Zunino doesn't have to hit like Piazza, or even Bench, he just has to OPS 85+ and he's vindicated because of his recieving abilities.  As long as he maintains a K rate no higher than 25% he'll continue to be a threat at the plate.

Saunders was alwasys going to poach a bunch of homers vs RHP, but this year he Slugging .600+ vs. LHP!  That really isn't sustainable but the rest of his game is.  BTW, the Condor hit just like this (minus the LHP Slugging) for us in '14.  That year saw him mini-leap and he's settled into a 120+ OPS player.

We bailed out a bit early on Miller but Karns was dang appetizing.  Miller wasn't going to be our everyday SS, not with our love affair with Marte....but it was really easy to envision him as a bashier O'Malley...and still getting 550 PA's.  He's getting to about .6 balls less per game than the league average, which is interesting because in Seattle he was at or above the league average Rf/9.  Is TB's staff full of guys with gopheritis?  

If Ackley was hitting then you could nearly say that Seager-Saunders-Miller-Ackley was the Jack Z. left-handed Grand Slam.  But even the triple is some vindication for Z.

Being 1st or 2nd in their divisions is largely the same thing.   Lots of Z guys with supplements picked up more recently.   An eye on winning at all levels is something we've heard from the FO a few times.  Little else is getting said from people outside the org. on the successes going on this year on that front. 

Doesn't Diaz belong in the conversation?  Marte even?   You don't have to be an All-Star to have been a good acquisition.  Marte was an international FA signing in '10, Diaz drafted.  I would also count Paxton, Walker, Franklin, Smith and Capps, mention Chris Taylor, Stephen Romero and how about Pryor?  Only 30 some innings but they were good ones on the cheap.  Where you draw the line changes how many you'd name but there are a few others who have made it to the show and several others that still have decent to good chances.

Let's say you only count Seager, Walker, Paxton, Saunders, Zunino, Miller, Franklin and Diaz as the solid contributors, ignoring international and those with more minor impacts.  That's just over 1 solid contributor per year of drafting.  We could argue on Diaz (His impact is already enough to list, IMO) or Franklin (only 108 PA of 138 OPS+ this year) but there's alternates like Smith and Capps.  That's also nobody yet who was drafted in Zs last 2 drafts.  I think in some years we'll be able to count a 2 or more contributors per draft average, as long as All-Star level isn't the line we draw. 

It's a good thing we still have Tom McNamara to continue the streak. I suppose that time will tell if Jack Z's input was a help, hindrance, or neutral factor in the M's draft strategy.