And here we are, only 24 hours away from the start of the 2019 NFL season. I still find enjoyment from writing these predictions, regardless of whether anyone out there in cyberspace even reads these things. I promise to make no mention of Antonio Brown anywhere here because I refuse to give in to that circus (I don't even watch Hard Knocks for the same reason).
I find it amazing that I even tend to get one or two predictions right every year, which I have to believe is pretty close to what most talking heads on TV networks get right as well.
1. The Baltimore Ravens will be the first team since the 2009 Panthers with two 1000-yard rushers. The Ravens had reinvented their offense last year when Lamar Jackson took over at QB from an injured Joe Flacco. They had run the ball down opposing defenses' throats and only hit a wall when they had faced the Chargers for the second time in three weeks in the playoffs. The Ravens added Mark Ingram in free agency and drafted Justice Hill, both of whom expect will be among league leaders in rushing yards in 2019. This is the first time in years when Ravens fans have good reason to be excited about the team's offense.
2. The Kansas City Chiefs will miss the playoffs. This prediction looks bona fide crazy at face value. The Chiefs had gone all the way to the AFC Championship Game last year and took the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots to overtime. If not for Dee Ford lining up offsides, the Chiefs would have won that game and history would be quite different. All that brings me to my point: this Chiefs team is bound for regression this year. Their defense is still really, really bad, and losing Kareem Hunt (albeit for very justifiable reasons) will have heavy impacts on their offense.
Every year, there are one or two teams who had made the playoffs the previous season but stumbled the following year. The Ravens went from 10-6 and reaching the Divisional Round of the playoffs following the 2014 season to 5-11 in 2015. In 2016 the Packers went from NFC North champions to finishing 7-9 and out of the playoffs in 2017. In 2017 the Jaguars went 10-6 and went to the AFC Championship Game but finished 5-11 last year. I could keep going on, but I think I made my point. And it's not just the Chiefs who struggle this year after making a deep playoff run last year because....
3. The Seattle Seahawks will be the only team in the NFC West to finish over .500. Yes, this includes the NFC Champion Rams who still look as loaded as they did in 2018. The Super Bowl Hangover is real, folks. History has shown time and again that the team who loses the Super Bowl stumbles the following season. There is no logical reason for it, really. It just is.
And there is really no need to explain the 49ers nor Cardinals here either.
4. The Dallas Cowboys will be the first team in the NFC East to repeat as division champs since the 2003/2004 Eagles. This is more about the Eagles just not quite having enough to supplant the Cowboys this year. I expect Jerry Jones will blink at some point and sign Ezekiel Elliot to the kind of deal Elliott desires so he will play the entire season. And just like the NFC West, there is no need to say anything about the Giants or Redskins.
5. Alex Mattison will finish with more yards and touchdowns than Dalvin Cook. Cook looked like a future superstar running back early in his rookie season two years ago, but a torn ACL brought his career to a screeching halt. He didn't show much more last year, though it could at least be partially explained by his return from injury. I still like Mattison to emerge as the Vikings' every down RB long term.
6. The Chicago Bears will start the season 5-0. The Bears will show that last year's upstart team was not a fluke. Their first five games are by no means a cakewalk (vs Packers; @ Denver; @ Redskins; vs Vikings; @ Raiders) but they are all winnable games. They'll need those wins too, considering their schedule post-Week 6 bye includes the Saints, Chargers, Rams, and Cowboys. In fact, with a second half schedule like that the Bears almost need to start the season 5-0 in order to have a shot at the playoffs again.
7. Ezekiel Elliott will be the league MVP. This prediction was screwed up because my original call would have been Andrew Luck, and he....well....you know. Elliott turned into my plan B, but even he was a dicey choice until earlier this morning, and Cowboys fans can all sleep much easier at night now heading into the season. I expect Zeke will have a slow start since he wasn't with the team throughout the preseason, but by Week 3 he'll be all systems go and won't look back.
8. It's the final swan song for Drew Brees. It's quite shocking that Brees has never won a league MVP during his career to date. I thought about taking him in light of Luck's retirement, and while Brees will have another typical season (and quietly, as he always seems to do), Zeke will be an even bigger difference maker for Dallas. However, even though Brees will close out his final year in the NFL without a league MVP to his resume, it won't matter because....
9. The New Orleans Saints will defeat the Los Angeles Chargers in Super Bowl 54. John Elway. Ray Lewis. Jerome Bettis. Peyton Manning. They all walked off the field as Super Bowl champions, and Drew Brees will join them. The Saints defense typically starts out seasons shaky, but they turn things up by mid year, and that will carry them through January.
Meanwhile, the Chargers are primed for a disastrous start to the season with Derwin James on IR and Melvin Gordon nowhere to be found. At least they can expect James to be back by mid-season, but Gordon is a major wild card. Despite those (very justified) questions, Philip Rivers will still put his team on his back and put the team in the best position to finally win a championship. They'll just come up a little short.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Saturday, March 23, 2019
2019 MLB Predictions Sure to Go Wrong
This is, in fact, still a thing. I have no idea who reads or cares about these predictions, but they're still fun to write after
*looks up blog history, gasps*
six years (!!!!!) of writing them. Who cares about being right? It's still fun.
1. No division champion in the NL will repeat in 2019. Both the NL East and Central are incredibly deep this year. The Braves and Brewers have done remarkably little over the winter to improve their clubs from last year, leaving the door open for their rivals to close the gap. The Phillies made all kinds of moves, bringing in Jean Segura, Andrew McCutchen, and - oh yeah! - Bryce Harper. The Nationals added Patrick Corbin. The Mets brought in Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. While the Braves still have an incredible amount of young talent, they don't have enough to keep pace with their primary rivals.
Meanwhile, the Reds and Cardinals made numerous moves of their own to catch the Brewers. I looked at the Reds late last season and felt if they had added to their starting pitching, they'd compete for the division in 2019. Then they added Alex Wood, Tanner Roark, and Sonny Gray. In what looks like a total slug fest, I actually like the Reds' chances at coming out on top based on their amazing lineup.
Then there's the NL West. The Dodgers have owned that division for years and really never had much competition until last year when the Rockies made things interesting late. I really like the Rockies to take the division outright this year with German Marquez and Kyle Freeland anchoring their rotation. The Dodgers are getting old really fast and news broke today that neither Clayton Kershaw nor Walker Buehler will be ready for Opening Day. They had plenty of windfall in their favor the last two years, but those were their best chances to win a title.
2. Aaron Judge will break the MLB record for most home runs during the first three years of a player's career. Judge only needs 32 home runs to break this record, so it's less of a prediction than an inevitability. He'll shatter the record currently held by Albert Pujols.
3. The Astros will be the first time in MLB history to win at least 100 games in three consecutive seasons. It's fairly difficult to fathom, but no team has ever won 300 or more games in a three year span. It's happened a couple times in back-to-back seasons, but the Astros will be the first to accomplish it for the third straight time. They're just too stacked on offense, defense, and pitching.
4. The Diamondbacks will score the fewest runs in baseball this year. I really didn't do this intentionally, but I've actually got a history of predicting which team will score the most or fewest runs in a season (here and here). The Diamondbacks traded away Paul Goldschmidt and lost AJ Pollock in free agency, and only brought in Adam Jones as a replacement. Calling that a barren lineup would be extremely polite. The Marlins might give them a run for their proverbial money in offensive ineptitude, but at least Lewis Brinson and Brian Anderson have some upside for Miami. There isn't anyone with real upside in Arizona at the moment.
