Small market, big impact?

Smart drafting, player development has Tampa Bay primed for 5th playoff berth since '08

Steve Nesius / Reuters

From left, Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Desmond Jennings celebrate a grand slam. Those three are emblematic of the Rays' remarkable success since 2008, writes Tony DeMarco.

ASK THE EXPERT

By Tony DeMarco

NBCSports.com contributor

updated 3:04 p.m. ET Aug. 21, 2012

Tony DeMarco

Baseball Expert Tony DeMarco has been covering the big leagues since 1987, and been casting Hall of Fame ballots for the last 15 years. He answers questions weekly here:

Q: Which small-budget team do you think has the better chance of making the playoffs, the A's or Rays?
-- Steve, Las Vegas

A: Nothing against the A's, but I'll go with the Rays here. What the Rays have done over the last five seasons ? beginning in 2008, when they came out of nowhere to win the AL pennant ? is the most remarkable and sustained team accomplishment since the A's 1999-2003 'Moneyball' run of success.

When you match up win totals and annual payrolls, there's no team close to what the Rays have been able to accomplish since 2008 (payroll approximations from Cots Baseball Contracts):

Rays' payroll, record since 2008 Year Payroll Record 2008 $43.8 million 97-65, AL pennant 2009 $63.3 million 84-78 2010 $72.8 million 96-66, Lost ALDS 2011 $42.2 million 91-71, Lost ALDS 2012 $63.6 million 68-54 through Monday

If the season ended today, the Rays would be in the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons ? this despite competing in the game's toughest division, against two teams with payrolls up to three times larger. Doing that once is a great accomplishment. But four times in five years is amazing.

Three quick reasons why: They draft and develop players remarkably well. The entire rotation is homegrown, and it's the best in baseball. And when a Carl Crawford leaves through free agency, they just plug in a Desmond Jennings, and the winning continues.

They are able to identify and make the best of usable skills in cheaper free-agents, keeping talent level high and costs low. Two examples this season are Fernando Rodney (the fifth primary closer in the five-year run) and Jeff Keppinger.

And you can make a strong case for Joe Maddon as the best manager in baseball; certainly among the top five.

As for the rest of this season, the Rays have the game's best starting pitching, and down the stretch is when that means the most. And with Evan Longoria back in the lineup, they've produced more than enough offense lately (5.9 per game in a 14-4 run in August).

The A's obviously have an excellent shot at the other wild-card spot, but do face a tougher remaining schedule than the White Sox, Tigers, Orioles and Angels. Beginning Sept. 3, here's the series-by-series gauntlet the A's will face: Angels, at Mariners (16-8 since the Ichiro trade), at Angels, Orioles, at Tigers, at Yankees, at Rangers, Mariners, Rangers.

The A's pitching staff is neck-and-neck with the Rays' staff in terms of overall and bullpen ERAs, but it's hard to predict a playoff spot for an offense that is either last or next-to-last in the AL in runs, batting average, on-base percentage and OPS.

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Small market, big impact?

Ask the MLB Expert: When it comes to small-market teams, what the Tampa Bay Rays have done since 2008 is the most remarkable feat in baseball since Oakland's dominance in the early 2000s.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48742082/ns/sports-baseball/

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