10 Bold Predictions, visited

Everyone over at RotoGraphs seems to be revisiting their 10 bold predictions. I thought I’d make some new ones instead. 10 bold predictions I didn’t make, but could have. And, in retrospect, should have. Because all predictions should be made in retrospect.

1. The Royals will make the postseason.

Clearly that should have been bold prediction #1. 1/1.

2. Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley will finish the year as top-5 MVP candidates but the Indians will not make the postseason.

I didn’t keep Michael Brantley in my AL-only Scoresheet league. I am no longer a member of my AL-only Scoresheet league. I am a very poor Scoresheet player when it comes to deciding which outfielders to keep. Jacoby Ellsbury, before his big year? No. Austin Jackson, after his rookie season? No. BJ Upton? Yes, yes, yes. My track record was really terrible. Hopefully the new owners can win some championships, especially since they have Nick Franklin, current and future star.

3. Jacob deGrom will be a name that I will know by the end of the season.

And it’s easier to spell than Syndergaard, so no complaints here.

4. Speaking of the Mets, they’ll finish in 2nd place in the NL East.

Talk about a prediction that would have sounded bold but turns out not to be bold at all, not when 6 games separate 2nd and last, and they were 17 games behind the leader.

5. The Rangers will finish with a worse record than the Astros.

That was just a terrible, terrible season. And they went 13-3 over their last 16 just to get to 67 wins!

6. Justin Morneau will lead the NL in batting average.

I *did* keep Morneau (as a crossover) in my AL-only Scoresheet league! And flipped him for Marcus Stroman in May, when my team was already a pile of garbage. So I’m not the most terrible owner possible, I promise.

7. Jonathan Lucroy: Monster.

Did anyone project this?

8. Garrett Richards: Monster.

I did read something somewhere pre-season about Garrett Richards having a potential breakout season… but I ignored it.

9. Tim Bogar will be managing the Rangers by the end of the season.

Not that Tim Bogar was an unexpected candidate for interim manager, but that would have been a mighty bold prediction. I remember when Tim Bogar was a Mets prospect. I can probably list a hundred Mets prospects from the ’80s and ’90s without really pausing to think. In retrospect, there were probably better things to be paying attention to as a kid than who was in the Mets’ minor league system. Tom Edens, Craig Shipley, Darren Reed, Jose Oquendo, Al Pedrique, Kevin Baez, Terry Blocker, Herm Winningham, Mike Fitzgerald, Floyd Youmans, Terry Leach, Tim Leary, Josias Manzanillo, Julio Machado, Don Schulze, John Mitchell, David West, Kevin Tapani, Rick Aguilera, (a different) Jose Bautista, Kelvin Torve, Kelvin Chapman, (a different) Brian Giles, Dave Telgheder, Eric Hillman. Okay, I’ll stop now. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments. Brent Gaff. Dave Rajsich. Ronn Reynolds. Ron Gardenhire (!)

10. The Royals will make the postseason.

Extra bold. Deserves to be listed twice. (Also, I ran out of steam at 9.)