5. The Nationals' offense will be better without Bryce Harper than it ever was with him. On the flip side of offensive firepower, the Nationals will score runs a plenty this season. They'll have Juan Soto all year long, paired with Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, and their top prospect Victor Robles. They also have one of the better rotations in all of baseball now that they had added Patrick Corbin. They won't miss Harper one bit, despite him playing for a divisional rival now.
6. The Indians' starting pitching will be undone by their outfield. I had to look up who was listed on the Indians' outfield depth chart because I had no earthly idea who was on there. Even though there are a few days left to finalize rosters, the Indians currently have names such as Jordan Luplow, Leonys Martin, Greg Allen, Jake Bauers, and Tyler Naquin. I had never heard of Luplow or Allen; I'm sure they're perfectly nice guys who must have done some good stuff to impress Terry Francona, but I can't figure out what he could possibly have seen in either of them. All this leads me to suspect there will be some atrocious outfield defense for the Indians this year. Their starting pitching is normally among the best in baseball, but it could be completely undermined by the guys tracking down fly balls in the outfield.
7. Eugenio Suarez and Mike Trout will be the league MVPs. Suarez has taken off the last two years, becoming a premiere bat in the middle of a loaded Cincinnati lineup. He'll become even more of a household name this year by holding off other heavy hitters like Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado, Anthony Rendon, and Kris Bryant (and that's just among 3B in the NL). The Reds are a team I really like heading into the season, even in what looks like an incredibly competitive NL Central.
And then there's Mike Trout. Yawn. Honestly, what could I possibly say about him that hasn't already been said thousands of times already? Is there a stat that doesn't show him to be one of the greatest players of all time in the sport? If there is, I have yet to find it.
8. Aaron Nola and Gerrit Cole will win the Cy Young Awards. Nola came close to winning the Cy Young last year, finishing third in the voting. The Phillies rewarded him with a four-year contract extension, and Nola will capitalize on that by taking the next step to becoming a true ace in a division filled with incredible starting pitching.
Meanwhile, Cole is in a contract year and will cash in big time as he approaches free agency. He'll make the Astros have to push extra hard to keep him around the way they have locked up Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Justin Verlander. Trouble is, they can't sign everyone on their team, so he could price himself out of Houston. But that's okay because.....
9. The Houston Astros will defeat the Washington Nationals in the World Series. Astroball is no joke. I know this because a) I read the book as any Orioles fan should, and more importantly b) the Astros have already won a World Series using these tactics. They're just too good of a team.
The Nationals would be a bit of a surprise team since they have yet to get past the NLDS, but there's no denying how successful they've been in building their team. Like I said earlier, I think they are a more complete team across the board even without Bryce Harper. Almost more importantly though, they will resurrect a stat that I had discovered last year that I felt doesn't get enough attention across baseball: For the period of 2001-2017, the World Series had featured at least one team every year who did not make the playoffs the previous season. The Brewers came extremely close to keeping the streak alive in 2018 but fell short in Game 7 of the NLCS. Washington will bring that trend back in 2019.
*looks up blog history, gasps*
six years (!!!!!) of writing them. Who cares about being right? It's still fun.
1. No division champion in the NL will repeat in 2019. Both the NL East and Central are incredibly deep this year. The Braves and Brewers have done remarkably little over the winter to improve their clubs from last year, leaving the door open for their rivals to close the gap. The Phillies made all kinds of moves, bringing in Jean Segura, Andrew McCutchen, and - oh yeah! - Bryce Harper. The Nationals added Patrick Corbin. The Mets brought in Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. While the Braves still have an incredible amount of young talent, they don't have enough to keep pace with their primary rivals.
Meanwhile, the Reds and Cardinals made numerous moves of their own to catch the Brewers. I looked at the Reds late last season and felt if they had added to their starting pitching, they'd compete for the division in 2019. Then they added Alex Wood, Tanner Roark, and Sonny Gray. In what looks like a total slug fest, I actually like the Reds' chances at coming out on top based on their amazing lineup.
Then there's the NL West. The Dodgers have owned that division for years and really never had much competition until last year when the Rockies made things interesting late. I really like the Rockies to take the division outright this year with German Marquez and Kyle Freeland anchoring their rotation. The Dodgers are getting old really fast and news broke today that neither Clayton Kershaw nor Walker Buehler will be ready for Opening Day. They had plenty of windfall in their favor the last two years, but those were their best chances to win a title.
2. Aaron Judge will break the MLB record for most home runs during the first three years of a player's career. Judge only needs 32 home runs to break this record, so it's less of a prediction than an inevitability. He'll shatter the record currently held by Albert Pujols.
3. The Astros will be the first time in MLB history to win at least 100 games in three consecutive seasons. It's fairly difficult to fathom, but no team has ever won 300 or more games in a three year span. It's happened a couple times in back-to-back seasons, but the Astros will be the first to accomplish it for the third straight time. They're just too stacked on offense, defense, and pitching.
4. The Diamondbacks will score the fewest runs in baseball this year. I really didn't do this intentionally, but I've actually got a history of predicting which team will score the most or fewest runs in a season (here and here). The Diamondbacks traded away Paul Goldschmidt and lost AJ Pollock in free agency, and only brought in Adam Jones as a replacement. Calling that a barren lineup would be extremely polite. The Marlins might give them a run for their proverbial money in offensive ineptitude, but at least Lewis Brinson and Brian Anderson have some upside for Miami. There isn't anyone with real upside in Arizona at the moment.
5. The Nationals' offense will be better without Bryce Harper than it ever was with him. On the flip side of offensive firepower, the Nationals will score runs a plenty this season. They'll have Juan Soto all year long, paired with Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, and their top prospect Victor Robles. They also have one of the better rotations in all of baseball now that they had added Patrick Corbin. They won't miss Harper one bit, despite him playing for a divisional rival now.
6. The Indians' starting pitching will be undone by their outfield. I had to look up who was listed on the Indians' outfield depth chart because I had no earthly idea who was on there. Even though there are a few days left to finalize rosters, the Indians currently have names such as Jordan Luplow, Leonys Martin, Greg Allen, Jake Bauers, and Tyler Naquin. I had never heard of Luplow or Allen; I'm sure they're perfectly nice guys who must have done some good stuff to impress Terry Francona, but I can't figure out what he could possibly have seen in either of them. All this leads me to suspect there will be some atrocious outfield defense for the Indians this year. Their starting pitching is normally among the best in baseball, but it could be completely undermined by the guys tracking down fly balls in the outfield.
7. Eugenio Suarez and Mike Trout will be the league MVPs. Suarez has taken off the last two years, becoming a premiere bat in the middle of a loaded Cincinnati lineup. He'll become even more of a household name this year by holding off other heavy hitters like Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado, Anthony Rendon, and Kris Bryant (and that's just among 3B in the NL). The Reds are a team I really like heading into the season, even in what looks like an incredibly competitive NL Central.
And then there's Mike Trout. Yawn. Honestly, what could I possibly say about him that hasn't already been said thousands of times already? Is there a stat that doesn't show him to be one of the greatest players of all time in the sport? If there is, I have yet to find it.
8. Aaron Nola and Gerrit Cole will win the Cy Young Awards. Nola came close to winning the Cy Young last year, finishing third in the voting. The Phillies rewarded him with a four-year contract extension, and Nola will capitalize on that by taking the next step to becoming a true ace in a division filled with incredible starting pitching.
Meanwhile, Cole is in a contract year and will cash in big time as he approaches free agency. He'll make the Astros have to push extra hard to keep him around the way they have locked up Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Justin Verlander. Trouble is, they can't sign everyone on their team, so he could price himself out of Houston. But that's okay because.....
9. The Houston Astros will defeat the Washington Nationals in the World Series. Astroball is no joke. I know this because a) I read the book as any Orioles fan should, and more importantly b) the Astros have already won a World Series using these tactics. They're just too good of a team.
