I think the Rays are at the top due to #1 picks and not alot more than that. After these next 5 years, I'd expect to see this team back in the lower numbers.

[Igoe4Mariners]

I think the Rays are at the top due to #1 picks and not alot more than that. After these next 5 years, I'd expect to see this team back in the lower numbers.

I agree, especially with the number of FA's that are due for them in the next couple of years. They just don't have the budget for it, but they sure are good now and are a joy to watch.

[JosephC]

By all means, I dont mean that it isnt a joy to watch. I think its great to see a team that would always get beaten finally start dominating the last few years.

[Jared]

I love the Rays. Longoria is one of my favorites and other guys like Crawford and Price make them a wicked team to watch.

I also love the Twins in the AL too because of Mauer and Morneau. The Twins and Rays fill in the void the M's leave because they never get anywhere haha.

[clarknova]

I like the Rays because they're an awesome team, but I hate them because I hate all post Mariners expansion teams that make it to the world series (I'm talking to you Marlins!). I also hate the Blue Jays for winning two- they came into existence the same year as the M's. For no other reason though, it's just bitterness. The Rays are what I wish the M's were, and hope they become.

[Igoe4Mariners]

The Rays are so good this year on the road, it is starting to get a big unbelievable. They just keep finding ways to win (unlike the M's) and just went into Yankee Stadium and dominated them without a problem.

[JosephC]

It actually reminds me alot of the 2001 Mariners. No one can stop them.

[clarknova]

Crazy to consider they're doing what they're doing with Carlos Pena hitting .194! He's hitting below .200 but has 7 home runs and 26 RBI. He's only got 5 doubles on the season and has struck out 41 times. What a strange line. He's heating up though.
They've got some absolutely awesome scouting going on in their system, and have benefited from a combination of high picks due to bad years earlier this decade and some trades that have paid off. To put it in perspective- here are the lists of the Major Leage players (or draftees with MLB experience) as of last years draft drafted by both the Mariners and Rays in the first 5 rounds going back to 1998- The M's and Rays have had virtually opposite decades, with the M's starting out as a powerhouse then wilting to their current state and the Rays doing quite the opposite. Some of these players are no longer in MLB (for instance Justin Thomas was optioned to AAA by the Pirates) but I left them on the list because I don't have time to sort them, but I thought this was interesting and shows how teams can really be crippled by bad scouting and unlucky drafting, and how you really do have to build through the draft when you don't have unlimited resources. The number after each players name represents the overall pick number.
SEATTLE
1998 - Matt Thornton - 22
1998 - Andy Van Hekken - 95
1999 - Willie Bloomquist - 95
1999 - Clint Nageotte - 155
2001 - Rene Rivera - 49
2001 - Bobby Livingston - 129
2002 - John Mayberry - 28
2003 - Adam Jones - 37
2003 - Ryan Feierabend - 86
2004 - Matt Tuiasosopo - 93
2004 - Rob Johnson - 123
2004 - Mark Lowe - 153
2005 - Jeff Clement - 3
2005 - Justin Thomas - 113
2006 - Chris Tillman - 49
2006 - Brandon Morrow - 5

TAMPA BAY
1998 - Aubrey Huff - 162
1999 - Josh Hamilton - 1
1999 - Carl Crawford - 52
1999 - Doug Waechter - 85
1999 - Seth McClung - 145
2000 - Rocco Baldelli - 6
2001 - Dewon Brazelton - 3
2001 - Jon Switzer - 47
2001 - David Bush - 109
2001 - Chris Seddon - 139
2002 - B.J. Upton - 2
2002 - Jason Pridie - 43
2002 - Elijah Dukes - 74
2002 - Wes Bankston - 104
2003 - Delmon Young - 1
2004 - Jeff Niemann - 4
2004 - Reid Brignac - 45
2004 - Wade Davis - 75
2006 - Evan Longoria - 3
2007 - David Price - 1

Since 1998 the M's have had 5 picks in the top 11 (I use 11 because they picked at 11 twice in those years). The Rays have had 10. They have the same number of first rounders, with the Rays obviously benefiting from bad years and high picks, so obviously the talent level will be higher, but you can see of those 1st round picks, the Rays almost never whiffed. The M's almost always did. The gap in average WAR between the teams on those picks looks at fist glance to be enormous.
I've heard people talk about trades decimating a farm system, and that's often a complaint I've heard about what Pat Gillick did to the organization- sort of destroyed the farm and left when there was nothing left, but look at the guys track record: Toronto, to Seattle, to Philadelphia - two WS championships, most wins in MLB history, WS Championship. Since 1989 he has guided teams to 7 Division Championships and 3 Worls Series titles. He hasn't run a team that finished in last place since I was 3 years old (1983). Every team he's run was crap before he got there, awesome (often the best) while he was there, then immediately went to crap after he left. He has an incredible gift for evaluating talent and knowing when and where a guy can flourish, and when he's done. Tampa bay seems to have a similar set up, and the Mariners have SEVERELY lacked it.
Sorry for the rambling post. That's what happens when I have time and coffee.