http://tinyurl.com/7hbjsp5 The 2011 season for the Mariners was less disappointing than 2010, though mostly because the expectations were significantly lower going into this year. The Mariners didn't have a whole lot in the way of pleasant surprises as none of the possible bouncebacks really bounced back and most of the legacy prospects (the older prospects that have been hanging onto the second tier on the prospect lists for a few years) didn't take any steps forward. That Vincent Catricala, who's not really a third baseman, appears so high on the list is a reflection, along with the relatively high ranking of the long-departed Bradley, on just how few real impact hitters are in the organization. More specifically, zero - Ackley's a very good hitter for a second baseman, but he's not of the level that you build the middle of a competitive batting order around him. At least one pitcher and probably more will exceed their projections and establish a new level, though with pitching prospects as usual, it's a bit unclear who will take that step forward. My personal vote is Charlie Furbush - I think his fastball has some upside and he certainly looks like a guy who should be able to eke out a few more MPH and his changeup will be a pretty good weapon if he does that. I know some like Blake Beavan, but he's just been so damn hittable at AAA so far. ZiPS is kind of disappointed in Justin Smoak. He's not a god of either defense or walks, so he's simply not a real 1B at the major league level with a low batting average and unimpressive (for a 1B) power. While there are 3 years left in Felix Hernandez's extension in Seattle, the team's drawing pretty close to the Rubicon and will need to decide at some point in the not-too-distant future whether to make Felix Hernandez the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history or to trade the team's best (by far) player for a package. The Mariners can make as much noise as they want about bringing in Prince Fielder, but the team's just not likely to be competitive in 2012. --

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