The Nationals would be a bit of a surprise team since they have yet to get past the NLDS, but there's no denying how successful they've been in building their team. Like I said earlier, I think they are a more complete team across the board even without Bryce Harper. Almost more importantly though, they will resurrect a stat that I had discovered last year that I felt doesn't get enough attention across baseball: For the period of 2001-2017, the World Series had featured at least one team every year who did not make the playoffs the previous season. The Brewers came extremely close to keeping the streak alive in 2018 but fell short in Game 7 of the NLCS. Washington will bring that trend back in 2019.
Monday, August 20, 2018
2018 NFL Predictions Sure to Go Wrong
You'd think that a guy who is less than two months away from tying the knot would have better things to do than make sports predictions.
You'd be wrong. Priorities and such.
I only got one prediction right last year, that being Carson Palmer would call it quits. I got relatively close with the Jets having arguably the worst offense in the NFL, though the Browns said, "Oh no, allow us," and took over from there.
Since I'm not one to break tradition, here goes for the 9th - yes, 9th - straight year.
1. The Los Angeles Chargers will win the AFC West. I'm still getting used to referring to the Chargers as being from Los Angeles. Geography issues aside, it's easy to forget how close they came to winning the division last year despite starting the season 0-4. I don't expect them to start so slowly this year, with four of their first six games being very winnable. The only question is how packed will the StubHub Center be when the Chargers win the AFC West for first time since 2009.
2. Carson Wentz will struggle in his return from a torn ACL. There are just too many examples of quarterbacks whose first season back after tearing an ACL is below average at best. See Brady, Tom; Flacco, Joe; Palmer, Carson; and Griffin III, Robert. Griffin is pretty much a worst case scenario though since he hasn't played effectively since his rookie season in 2012. It's worth pointing out that the rest of those QBs did eventually recover (especially Brady), but their first seasons back were mostly about working through the cobwebs and getting comfortable with taking a hit again. Wentz was on his way to being league MVP last year before tearing his ACL, so he'll have to wait till at least 2019 before playing at an elite level again.
2(a). Ditto for DeShaun Watson. See above.
3. The San Francisco 49ers will be get one of the two Wild Cards in the NFC. The 49ers went 5-0 in their final five games of last season, largely because they got their first real QB since Colin Kaepernick's brief dominance in 2012. They also have a head coach and GM who are on the same page for what feels like the first time in over a decade. The NFL always has s couple upstart teams who take significant leaps forward from the previous season. The Cardinals and Seahawks are both going to be bad teams this year, so the 49ers have a great opportunity right in front of them.
4. The Cleveland Browns will give up at least 70 points in their first two games of the season. There's literally nowhere to go but up for the Browns after an 0-16 season last year. While they'll win a few games at least - which will feel like a Super Bowl championship for fans of the Factory of Sadness - they won't look so hot in their first two games of the season. They open at home versus the Steelers, and then they head to New Orleans in Week 2. That's two powerhouse offenses in the first two weeks, each of whom can put up at least 35 points on the Browns defense.
5. Eric Decker will catch at least 80 passes for the Patriots. The Patriots have this super weird and unique talent for turning white guys into productive wide receivers (I'm looking at you, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman). It's worth pointing out that Decker has been very productive over the course of his career; he caught anywhere from 74 to 87 passes during his peak years of 2012-2015. He had only played in three games in 2016, and then bounced back a bit last year in Tennessee. In New England, he'll resurface as a favorite target for Tom Brady.
6. Stefon Diggs will be a top-5 wide receiver in the entire league. While we're talking wide receivers, Diggs had a breakout year last year for the Vikings and was the hero of the wild Divisional Round playoff game versus the Saints. This production came with Case Keenum playing at QB in 15 games, no less. Now that the Vikings have Kirk Cousins as their permanent QB, Diggs will be among the league leaders in both receiving yards and touchdowns.
7. The Buffalo Bills will score the fewest points in the league. Meanwhile, on the other end of the offensive spectrum, the Bills are starting their franchise over. They drafted the guy they hope to be their primary QB long term in Josh Allen who will have the likes of Kelvin Benjamin, Andre Holmes, Corey Coleman, Zay Jones, and Jeremy Curley for his receivers.
Ugh.
LeSean McCoy is still their primary running back, but he's 30 years old now. He may still be productive despite his age, but the elephant in the room is whether he'll be suspended for his ex-girlfriend accusing him of breaking into her home. He's an X factor for now, but opposing offenses could stuff him in the box since the wide receivers leave little to defend.
8. Kirk Cousins will be the league MVP. Getting back to more positive predictions, Kirk Cousins will really get an opportunity to show off what he can do with real talent around him like Dalvin Cook and the aforementioned Stefon Diggs. The Vikings will be one of the big dogs in the NFC again and will look to avenge the egg they had laid in last year's NFC Championship Game. They'll make the playoffs again, but they'll come up short yet again because....
9. The Los Angeles Rams will defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 53. This matchup sounds like it comes from the 1970s. Fans of classic smash-mouth style football will salivate over a pair of teams like these, with stars like Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald, Brandin Cooks, Jared Goff, Cooper Kupp, Michael Brockers, Dominique Easley, Ndamukong Suh, and Marcus Peters taking the stage.
And that's just the Rams.
Add in Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, David DeCastro, Joe Haden, Cameron Heyward, Juju Smith-Shuster, and Stephon Tuitt, and this game has all the makings of one of the great Super Bowls of all time.
Sean McVay will wind up having the last laugh and vault himself among the top coaches in the NFL as the Rams take home the Lombardi trophy in only their second season back in LA.
You'd be wrong. Priorities and such.
I only got one prediction right last year, that being Carson Palmer would call it quits. I got relatively close with the Jets having arguably the worst offense in the NFL, though the Browns said, "Oh no, allow us," and took over from there.
Since I'm not one to break tradition, here goes for the 9th - yes, 9th - straight year.
1. The Los Angeles Chargers will win the AFC West. I'm still getting used to referring to the Chargers as being from Los Angeles. Geography issues aside, it's easy to forget how close they came to winning the division last year despite starting the season 0-4. I don't expect them to start so slowly this year, with four of their first six games being very winnable. The only question is how packed will the StubHub Center be when the Chargers win the AFC West for first time since 2009.
2. Carson Wentz will struggle in his return from a torn ACL. There are just too many examples of quarterbacks whose first season back after tearing an ACL is below average at best. See Brady, Tom; Flacco, Joe; Palmer, Carson; and Griffin III, Robert. Griffin is pretty much a worst case scenario though since he hasn't played effectively since his rookie season in 2012. It's worth pointing out that the rest of those QBs did eventually recover (especially Brady), but their first seasons back were mostly about working through the cobwebs and getting comfortable with taking a hit again. Wentz was on his way to being league MVP last year before tearing his ACL, so he'll have to wait till at least 2019 before playing at an elite level again.
2(a). Ditto for DeShaun Watson. See above.
3. The San Francisco 49ers will be get one of the two Wild Cards in the NFC. The 49ers went 5-0 in their final five games of last season, largely because they got their first real QB since Colin Kaepernick's brief dominance in 2012. They also have a head coach and GM who are on the same page for what feels like the first time in over a decade. The NFL always has s couple upstart teams who take significant leaps forward from the previous season. The Cardinals and Seahawks are both going to be bad teams this year, so the 49ers have a great opportunity right in front of them.
