The Seattle Mariners can’t seem to do anything right when it comes to the media. Even as they continue to succeed, the Mariners are repeatedly dismissed as any type of contender. For some strange reason, it isn’t going to change anytime soon.

The latest blast against the Mariners was the power rankings released by MLB.com. Somehow the Mariners are ranked sixth. No big deal; that’s pretty good, right? Unfortunately, the team ranked in fifth is the Baltimore Orioles. That’s right, the same team the Mariners handled on the road last week, going 2-1 in the series and demolishing them in the first game 10-0.

The hate against the Mariners continues on ‘MLB Central’, the morning TV show on MLB Network. I watch practically every morning, and even when the Mariners do well they are bashed. When discussing a game where Robinson Cano had a multi-hit outing, analysts began to question Cano’s work ethic and giving it 100 percent. It has just become absurd.

Even with the East Coast bias that has been admitted by MLB Network analyst Matt Vasgersian, the longest conversations about the Mariners on the show tend to be when they have lost to a division foe. This always brings the conversation about how the Texas Rangers look like champs and when the Houston Astros get hot they will win the AL West.

Newsflash… the Astros are 17-28 with their star pitcher, Dallas Keuchel, having an extremely bad year. The Mariners continue to hold a one and a half game lead over the Rangers. I’m not saying the Rangers won’t pass the Mariners at some point, but the Mariners being pushed aside repeatedly is beyond silly at this point.

For those of you thinking that this is just an article to talk about how great the Mariners are, you are right and wrong. The Mariners are great right now, but there is a reason why the media is so hard on them; the Mariners have been bad for so long. Can you really blame them?

The last time the Mariners went to the playoffs was 2001. Just think about that for a second. It was Ichiro Suzuki’s first year. Lou Piniella was the manager. It was a long time ago to say the least. Since 2001 it has been year after year of disappointment. At many times in last 10 years, analysts have said the Mariners were their pick for the AL World Series spot, only for the Mariners to have not even made the playoffs. People do not want to be fooled again.

What I would say to fans and the baseball media world is yes, the Mariners have disappointed in the past. This is not that team, though. They have a legitimate chance this season. Fans know it, the team knows it, and even Vegas is catching on. It’s now time for the media to wake up.