Mariners fans badly needed the mood booster that ESPN just dropped

Athletics v Seattle Mariners | Alika Jenner/GettyImagesThe Seattle Mariners and their fans have been taking it on the chin lately. What was supposed to be a triumphant stretch after a bold deadline day shopping spree has instead turned into an uninspired string of gut-punch losses on the road. The bats have gone cold, and optimism has felt about as scarce as a clean inning in September.

But just when the mood in Seattle seemed primed to sink into full-blown despair, ESPN of all places delivered a pick-me-up many Mariners fans needed. Kiley McDaniel released his annual “MLB core rankings: Who has the most star talent?” — and Seattle’s standing reads like a splash of sunshine breaking through…