4. The Cleveland Browns will give up at least 70 points in their first two games of the season. There's literally nowhere to go but up for the Browns after an 0-16 season last year. While they'll win a few games at least - which will feel like a Super Bowl championship for fans of the Factory of Sadness - they won't look so hot in their first two games of the season. They open at home versus the Steelers, and then they head to New Orleans in Week 2. That's two powerhouse offenses in the first two weeks, each of whom can put up at least 35 points on the Browns defense.
5. Eric Decker will catch at least 80 passes for the Patriots. The Patriots have this super weird and unique talent for turning white guys into productive wide receivers (I'm looking at you, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman). It's worth pointing out that Decker has been very productive over the course of his career; he caught anywhere from 74 to 87 passes during his peak years of 2012-2015. He had only played in three games in 2016, and then bounced back a bit last year in Tennessee. In New England, he'll resurface as a favorite target for Tom Brady.
6. Stefon Diggs will be a top-5 wide receiver in the entire league. While we're talking wide receivers, Diggs had a breakout year last year for the Vikings and was the hero of the wild Divisional Round playoff game versus the Saints. This production came with Case Keenum playing at QB in 15 games, no less. Now that the Vikings have Kirk Cousins as their permanent QB, Diggs will be among the league leaders in both receiving yards and touchdowns.
7. The Buffalo Bills will score the fewest points in the league. Meanwhile, on the other end of the offensive spectrum, the Bills are starting their franchise over. They drafted the guy they hope to be their primary QB long term in Josh Allen who will have the likes of Kelvin Benjamin, Andre Holmes, Corey Coleman, Zay Jones, and Jeremy Curley for his receivers.
Ugh.
LeSean McCoy is still their primary running back, but he's 30 years old now. He may still be productive despite his age, but the elephant in the room is whether he'll be suspended for his ex-girlfriend accusing him of breaking into her home. He's an X factor for now, but opposing offenses could stuff him in the box since the wide receivers leave little to defend.
8. Kirk Cousins will be the league MVP. Getting back to more positive predictions, Kirk Cousins will really get an opportunity to show off what he can do with real talent around him like Dalvin Cook and the aforementioned Stefon Diggs. The Vikings will be one of the big dogs in the NFC again and will look to avenge the egg they had laid in last year's NFC Championship Game. They'll make the playoffs again, but they'll come up short yet again because....
9. The Los Angeles Rams will defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 53. This matchup sounds like it comes from the 1970s. Fans of classic smash-mouth style football will salivate over a pair of teams like these, with stars like Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald, Brandin Cooks, Jared Goff, Cooper Kupp, Michael Brockers, Dominique Easley, Ndamukong Suh, and Marcus Peters taking the stage.
And that's just the Rams.
Add in Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, David DeCastro, Joe Haden, Cameron Heyward, Juju Smith-Shuster, and Stephon Tuitt, and this game has all the makings of one of the great Super Bowls of all time.
Sean McVay will wind up having the last laugh and vault himself among the top coaches in the NFL as the Rams take home the Lombardi trophy in only their second season back in LA.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
2018 MLB Season Predictions Sure to Go Wrong
I'm neck deep in my annual March Madness marathon, so I'm using the opportunity to make my season predictions for Major League Baseball this season. It's been the most bizarre offseason for baseball across the board that I can recall, and at this writing free agent SP Alex Cobb still hasn't signed a deal. Regardless, it's time to make my predictions that will look absurd a month into the season, if not sooner.
1. The Minnesota Twins will win the AL Central. I realize that I had made this same prediction two years ago. I had jumped the gun on the Twins big time since they were one of the worst teams in baseball that year. Now they are coming off a Wild Card berth and they've added Lance Lynn and Jake Odorizzi to their rotation. Those two additions will make any rotation better, and their starting pitching will be even better for a reason that I'll get into later.
The Indians are still the big dogs in the AL Central, but I expect them to fall backwards a little this year. The baseball gods doth giveth as they did the last two years for Cleveland, and now they shall taketh away a little (albeit not by much, since the rest of the division is very weak).
2. Shohei Ohtani will make more starts as a pitcher than he will as an OF/DH for the Angels. My logic here is two-fold: First, The Angels have a crowded outfield as it is led by perennial MVP candidate Mike Trout, expensive new arrival Justin Upton, and Kole Calhoun. Albert Pujols will be their DH at least most of the time, so that doesn't leave much room for Ohtani's bat. Secondly, the Angels will need him to pitch regularly anyway since the rest of their rotation includes Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Parker Bridwell, Tyler Skaggs, and Matt Shoemarker, all of whom have dealt with various injuries during their respective careers. Ohtani will get his fair share of at bats during the course of the season, but he will be far more valuable as a pitcher.
3. The Atlanta Braves will finish over .500 for the first time since 2013. The Braves are still at least a year away from competing in the NL East, but considering how bad the Marlins will be and how bad the Mets could be, the Braves will benefit from beating up on some bad teams. The Phillies could be in a similar position for the same reason.
4. Tommy Pham will be a top-10 center fielder in baseball. Pham came out of nowhere last year with a slash line of .306/.411/.520 over 128 games. He just turned 30, so he's fairly old for a guy entering his 5th season but only now expected to play every day. He will be a sleeper wonder this year for the Cardinals who now have one of the better outfields in all of baseball.
5. Nolan Arenado will compete for the Triple Crown. Last year, Arenado finished third in the NL in HRs, second in RBI, and eighth in batting average. With Giancarlo Stanton now in the AL, Arenado has a great opportunity to lead the NL in all three categories. Even if he comes up short in average, he is primed for career bests across the board.
6. The Tampa Bay Rays will score the fewest runs in baseball. It's really shocking to see how the two Florida teams dismantled themselves during the offseason. Six of the the Rays' top seven home run hitters from last year are no longer with the team, whether by trade or free agency. They lost over 140 home runs from those departures, so how they expect to score any runs is beyond me. They will be a really hard team to watch offensively this year.
7. Nolan Arenado and Jose Ramirez will be the league MVPs. Arenado will be the NL MVP for the reason I had outlined above, especially if he does win the Triple Crown. Ramirez was a late candidate for the AL MVP last year as the Indians went on their 22-game winning streak, and that momentum will carry over into this season. He still has plenty of upside for himself, offensively and defensively.
8. Chase Anderson and Jose Berrios will be the Cy Young winners. Anderson would have finished 4th in the NL in both ERA and WHIP last year, had he pitched enough innings. He and Zach Davies form a very underrated 1-2 punch in the Brewers' rotation and will lead the team to a postseason berth with the beefed up offense behind them. Anderson's primary challenge will be whether he can keep his 2017 HR/FB rate and increasing his strikeout totals.
Berrios is only entering his second year as a full time starter, but he's the Twins' best pitcher. He will emerge as the Twins' #1 guy over the course of the season as they narrowly edge out the Indians for the AL Central title.
9. The Chicago Cubs will defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series. I doubt there is a bigger chalk pick for the World Series than this choice, but I just don't see anyone topping the Cubs in the NL or anyone beating out the Yankees in the AL. The Astros are reigning champs, but there is a reason why no one has repeated as champions since the 1999/2000 Yankees (though in fairness, the Giants won 3 championships over the course of 5 years, and that is arguably more impressive).
1. The Minnesota Twins will win the AL Central. I realize that I had made this same prediction two years ago. I had jumped the gun on the Twins big time since they were one of the worst teams in baseball that year. Now they are coming off a Wild Card berth and they've added Lance Lynn and Jake Odorizzi to their rotation. Those two additions will make any rotation better, and their starting pitching will be even better for a reason that I'll get into later.
The Indians are still the big dogs in the AL Central, but I expect them to fall backwards a little this year. The baseball gods doth giveth as they did the last two years for Cleveland, and now they shall taketh away a little (albeit not by much, since the rest of the division is very weak).
