With the season officially being less than a week away, I figured it would be a good time to start a predictions page. Record 93-69 (First in the West) Player Predictions Carlos Correa becomes the man, leading in HRs, RBIs, OBP, and SLG. Altuve easily surpasses 200 hits (maybe the 210 range) George Springer plays 140 games and shows the public that he can be a solid 30HR, .280BA player. Colby Rasmus puts up a .770+ OPS season and helps solidify the middle of the order. Evan Gattis matches his 2015 campaign but with a higher OPS (.790). This will be a point of concern for most CFers as he is doing decently enough to keep his job but constantly is battling White and Tucker for the DH spot. AJ Reed doesn't put on an Astro Uni until July. Carlos Gomez bounces back to 2014 Gomy. 20+ HRs, 70+ RBI but more importantly, he keeps his OPS above .800. Frankly, I think he and Springer will switch spots in the batting lineup with Gomez at the 2 for most of the year and Springer in the 4 or 5. The extra pop from Springer helps solidify this. Valbuena and Castro struggle. A mid season trade for a C is made, but it is to split time with Castro instead of supplant. Valbuena is replaced with Duffy come late June. Marwin hits a multirun homer before the Astros play their first home game. He also continues being Marwin, and quickly becomes (continues?) the second most discussed player (should he start, should he not start) behind Correa. Dallas posts a sub 3 ERA and wins 18. He will lead the AL in innings pitched. McHugh puts together a 3.50 ERA year that starts stronger than it finishes. Gregerson leads the team in saves and grit. Spoiler Random Predictions Astros hit another 400K bump in attendance to put them in the 2.6million range. This is oddly important to me. Oakland finishes a close second in West. Grabs the second wild card. Nationals v. Astros in the Series. Stros win. Suck it.
wow, I'm a fan of basically all your predictions. Except: 1) I think Gattis seems a bit more of an uptick vs last year 2) While I also expect Valbuena to struggle, I don't think Duffy will be the one to supplant him. I think it'll either be Moran or an acquisition. 3) And I don't think Oakland comes anywhere close to that...I think they're at the bottom of the division and trade Sonny Gray at the deadline.
Spoiler: Astros will be really good. On a serious note... It's all about the postseason for them and being the best team in baseball. We need to avoid the Royals till the ALCS. There we can get our revenge. I also expect injuries to happen and I can see Luhnow getting another ace to pair with Keuchel. It's time to get back to the WS and finally win it. Feels good to be this optimistic.
Astros become the Golden State Warriors of Baseball this year. GOD! I haven't been this excited about the season to start in ages! GO STROS!
AJ Reed will be in the minor leagues a few months before getting called up Tyler White will be in the race for rookie of the year George Springer will have a break out year. Carlos Correa will be in the discussion for MVP Astros vs Giants in the World Series. Astros in 6 with Marwin finally hitting a home run with someone on base to win the World Series
AJ Reed will be in the minor leagues a few months before getting called up. Tyler White will be in the race for rookie of the year. George Springer will have a break out year. Carlos Correa will be in the discussion for MVP. Astros vs Giants in the World Series. Astros in 6 with Marwin finally hitting a home run with someone on base to win the World Series
If that happens, I will probably just disappear. I'll just walk out of my home with my fists (or Fisters) in the air and just keep walking. Won't need sleep or sustenance. Just gunna walk with my fists in the air with a huge s**t eating grin til kingdom come.
I'll probably call out for the rest of the week and fly back home for the celebration with my fisters in the air.
Astros win at least 91. Springer leads team in homers Correa and Springer are the only 20-20 players in MLB this season. AJ Reed is up in majors before end of May. Gattis has an RC+ above 125 making him an average DH. Moran is starting 3B come playoff time. Tyson Ross and Norris are traded to the Astros.
Don't Worry, I expect Astros (96-66; depending on how we play on the road) and Royals (94-68) to be 1 and 2 in the AL. Astros will get their revenge in the ALCS and go on to beat either the Cubs or Cardinals (old NL Central beef) to win our 1st World Series Championship. As much as fans understandably talk about the Game 4 bullpen meltdown, I was more upset at their Game 2 meltdown. Because if it wasn't for Game 2, then Game 4 never gets played at all. Keuchel would have had his "Keuchel home magic" just like he ended up doing in that Game 3 and KC would have been swept.
I will disagree with: 1. Valbuena. I think he will have an ok year with very good defense. The one that is going to have his spot is going to be Moran, and not Duffy and is going to be next year. 2. I think Castro will hit a little better and pitchers feel comfortable with him. Yes, i could see a better back up, but not going to split time with Castro. 3. Giles is going to be leading this team in saves, not Gregerson. 4. Springer is better at leading off, as he takes a lot of walks and his OBP is high, maybe the best on the team. And yes, he has power. 5. I don't know about Gattis, i really don't. He has one year to improve, if he does not, then White and Reed will take that spot from him next year, one playing 1b and the other DHing. 6. I think we will win 92
Astros win 95 games, winning the West with over a week to play and have the best record in the AL. Altuve hits .320 and crosses 200 hits again. Correa goes 30/30 and is in the top 3 in MVP voting Springer plays 150 games and also goes 30/30, hitting in the .270 range Rasmus does enough to play a majority of the games in LF, hitting around 20 hr and a .250ish average Castro improves and hits closer to .250 with a better OBP and 15 hr Keuchel has a slight regression but is still a Cy Young candidate McHugh is more consistent with a low 3's era Feldman puts together a solid season, winning 12-15 games and a high 3 era. McCullers regresses and spends some time in AAA. Feliz is in the rotation by June and stays. Giles is the closer and saves 40 Astros have the best pen with Gregerson, Neshek, et al all having great seasons Marwin starts Opening Day at 1B but White and Duffy make the team and split time at 1b until White ultimately takes over every day and wins ROY. Valbuena essentially does what he did last season. 20 hr, versatility, tons of Ks, and solid defense. Evan Gattis isn't on the team by the end of the season. Could be somehow packaged with Marisnick in a trade for a C.
All of the pitching regresses (bullpen and starters), they get career-low (ausmus level) production from Castro/Valbuena at the plate, and the team yet again sets a MLB record for overall strikeouts... and despite all this, they win 97 games, lead the league in HR's and runs scored, and coast to the playoffs with a double-digit game lead in the division.
Altuve gets over 200 hits, is total stud in every way. Correa hits 35 HR, bats .290, OBP over .380. Springer breaks out. Not even sure what looks like, but he does. Rasmus has a big season. Gomez is a big disappointment. Gattis is a big disappointment. White contends for ROY, spends most of the season at DH. Reed is up before end of May, is our starting 1B. Moran is up before end of June, replaces Valbuena. Valbuena is packaged with prospects for a starting pitcher. We make a splash to acquire a stud SP at the deadline. Prospects traded this season: Martes, Bregman, Cameron We win the World Series.
If your prediction happen the Astros would win 100+ games. I'm curious on McCullers season. He has better stuff than Roy O did. Will he take the leap. Tyler White hitting over 300 with a 900+ ops wouldn't surprise me.