Quarter report: Marlins, Rays shine

The Marlins and Rays are in first on May 16.

Who saw this coming?

We're 40 games into the season and holding down the top spot in both the AL and NL East divisions are two teams that everyone wanted to contract because they can't comPublish Postpete on a small payroll.

Hello parody. Goodbye dynasty.

Before I get on my soap box on how the NFL has met its match in that every team in baseball can now compete, regardless of its payroll, there's still little reason to believe the Fish and the Rays can keep this up over 162.

Sure, Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez is making more than the entire Marlins team this year. So what? ARod has been hobbled for weeks and the young guns in Miami keep winning with possibly the best fantasy player in baseball in Hanley Ramirez.

Let's break down each league at at the quarter mark.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Biggest surprise: Has to be the Rays. Sitting at 23-17, Tampa Bay was a team most experts predicted to finish as high as .500 this year, but so far, they're on a 95-win pace thanks to strong pitching from James Shields, Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine and now they have their ace Scott Kazmir back. Probably the biggest difference this year is the Rays are holding leads late in the game with a revamped bullpen, including Dan Wheeler and Troy Percival. The Rays hitters haven't exactly hit their stride as fantasy studs B.J. Upton, Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford are all underperforming to some degree. Even rookie Evan Longoria has struggled after a hot start. If this offense could match the pitching side, the Rays could seriously become a serious threat to shock the Red Sox and Yanks.

Runner-up: The Oakland A's, with a cast of no-namers, Sweenys, cast-offs (Frank Thomas) and rookie pitchers (Dana Eveland and Greg Smith) are 23-8 and just a half game behind the Angels.

Biggest disappointment: While most would jump on the Yankees here, it's the 16-26 Seattle Mariners, who were picked to at least compete for the AL West crown, who get my vote. Even after adding ace Erik Bedard, the M's are scuffling so bad that eight of the 10 lowest crowds at Safeco Field have come this season, including one game last week of just over 15,000.


NATIONAL LEAGUE

Biggest surprise: The Florida Marlins have been not just better than expected, but they're simply better than everyone in the East, including the mighty Mets and fighting Phillies. Anchored by fantasy surprise Mark Hendrickson (5-2, 3.91 ERA), the Marlins have enjoyed a breakout season from Mike Jacobs (9 Hr, 24 RBI), a comeback season from Jorge Cantu (5 HR, 22 runs) and Jeremy Hermidia finally living up to expectations (.298, 4 HR, 19 RBI). Add that to general greatness from Hanley Ramirez (.327, 9 HR, 13 SB) and the always underrated Dan Uggla (.299, 12 HR, 29 RBI) and you start to wonder if the Fish might have the talent to make the playoffs.

Runner-up: Pitching coach Dave Duncan has his pixie dust working again and the Cardinals' pitching rotation somehow continues to deliver, now 24-18 and just a game behind the Cubs in the NL East. Can the smoke and mirrors continue? Don't count out Tony LaRussa, but I doubt it.

Biggest disappointment: No offense, but the Padres have no offense. At 15-26, San Diego is already 10 1/2 games behind Arizona as its pitching staff has been somewhat of a letdown. Even Cy Young winner Jake Peavy only lasted 4 innings Wednesday night against the Cubs.