2. Shohei Ohtani will make more starts as a pitcher than he will as an OF/DH for the Angels. My logic here is two-fold: First, The Angels have a crowded outfield as it is led by perennial MVP candidate Mike Trout, expensive new arrival Justin Upton, and Kole Calhoun. Albert Pujols will be their DH at least most of the time, so that doesn't leave much room for Ohtani's bat. Secondly, the Angels will need him to pitch regularly anyway since the rest of their rotation includes Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Parker Bridwell, Tyler Skaggs, and Matt Shoemarker, all of whom have dealt with various injuries during their respective careers. Ohtani will get his fair share of at bats during the course of the season, but he will be far more valuable as a pitcher.
3. The Atlanta Braves will finish over .500 for the first time since 2013. The Braves are still at least a year away from competing in the NL East, but considering how bad the Marlins will be and how bad the Mets could be, the Braves will benefit from beating up on some bad teams. The Phillies could be in a similar position for the same reason.
4. Tommy Pham will be a top-10 center fielder in baseball. Pham came out of nowhere last year with a slash line of .306/.411/.520 over 128 games. He just turned 30, so he's fairly old for a guy entering his 5th season but only now expected to play every day. He will be a sleeper wonder this year for the Cardinals who now have one of the better outfields in all of baseball.
5. Nolan Arenado will compete for the Triple Crown. Last year, Arenado finished third in the NL in HRs, second in RBI, and eighth in batting average. With Giancarlo Stanton now in the AL, Arenado has a great opportunity to lead the NL in all three categories. Even if he comes up short in average, he is primed for career bests across the board.
6. The Tampa Bay Rays will score the fewest runs in baseball. It's really shocking to see how the two Florida teams dismantled themselves during the offseason. Six of the the Rays' top seven home run hitters from last year are no longer with the team, whether by trade or free agency. They lost over 140 home runs from those departures, so how they expect to score any runs is beyond me. They will be a really hard team to watch offensively this year.
7. Nolan Arenado and Jose Ramirez will be the league MVPs. Arenado will be the NL MVP for the reason I had outlined above, especially if he does win the Triple Crown. Ramirez was a late candidate for the AL MVP last year as the Indians went on their 22-game winning streak, and that momentum will carry over into this season. He still has plenty of upside for himself, offensively and defensively.
8. Chase Anderson and Jose Berrios will be the Cy Young winners. Anderson would have finished 4th in the NL in both ERA and WHIP last year, had he pitched enough innings. He and Zach Davies form a very underrated 1-2 punch in the Brewers' rotation and will lead the team to a postseason berth with the beefed up offense behind them. Anderson's primary challenge will be whether he can keep his 2017 HR/FB rate and increasing his strikeout totals.
Berrios is only entering his second year as a full time starter, but he's the Twins' best pitcher. He will emerge as the Twins' #1 guy over the course of the season as they narrowly edge out the Indians for the AL Central title.
9. The Chicago Cubs will defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series. I doubt there is a bigger chalk pick for the World Series than this choice, but I just don't see anyone topping the Cubs in the NL or anyone beating out the Yankees in the AL. The Astros are reigning champs, but there is a reason why no one has repeated as champions since the 1999/2000 Yankees (though in fairness, the Giants won 3 championships over the course of 5 years, and that is arguably more impressive).
Friday, September 1, 2017
2017 NFL Predictions Sure to Go Wrong
It's that time of the year again, kids. Yes, it is time for me to make some crazy sports predictions for the fun of it, and then look back on these in a couple months to laugh at them. Nothing else needed to introduce things, so let's get right to it.
1. The Tennessee Titans will win the AFC South. The Titans took arguably the best wide receiver in the draft this past April in Corey Davis (I don't like any wide receiver named Mike Williams and I'm only half-joking when I say that) to give Marcus Mariota a deep receiving threat. Their offense top to bottom is stacked,and their defense ain't too shabby either. The Texans are the prohibitive favorite in the division, but they have decided to start Tom Savage over DeShaun Watson at quarterback to start the season. Watson could still get the job later, but the Titans are still the more balanced team overall. Besides, some division winner has to be a little bit of a shocker anyway.
2. The New York Jets will score the fewest points per game since the 2012 Kansas City Chiefs (13.2). It's no secret that the Jets have one of the worst rosters top to bottom in the NFL. Their training camp has been filled with blunders like QB Christian Hackenberg not being able to break a huddle properly. Now they are going with Josh McCown at quarterback for their first game of the regular season. Bottom line is, this team is a mess and they are not going to score many points at all from their lack of playmakers. They don't have much of a long term direction either, so Jets fans will have to suffer through the season and keep reading about top college talent they could look towards drafting come April 2018.
3. Odell Beckham, Jr will break Randy Moss's single season TD record. If this prediction sounds a little familiar, it's because it is. Normally I draft my season's predictions on their own, but I do sometimes look over my previous predictions to compare and contrast. I was actually surprised when I had discovered I said this same thing about Demaryius Thomas three years ago, but I figured what the heck? Beckham is a more electric player to watch than Thomas, capable of some incredible acrobatic feats on the field. Eli Manning will once again have a ton of fun throwing to his #1 target this year.
4. Dalvin Cook will break Gale Sayers' rookie total TD record (22). Cook has a dual-threat capability as a running back for the Vikings since he's a pass-catching threat in addition to being an every down back. It won't take him long to become one of the most-discussed rookie players in the NFL this season, and he will almost certainly be quickly compared to Adrian Peterson.
5. Martavis Bryant will lead the Steelers in receiving touchdowns. Bryant is still waiting on being officially reinstated to the Steelers by the league office, but if he finally plays a full season he and Antonio Brown will make up the top receiving corps in the NFL. Assuming he has stopped smoking marijuana completely, Bryant will quickly become one of the top wide receivers in the AFC. Antonio Brown will still be a playmaker, but even he doesn't have the physique that Bryant has.
6. The Atlanta Falcons will finish under .500 this season. The Falcons, on paper, should still have a solid season despite blowing a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl this past season. Their key players on both sides of the ball are all still around, and the only notable coaching change was Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan leaving to coach the 49ers (which is a pretty big deal, in my opinion). This prediction is one of those gut feelings that isn't based on anything terribly logical, but there's a reason why no Super Bowl loser returned the following season to play for a championship the following year since the 1992 Buffalo Bills. Fortune will not favor the Falcons in 2017.
7. It's the final swan song for Carson Palmer. The writing is on the wall. Palmer's injury history has been piling up over the last 4 years or so, including a torn ACL, a concussion, a finger dislocation, and a shoulder injury. He came close to retiring last year, instead opting to come back for another year. However, I foresee yet another unfortunate injury that forces him to miss at least part of the season and ultimately leads to the end of his career. The Cardinals will look towards April's draft to find their quarterback of the future.
8. The Oakland Raiders will lead the league in scoring this season. Raiders QB Derek Carr had a breakout season last year, and his career will continue on its upswing in 2017. Amari Cooper has developed into a strong #1 receiver, but there is a question as to what the Raiders can expect with Marshawn Lynch at 31 years old. Still, this team will be scoring points in bunches all year long. There's a reason why many see them as the #2 team in the AFC. In fact, speaking of the aforementioned Carr....
9. Derek Carr will be the league MVP. I don't think I need to really say much more, except that Carr will show NFL fans he's fine after breaking his leg late last season. He could have had a chance at the league MVP last year had he not been injured, but he'll make up for that in 2017.
