Who's MLB's Next Surprise Team?

If someone would have told me this time last year that the Tampa Bay Rays would be representing the American League in the upcoming World Series, I would have laughed and told that person that they were wrong.

Actually, I'm sure at least 95 percent of baseball fans would have done the same exact thing. But truth be told, anything can happen in baseball.

Most years, people always think the same group of teams are going to be in the World Series, such as the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Mets, Cubs, etc. Last year, however, no one thought that the Rays would be playing in the World Series since they've never had a winning season in franchise history prior to last year.

Same goes for the Colorado Rockies in 2007, who had been bottom-dwellers for much of its existence prior to their surprise season.

Now does that mean that there could be another surprise team playing in October this year? It's possible yes, but teams like the '08 Rays and the '07 Rockies were bound to eventually see success since they were loaded with young talent in their respected farm systems.

Who could be that team this year?

Two teams come to mind when I think of a potential surprise team that could see a playoff birth this season and maybe even a World Series appearance. What two teams am I thinking of? The Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers, of course.

Both teams have tons of young talent either already on the current 40-man roster or are waiting in the wings in their teams' minor league system.

The Reds have got a very promising rotation with Aaron Harang, Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey and Micah Owings. It is a very young rotation with Arroyo being the oldest at 32-years-old.

Homer Bailey, meanwhile, is the youngest at only 22-years-old.

Not only does Cincinnati's pitching staff look promising, but their offense has the potential to just be nasty. RF, Jay Bruce exploded onto the scene in May of last year and he finished the year with 21 home runs and a .254 average—not bad for your first year in the majors.

The sky is the limit for the 21-year-old Bruce as he has the potential to be a truly elite player in years to come.

Bruce isn't the Reds' only dangerous offensive weapon, as they've got Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Edwin Encarnacion, Chris Dickerson and newly acquired Willy Taveras.

All of these players are either in their prime or haven't reached it yet, so the Reds could be a very dangerous team in 2009. If not, they definitely should be by 2010 at the latest.

What about the Texas Rangers? Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this young team, who has arguably the best farm system in all of pro baseball.

In the past, the Rangers have always had a decent offense but it seems that pitching is what always holds them back.

This year, however, their pitching should improve with a nice blend of youngsters such as Brandon McCarthy and Matt Harrison to go along with solid veterans such as Kevin Millwood and Vincente Padilla.

To truly be contenders, though, the Rangers will need to improve their rotation even further but unlike in the past, their pitching should be good enough to help them win some more ball games.

Offensively, the Rangers possess last year's arguable most pleasant surprise offensive player in Justin Hamilton, who was acquired from the Reds. Hamilton knocked 32 balls out of the park while racking up 130 RBI to go along with a very nice .304 average.

Hamilton is the Rangers' key player to build the future around, as he will only get better with experience.

Not only will Hamilton make an impact offensively this year, but so will players such as Jarrod  Saltalamacchia, Chris Davis, Ian Kinsler and the highly-touted shortstop prospect in Elvis Andrus.

Not to mention, all of these players are under 27-years-old, so Texas has got a talented, young nucleus that will only get better in the future.

Now, the question is: Can either of these teams pull off what the Rays did in 2008 and what the Rockies did in 2007?

It's definitely possible, but I still have a hard time imagining the Reds beating out the Cubs or the Cardinals, and same goes for the Rangers beating out the Angels.

Even if they do go home once October rolls around, both the Reds and the Rangers will be very dangerous teams in the near future.