Seattle Mariners

Ichiro Suzuki just keeps hitting and hitting and hitting.

No matter the year, you can bank on the New York Yankees having a winning record, Albert Pujols hitting 30 plus HR’s, and Ichiro getting 200 hits.

New York Yankees fans have been wanting ace C.C. Sabathia to win this year's Cy Young Award. After every single okay start, there were articles stating that C.C. had locked-up the most prestigious pitching award in Major League Baseball.

Well, there's a phenom that has been pitching one of the best pitching seasons over the past couple of years, and it's Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners.

Felix Hernandez is having a season to remember.

The Cy Young Award is hardly a gimme in Major League Baseball.

Reserved for what is supposed to be the best pitcher in his respective league that year, the pinnacle of a season's pitching achievements sometimes is not given to truly the top thrower.

Though his record may not portray Hernandez's position among the best, the Seattle Mariners unquestionably boast a top candidate for this year's AL Cy Young.

The shortstop position is one that the Mariners have been trying to patch since Alex Rodriguez left Seattle following the 2000 season.

They used Carlos Guillen there in 2001, but his relationship with then-ace Freddy Garcia appeared to be damaging to the pitcher in the eyes of the front office, and he was sent packing to Detroit in 2003.

The Mariners need a utility infielder that can play both second and third base and at a minimal price. Dustin Ackley will likely make his debut in mid-June in order to avoid becoming a Super Two player, and until then, somebody will have to hold his place at second base.

You don't have to be a fan of the Seattle Mariners to be a fan of Ichiro Suzuki. After all, Ichiro is approaching his record tenth 200-hit season, and also his 10th season leading the league in singles. No one else has more than four.

He's even been known to toss out the occasional funny quote.

In the past two entries in an attempt to repair a broken team, we looked at Chone Figgins and Dustin Ackley. The two make up a reasonably probable combination of second and third basemen for much of next season.

Perhaps the biggest storyline in the 2011 offseason for Mariners' fans will be the development, and potential big league assignment of Dustin Ackley. The second-overall pick in the 2009 draft has transitioned to second base, and after what seemed to be a lackluster destiny for Ackley in the outfield—likely a corner position with Franklin Gutierrez around—has turned into one where Ackley has a reasonably probability of out producing most players at his position at the plate.

When the Mariners signed Chone Figgins they expected that he’d be an offensive upgrade over Adrian Beltre. Little did the fans know that he’d play second base instead of third base, where he’d made a home in the past two seasons with the Angels.

It's been a sad year for the Seattle Mariners, but their AAA affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers, is getting ready to play the A's AAA affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats, for the Pacific Coast League title starting tonight.