10. The Seattle Seahawks will defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52. Okay, I'm going somewhat chalk-ish with this pick. I don't normally like doing that, but there just isn't any team in the AFC who has a realistic chance at dethroning the Patriots. The NFC is more leveled, though the Seahawks stand out from the bunch. They'll get their revenge for bumbling the end of Super Bowl 49 against these same Patriots.
1. The Tennessee Titans will win the AFC South. The Titans took arguably the best wide receiver in the draft this past April in Corey Davis (I don't like any wide receiver named Mike Williams and I'm only half-joking when I say that) to give Marcus Mariota a deep receiving threat. Their offense top to bottom is stacked,and their defense ain't too shabby either. The Texans are the prohibitive favorite in the division, but they have decided to start Tom Savage over DeShaun Watson at quarterback to start the season. Watson could still get the job later, but the Titans are still the more balanced team overall. Besides, some division winner has to be a little bit of a shocker anyway.
2. The New York Jets will score the fewest points per game since the 2012 Kansas City Chiefs (13.2). It's no secret that the Jets have one of the worst rosters top to bottom in the NFL. Their training camp has been filled with blunders like QB Christian Hackenberg not being able to break a huddle properly. Now they are going with Josh McCown at quarterback for their first game of the regular season. Bottom line is, this team is a mess and they are not going to score many points at all from their lack of playmakers. They don't have much of a long term direction either, so Jets fans will have to suffer through the season and keep reading about top college talent they could look towards drafting come April 2018.
3. Odell Beckham, Jr will break Randy Moss's single season TD record. If this prediction sounds a little familiar, it's because it is. Normally I draft my season's predictions on their own, but I do sometimes look over my previous predictions to compare and contrast. I was actually surprised when I had discovered I said this same thing about Demaryius Thomas three years ago, but I figured what the heck? Beckham is a more electric player to watch than Thomas, capable of some incredible acrobatic feats on the field. Eli Manning will once again have a ton of fun throwing to his #1 target this year.
4. Dalvin Cook will break Gale Sayers' rookie total TD record (22). Cook has a dual-threat capability as a running back for the Vikings since he's a pass-catching threat in addition to being an every down back. It won't take him long to become one of the most-discussed rookie players in the NFL this season, and he will almost certainly be quickly compared to Adrian Peterson.
5. Martavis Bryant will lead the Steelers in receiving touchdowns. Bryant is still waiting on being officially reinstated to the Steelers by the league office, but if he finally plays a full season he and Antonio Brown will make up the top receiving corps in the NFL. Assuming he has stopped smoking marijuana completely, Bryant will quickly become one of the top wide receivers in the AFC. Antonio Brown will still be a playmaker, but even he doesn't have the physique that Bryant has.
6. The Atlanta Falcons will finish under .500 this season. The Falcons, on paper, should still have a solid season despite blowing a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl this past season. Their key players on both sides of the ball are all still around, and the only notable coaching change was Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan leaving to coach the 49ers (which is a pretty big deal, in my opinion). This prediction is one of those gut feelings that isn't based on anything terribly logical, but there's a reason why no Super Bowl loser returned the following season to play for a championship the following year since the 1992 Buffalo Bills. Fortune will not favor the Falcons in 2017.
7. It's the final swan song for Carson Palmer. The writing is on the wall. Palmer's injury history has been piling up over the last 4 years or so, including a torn ACL, a concussion, a finger dislocation, and a shoulder injury. He came close to retiring last year, instead opting to come back for another year. However, I foresee yet another unfortunate injury that forces him to miss at least part of the season and ultimately leads to the end of his career. The Cardinals will look towards April's draft to find their quarterback of the future.
8. The Oakland Raiders will lead the league in scoring this season. Raiders QB Derek Carr had a breakout season last year, and his career will continue on its upswing in 2017. Amari Cooper has developed into a strong #1 receiver, but there is a question as to what the Raiders can expect with Marshawn Lynch at 31 years old. Still, this team will be scoring points in bunches all year long. There's a reason why many see them as the #2 team in the AFC. In fact, speaking of the aforementioned Carr....
9. Derek Carr will be the league MVP. I don't think I need to really say much more, except that Carr will show NFL fans he's fine after breaking his leg late last season. He could have had a chance at the league MVP last year had he not been injured, but he'll make up for that in 2017.
10. The Seattle Seahawks will defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52. Okay, I'm going somewhat chalk-ish with this pick. I don't normally like doing that, but there just isn't any team in the AFC who has a realistic chance at dethroning the Patriots. The NFC is more leveled, though the Seahawks stand out from the bunch. They'll get their revenge for bumbling the end of Super Bowl 49 against these same Patriots.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
MLB 2017 Predictions Sure to Go Wrong
Once again, baseball season is upon us, which means I throw myself into the wood chipper in the name of making predictions. One of my best friends enjoys reading my predictions, and last year he loved bringing up my prediction of the Twins winning the AL Central as being one of the worst of all time (and it was well-deserved, too). I knew by late April last year I would wear egg on my face on that one.
So naturally, I'm heading back to the well for another round of predictions that will make me look silly in retrospect.
1. Five shortstops will have 20/20 seasons. Specifically, I mean Xander Bogaerts, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Jonathan Villar, and Tim Anderson. The last time we even had one shortstop with a 20/20 season was Ian Desmond in 2014, so this kind of offensive performance from the position hasn't been seen in quite some time. The best part of this group is that they are all still very young with tons of upside, so they will only continue to get better in future years.
2. Cody Sedlock and/or Keegan Akin will make their ML-debuts with the Baltimore Orioles this season. Chris Tillman has me very worried as an Orioles fan for this season. As of this writing he is expected to miss the first month of the season, and the Orioles are crossing their fingers over him pitching effectively at all this season.
So even if Tillman were fully healthy, I would still expect at least one of Sedlock or Akin to make his debut this year (mostly because Kevin Gausman made his debut the year after he was drafted by the Orioles as well). However, given the huge question marks surrounding the back end of the Orioles' rotation for at least the start of the season, there is almost no question in my mind at least one of their top two pitching prospects will be called up by August.
3. The Chicago White Sox will be one of the most improved teams in baseball over last year. When a team finally pulls a trigger and trades away their premiere player in order to rebuild, it typically takes a couple years for the team to regroup with young talent. The White Sox traded Chris Sale to Boston back in December, and they may still trade Jose Quintana, too. Despite making deals with their top trade targets, their young talent - starting with the aforementioned Tim Anderson - will give White Sox fans plenty to be excited about this season. I don't expect them to quite make the playoffs, a la the 2012 Orioles or 2015 Astros, but they will show they are ahead of schedule in competing in the AL Central.
4. The New York Mets will be one of the biggest disappointing teams from last season. Just as there are teams who make surprise surges, there are teams who fall backwards. The Mets have arguably the best rotation in all of baseball, but their offense is soft and their defense is even softer (especially their outfield.....yuck). They just don't have enough pitching to keep themselves in contention with the Nationals in the NL East, and the Marlins will be on their heels because....
5. Christian Yelich will top 30 home runs for the first time in his career. Yelich broke out last year, and his power will really show off this year for the Marlins. Miami has collectively one of the better outfields in baseball, and Yelich will become one of the best overall young outfielders in baseball.
6. The Houston Astros will score the most runs in baseball this season. The Red Sox and Cubs both have incredibly potent offenses to name a couple examples, but the Astros will outscore them both this season. Additions to their lineup like Josh Reddick and ageless-wonder Carlos Beltran will add some serious pop, coupled with their young infield stars in Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve. Their primary issue is their starting pitching, and Dallas Keuchel alone can't carry their rotation, even if he does return to his 2015 form.
