Call Your Shot - Hitters

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I thought this was fun last year, so I'll bring it back again. Kudos to Rob, who had the best prediction(accuracy + detail) in my estimation:

 

Jae Hoon Ha will be an injury replacement for Soriano/DeJesus at some point in the second half, with Sappelt and Campana not getting a real shot. He'll perform surprisingly well. He will be the prime candidate to replace Soriano next offseason.

 

Welington Castillo is the starting C by the end of the season. (Or at least has the board outraged he isn't) [justification: if Soto is doing great, the Cubs will try to trade him]

 

LaHair does just well enough at 1B to justify not forcing Rizzo up early. When Rizzo does come up, LaHair gets a quick audition in an OF corner, only to embarrass himself.

 

 

So let's hear the fearless predictions for this year. I'll start:

 

Schierholtz puts up an .850+ OPS.

[Guest]

Darwin Barney will OPS around .750

[Guest]

Junior Lake rakes at Iowa and takes the third base job in Chicago by the end of the year.

[davell]

Castillo goes .274/.331/.483. Soriano is injury plagued and untradeable in July. Castro and Rizzo both take steps forward. Brett comes up in June(DeJesus dealt) and goes .238/.318/.446 with a 26% K rate. Lake comes up in August and puts up a,line close to Vitters did last year, with more K's. Barney hits 11 HR. Schierholtz and Hairston combine for an .825 OPS. 3B is a black hole all season.

[Cubswin11]

- Castro has less than 15 errors all season, leads the NL in batting average, shows more power/patience growth hits 19 HR and takes 50 BB

- Rizzo has a .900+ OPS and wins a GG

- Soriano hits 30+ HR

- Hairston is the everyday RF by May

- Junior Lake starts 90+ games between 3B/2B/SS/OF

- Wellington Castillo finishes in the top 10 in MLB for catchers OPS

- Jackson's swing isn't fixed

[Cubs Fan Dan]

Castro's AVG jumps to .318 puts up a career high 21 HR's

Rizzo puts up a .276/.329/.514 - he improves but still struggles at times vs lefties. Hits 31 homers and drives in 96.

 

Hairston and Schierholtz combine for a .275/31/107 Line as the two headed RF monster.

 

Castillo hits .252 with 14

 

3B is a disaster - Lillibridge starts the most games at that position.

Barney is Barney.

 

DeJesus is traded in early July. BJax hits .254/.336/.460 The remainder of the year stealing 15 bags with 12 HR's.

[mookie]

Stewart finally does it to the tune of .272/.364/.562 32 Jimmy Jacks

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Stewart finally does it to the tune of .272/.364/.562 32 Jimmy Jacks

 

[Derwood]

DeJesus is traded earlier than we think, and nets more than he should

[CubsInNC]

Soriano struggles to stay healthy, playing in only 110 games.

Stewart is back in May, starts off very slow, but hits .285 the remainder of the season.

[Post Count Padder]

Barney finally puts up a .700 OPS

Hairston hits 25 homers

Soriano falls back to earth, but Amaro gets desperate and sends us a few prospects for him at the deadline

 

And...

 

Tony Campana manages a .299 OBP but steals 38 bases and the idiots call for Theo's head.

[TheDude]

The 2013 Cubs have no award winners (RoY, MVP, GG, SS) and only one all star in Castro. Soriano is not traded despite best efforts. 3B and the OF will be a revolving circus of slightly-above replacement production. Castro begins to take off, but Rizzo struggles to meet last year's slash line.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Schierhotz/Hairston are a more than formidable platoon in RF. Jackson puts up a .280/.320/.450 line in Iowa, and by June DeJesus is traded and Jackson takes over CF with Sappelt as a 5th OF.

 

Matt Szczur takes Jackson's place at Iowa and does well enough to satisfy his believers, but not enough to impress his critics.

[Old Style]

Rizzo and Castro combine for 55 HR's.

[Guest]

Schierhotz/Hairston are a more than formidable platoon in RF. Jackson puts up a .280/.320/.450 line in Iowa, and by June DeJesus is traded and Jackson takes over CF with Sappelt as a 5th OF.

 

Matt Szczur takes Jackson's place at Iowa and does well enough to satisfy his believers, but not enough to impress his critics.

 

Why do you think Jackson's IsoD would drop so much?

[biittner77]

Schierhotz/Hairston are a more than formidable platoon in RF. Jackson puts up a .280/.320/.450 line in Iowa, and by June DeJesus is traded and Jackson takes over CF with Sappelt as a 5th OF.

 

Matt Szczur takes Jackson's place at Iowa and does well enough to satisfy his believers, but not enough to impress his critics.

 

Why do you think Jackson's IsoD would drop so much?

 

Just a guess but more weak contact to avoid striking out.

[scarey]

Schierhotz/Hairston are a more than formidable platoon in RF. Jackson puts up a .280/.320/.450 line in Iowa, and by June DeJesus is traded and Jackson takes over CF with Sappelt as a 5th OF.

 

Matt Szczur takes Jackson's place at Iowa and does well enough to satisfy his believers, but not enough to impress his critics.