7. Anthony Rizzo and Francisco Lindor will win the league MVPs. Rizzo has consistently been one of the most productive first basemen in baseball over the last few years. He was one of the leading MVP candidates last year if not for his teammate Kris Bryant winning it. Bryant will hav another amazing year this year, but it will be Rizzo's turn in the limelight.
Meanwhile, I already said Lindor will have a 20/20 year at shortstop, but his offensive output will be superior to the likes of Bogaerts and Correa in the AL. His Gold Glove-caliber defense will be the deciding factor, making him one of the most exciting players in all of baseball to watch.
8. Madison Bumgarner and Marcus Stroman will win the Cy Young Awards. Maybe it's just me, but Bumgarner somehow flies under the radar among the list of great pitchers in the NL. Most names on that list include the likes of Kershaw, Syndergaard, Arrieta, Lester, and Scherzer, and yet Bumgarner is left as one of those "Oh yeah, I forgot about him" guys. He will have his year in 2017.
As for Stroman, I see the Blue Jays taking a fairly big step backward without Edgar Encarnacion in their lineup and Jose Bautista steadily declining. Regardless, Stroman will have a huge year of his own and keep Toronto in the hunt for the playoffs.
9. The Cleveland Indians will defeat the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. The Indians came oh so close to pulling off one of the greatest upsets in World Series history last year. Unfortunately, the Cubs would not be denied ending their drought of championships. Cleveland fans will finally get to celebrate after having to wait for another year. Adding Edgar Encarnacion will add major power in the middle of their lineup, and their starting pitching will be one of the best in the AL once again.
So naturally, I'm heading back to the well for another round of predictions that will make me look silly in retrospect.
1. Five shortstops will have 20/20 seasons. Specifically, I mean Xander Bogaerts, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Jonathan Villar, and Tim Anderson. The last time we even had one shortstop with a 20/20 season was Ian Desmond in 2014, so this kind of offensive performance from the position hasn't been seen in quite some time. The best part of this group is that they are all still very young with tons of upside, so they will only continue to get better in future years.
2. Cody Sedlock and/or Keegan Akin will make their ML-debuts with the Baltimore Orioles this season. Chris Tillman has me very worried as an Orioles fan for this season. As of this writing he is expected to miss the first month of the season, and the Orioles are crossing their fingers over him pitching effectively at all this season.
So even if Tillman were fully healthy, I would still expect at least one of Sedlock or Akin to make his debut this year (mostly because Kevin Gausman made his debut the year after he was drafted by the Orioles as well). However, given the huge question marks surrounding the back end of the Orioles' rotation for at least the start of the season, there is almost no question in my mind at least one of their top two pitching prospects will be called up by August.
3. The Chicago White Sox will be one of the most improved teams in baseball over last year. When a team finally pulls a trigger and trades away their premiere player in order to rebuild, it typically takes a couple years for the team to regroup with young talent. The White Sox traded Chris Sale to Boston back in December, and they may still trade Jose Quintana, too. Despite making deals with their top trade targets, their young talent - starting with the aforementioned Tim Anderson - will give White Sox fans plenty to be excited about this season. I don't expect them to quite make the playoffs, a la the 2012 Orioles or 2015 Astros, but they will show they are ahead of schedule in competing in the AL Central.
4. The New York Mets will be one of the biggest disappointing teams from last season. Just as there are teams who make surprise surges, there are teams who fall backwards. The Mets have arguably the best rotation in all of baseball, but their offense is soft and their defense is even softer (especially their outfield.....yuck). They just don't have enough pitching to keep themselves in contention with the Nationals in the NL East, and the Marlins will be on their heels because....
5. Christian Yelich will top 30 home runs for the first time in his career. Yelich broke out last year, and his power will really show off this year for the Marlins. Miami has collectively one of the better outfields in baseball, and Yelich will become one of the best overall young outfielders in baseball.
6. The Houston Astros will score the most runs in baseball this season. The Red Sox and Cubs both have incredibly potent offenses to name a couple examples, but the Astros will outscore them both this season. Additions to their lineup like Josh Reddick and ageless-wonder Carlos Beltran will add some serious pop, coupled with their young infield stars in Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve. Their primary issue is their starting pitching, and Dallas Keuchel alone can't carry their rotation, even if he does return to his 2015 form.
7. Anthony Rizzo and Francisco Lindor will win the league MVPs. Rizzo has consistently been one of the most productive first basemen in baseball over the last few years. He was one of the leading MVP candidates last year if not for his teammate Kris Bryant winning it. Bryant will hav another amazing year this year, but it will be Rizzo's turn in the limelight.
Meanwhile, I already said Lindor will have a 20/20 year at shortstop, but his offensive output will be superior to the likes of Bogaerts and Correa in the AL. His Gold Glove-caliber defense will be the deciding factor, making him one of the most exciting players in all of baseball to watch.
8. Madison Bumgarner and Marcus Stroman will win the Cy Young Awards. Maybe it's just me, but Bumgarner somehow flies under the radar among the list of great pitchers in the NL. Most names on that list include the likes of Kershaw, Syndergaard, Arrieta, Lester, and Scherzer, and yet Bumgarner is left as one of those "Oh yeah, I forgot about him" guys. He will have his year in 2017.
As for Stroman, I see the Blue Jays taking a fairly big step backward without Edgar Encarnacion in their lineup and Jose Bautista steadily declining. Regardless, Stroman will have a huge year of his own and keep Toronto in the hunt for the playoffs.
9. The Cleveland Indians will defeat the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. The Indians came oh so close to pulling off one of the greatest upsets in World Series history last year. Unfortunately, the Cubs would not be denied ending their drought of championships. Cleveland fans will finally get to celebrate after having to wait for another year. Adding Edgar Encarnacion will add major power in the middle of their lineup, and their starting pitching will be one of the best in the AL once again.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
NFL 2016 Predictions Sure to Go Wrong
Few people can consistently make bad predictions year to year like I can, and that includes the talking heads on TV networks like ESPN and NFL Network. I think I set a new low for myself last year, getting only one prediction correct of the ten I had made. I suppose I could spin that and say I have to rebound since there's just about nowhere to go but up.....right?
Let's see what 2016 may have in store for us, if my crystal ball has anything to say about it.
1. The Oakland Raiders will win the AFC West. The AFC West is entirely up for grabs this season following Peyton Manning's retirement. The Broncos have a roulette wheel of options at quarterback since Brock Osweiler left for Houston, while the Chargers still have yet to sign their top draft pick Joey Bosa, and the Chiefs have the Andy Reid Factor alive and well. Meanwhile, over the last couple seasons the Raiders have quietly stockpiled some superior young talent between Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, Khalil Mack, DJ Hayden, and Mychal Rivera. They also added former Ravens OL Kelechi Osemele to anchor their left tackle spot. Suffice to say, they're fairly loaded on both sides of the ball and play in a division that isn't nearly as top heavy as it's been the last couple years. They have a real chance at winning double-digit games this year and take the division title.
2. Ezekiel Elliot will break the NFL rookie RB record for rushing yards. The Cowboys' offense has the chance to be very special this season. Their offensive line is still the best in football, and they've added a special breed of athlete at running back in the draft this past May. Ezekiel Elliot will break Eric Dickerson's previous record of 1,808 rushing yards set in 1983. I don't think he'll necessarily shatter the record or anything, but he has the talent to beat Dickerson's season. The Cowboys have the dynamic offense needed to win the NFC East again, though Tony Romo's health is becoming a bigger and bigger question with each passing season. Speaking of top offenses....
3. The Baltimore Ravens will have a top-5 offense in the league this season. Up is down, back is front, black is white, right is left, and top is bottom. The Ravens have had some good offenses in their history, and Joe Flacco's best season was two years ago when Gary Kubiak had called the plays. For the first time in team history, the Ravens will finish with a top-5 offense because of the talent surrounding Flacco on offense. Steve Smith is a fairly large question of just how effective he'll be coming off his torn Achilles last year, but adding Mike Wallace and finally having Breshad Perriman on the field will form one of the best group of receivers in football along with their tight ends. If anything, the bigger questions for the team will be how well their defense plays, which is unfamiliar territory for the Ravens. While we're talking teams with surprise elite units....
4. The Jacksonville Jaguars will finish with a top-5 defense in the league this season. The Jaguars' offense took a huge step forward last year with their young receivers led by Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Their defense will take a similar step forward this year since they had added Malik Jackson in free agency, and they'll finally see Dante Fowler take the field after he had torn his ACL in minicamp last year. They also landed two of the top defensive prospects in this year's draft in Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack. Gus Bradley's job as head coach is somewhat under the gun this year, but the AFC South is another division up for grabs. The Jaguars will be one of the most balanced teams in the NFL in 2016, and they're my pick for AFC South champions.
5. The Seattle Seahawks will miss the postseason for the first time since 2011. The law of averages says that for every upstart team like the Raiders and Jaguars, another perennial quality team has to take a step backwards. The Seahawks will be that version this year, following losing guys like Marshawn Lynch to retirement and OL Russell Okung to free agency. They won't fall off a proverbial cliff, but the Cardinals are one of the elite teams in the NFL, and the Rams look like another team who will take a big step forward this year.
6. The New England Patriots will go undefeated for the rest of the regular season after Tom Brady returns from his suspension. This is one of the rare predictions where I genuinely hope I'm wrong. However, Tom Brady is going to play with a chip on his shoulder the size of all New England when he takes the field after serving his suspension. He will want to flip a proverbial middle finger at the league office and Roger Goodell in every game he plays and tear through every opposing defense he faces. Jimmy Garappolo will be serviceable enough at quarterback for the first four games, but the Patriots will lose at least one or two of those games. I don't want to see it happen, but Brady will shred every secondary and lead the Patriots to yet another divisional title and playoff berth.
7. It's the final swan song for Adrian Peterson. Peterson was one of most special offensive talents to play on a football field in an entire generation. He's a rare type of running back who still played at an incredible level at 30 years old last year (though that was the end result of extremely unique circumstances). Father Time will set in on him by the end of the season, and he will have to hang up his cleats for good.
8. Carson Palmer will be the league MVP. Palmer has enjoyed the best years of his career to date during his time in Arizona, and his career will set new personal heights in 2016. The Cardinals are both the best and most complete team in the NFC, and Palmer will lead them to the Promised Land because.....
9. The Arizona Cardinals will defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 51. The Cardinals will get some revenge after losing a rather heart-breaking game in Super Bowl 43 to the Steelers. I will hate seeing Pittsburgh getting that far through the playoffs to the point of literally seeing red. However, the Steelers will miss out once again on getting their seventh Super Bowl title, and Arizona will hoist the Lombardi trophy for the first time in franchise history.
Let's see what 2016 may have in store for us, if my crystal ball has anything to say about it.
1. The Oakland Raiders will win the AFC West. The AFC West is entirely up for grabs this season following Peyton Manning's retirement. The Broncos have a roulette wheel of options at quarterback since Brock Osweiler left for Houston, while the Chargers still have yet to sign their top draft pick Joey Bosa, and the Chiefs have the Andy Reid Factor alive and well. Meanwhile, over the last couple seasons the Raiders have quietly stockpiled some superior young talent between Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, Khalil Mack, DJ Hayden, and Mychal Rivera. They also added former Ravens OL Kelechi Osemele to anchor their left tackle spot. Suffice to say, they're fairly loaded on both sides of the ball and play in a division that isn't nearly as top heavy as it's been the last couple years. They have a real chance at winning double-digit games this year and take the division title.
2. Ezekiel Elliot will break the NFL rookie RB record for rushing yards. The Cowboys' offense has the chance to be very special this season. Their offensive line is still the best in football, and they've added a special breed of athlete at running back in the draft this past May. Ezekiel Elliot will break Eric Dickerson's previous record of 1,808 rushing yards set in 1983. I don't think he'll necessarily shatter the record or anything, but he has the talent to beat Dickerson's season. The Cowboys have the dynamic offense needed to win the NFC East again, though Tony Romo's health is becoming a bigger and bigger question with each passing season. Speaking of top offenses....
3. The Baltimore Ravens will have a top-5 offense in the league this season. Up is down, back is front, black is white, right is left, and top is bottom. The Ravens have had some good offenses in their history, and Joe Flacco's best season was two years ago when Gary Kubiak had called the plays. For the first time in team history, the Ravens will finish with a top-5 offense because of the talent surrounding Flacco on offense. Steve Smith is a fairly large question of just how effective he'll be coming off his torn Achilles last year, but adding Mike Wallace and finally having Breshad Perriman on the field will form one of the best group of receivers in football along with their tight ends. If anything, the bigger questions for the team will be how well their defense plays, which is unfamiliar territory for the Ravens. While we're talking teams with surprise elite units....
4. The Jacksonville Jaguars will finish with a top-5 defense in the league this season. The Jaguars' offense took a huge step forward last year with their young receivers led by Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Their defense will take a similar step forward this year since they had added Malik Jackson in free agency, and they'll finally see Dante Fowler take the field after he had torn his ACL in minicamp last year. They also landed two of the top defensive prospects in this year's draft in Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack. Gus Bradley's job as head coach is somewhat under the gun this year, but the AFC South is another division up for grabs. The Jaguars will be one of the most balanced teams in the NFL in 2016, and they're my pick for AFC South champions.
5. The Seattle Seahawks will miss the postseason for the first time since 2011. The law of averages says that for every upstart team like the Raiders and Jaguars, another perennial quality team has to take a step backwards. The Seahawks will be that version this year, following losing guys like Marshawn Lynch to retirement and OL Russell Okung to free agency. They won't fall off a proverbial cliff, but the Cardinals are one of the elite teams in the NFL, and the Rams look like another team who will take a big step forward this year.
6. The New England Patriots will go undefeated for the rest of the regular season after Tom Brady returns from his suspension. This is one of the rare predictions where I genuinely hope I'm wrong. However, Tom Brady is going to play with a chip on his shoulder the size of all New England when he takes the field after serving his suspension. He will want to flip a proverbial middle finger at the league office and Roger Goodell in every game he plays and tear through every opposing defense he faces. Jimmy Garappolo will be serviceable enough at quarterback for the first four games, but the Patriots will lose at least one or two of those games. I don't want to see it happen, but Brady will shred every secondary and lead the Patriots to yet another divisional title and playoff berth.
7. It's the final swan song for Adrian Peterson. Peterson was one of most special offensive talents to play on a football field in an entire generation. He's a rare type of running back who still played at an incredible level at 30 years old last year (though that was the end result of extremely unique circumstances). Father Time will set in on him by the end of the season, and he will have to hang up his cleats for good.
8. Carson Palmer will be the league MVP. Palmer has enjoyed the best years of his career to date during his time in Arizona, and his career will set new personal heights in 2016. The Cardinals are both the best and most complete team in the NFC, and Palmer will lead them to the Promised Land because.....
9. The Arizona Cardinals will defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 51. The Cardinals will get some revenge after losing a rather heart-breaking game in Super Bowl 43 to the Steelers. I will hate seeing Pittsburgh getting that far through the playoffs to the point of literally seeing red. However, the Steelers will miss out once again on getting their seventh Super Bowl title, and Arizona will hoist the Lombardi trophy for the first time in franchise history.
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