 

Why do you think Jackson's IsoD would drop so much?

 

Just a guess but more weak contact to avoid striking out.

 

I could see his BABIP having that much of a drop, but I don't think his IsoD would fall off like that due to his swing change.

[illiniguy]

Javy Baez does whatever he wants. And he wants to mash all year and be in Chicago in September.

[neely crenshaw]

rizzo is ok, but takes a slight step back...something around .265/25hrs

stewart is stewart and not the one from 5 years ago

castro is the castro of 2011 not 2012 (improved but still growing)

Scheirholtz does not excel,catches the fans wrath for not being the savior and the undying love from this board is quickly forgotten. Many posters start calling for Colvin others will deny ever saying what a huge upgrade he was...

[Little Slide Rooter]

rizzo is ok, but takes a slight step back...something around .265/25hrs

stewart is stewart and not the one from 5 years ago

castro is the castro of 2011 not 2012 (improved but still growing)

Scheirholtz does not excel,catches the fans wrath for not being the savior and the undying love from this board is quickly forgotten. Many posters start calling for Colvin others will deny ever saying what a huge upgrade he was...

 

I don't think that anyone has ever accused Nate Schierholtz of being a savior. However, if he can hit around his .826 OPS vs. RHP and Hairston his .867 vs. LHP, that would equal one very nice bat for just under 5MM, and even if not, at the price, it's certainly worth it.

[neely crenshaw]

rizzo is ok, but takes a slight step back...something around .265/25hrs

stewart is stewart and not the one from 5 years ago

castro is the castro of 2011 not 2012 (improved but still growing)

Scheirholtz does not excel,catches the fans wrath for not being the savior and the undying love from this board is quickly forgotten. Many posters start calling for Colvin others will deny ever saying what a huge upgrade he was...

 

I don't think that anyone has ever accused Nate Schierholtz of being a savior. However, if he can hit around his .826 OPS vs. RHP and Hairston his .867 vs. LHP, that would equal one very nice bat for just under 5MM, and even if not, at the price, it's certainly worth it.

 

It's tongue in cheek.

A lot of people have very high expectations for him, and the platoon but not a savior. However if he doesn't turn out, they will distance themselves from those expectations AND there is no doubt that some will bring up Colvin...

[SABR Gamer]

rizzo is ok, but takes a slight step back...something around .265/25hrs

stewart is stewart and not the one from 5 years ago

castro is the castro of 2011 not 2012 (improved but still growing)

Scheirholtz does not excel,catches the fans wrath for not being the savior and the undying love from this board is quickly forgotten. Many posters start calling for Colvin others will deny ever saying what a huge upgrade he was...

 

Your parents dropped you on your head. You have no idea how to comprehend the general opinion of this board.

[javy knows my name]

rizzo is ok, but takes a slight step back...something around .265/25hrs

stewart is stewart and not the one from 5 years ago

castro is the castro of 2011 not 2012 (improved but still growing)

Scheirholtz does not excel,catches the fans wrath for not being the savior and the undying love from this board is quickly forgotten. Many posters start calling for Colvin others will deny ever saying what a huge upgrade he was...

 

I don't think that anyone has ever accused Nate Schierholtz of being a savior. However, if he can hit around his .826 OPS vs. RHP and Hairston his .867 vs. LHP, that would equal one very nice bat for just under 5MM, and even if not, at the price, it's certainly worth it.

 

It's tongue in cheek.

A lot of people have very high expectations for him, and the platoon but not a savior. However if he doesn't turn out, they will distance themselves from those expectations AND there is no doubt that some will bring up Colvin...

 

Concerning Shierholtz

 

I would very much

like examples of who

expects more than "meh"

[A New Era]

Stewart performs better, but is traded off at the deadline due to high 3B demand.

Edwin Jackson puts up #'s better than Garza

Shark Emerges as a lights out Ace

Garza performs well enough to net a couple good specs

Soler tears the cover off the ball everywhere he goes and get a September cup of coffee

Brett Jackson gets the Rizzo treatment, call-up in summer and performs respectfully well enough for fans to already pencil him into their 2014 line-up as CFer.

Rizzo and Castro's offensive #'s rise from the year before.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Ian Stewart barely makes the team, struggles to hit in limited opportunities, then yells out "Ow!" while holding his wrist sometime in May or June and misses the rest of the year.

 

Castro is pretty much the same guy as he's been the last two years. No big breakout, no slump.

 

The magic LF platoon doesn't put up the gaudy numbers we'd like to see from their recent splits, but averages out to around a .700 OPS and isn't a black hole or anything.

 

We never get a CF platoon because Sappelt gets sent back to Iowa. DeJesus plays every day in CF, and the combination of getting old, playing out of position and facing too many lefties causes him to struggle to a .320 OBP.

 

Rizzo is one of the top 5 first basemen in MLB by OPS.

 

Darwin Barney's offense takes a dip and he comes in around a .650 OPS.

 

Castillo holds down the catcher's job admirably, hits 15 HRs and puts up a .750 OPS.