Which Crazy Surprise Things Will Happen?

[Brian707]

[expletive], who is the possible soothsayer who picked Rizzo to have a terrible year?

 

 

My money is on jamfan

[UMFan83]

I just want to say when I originally voted on this I thought it said Lester leads pitchers in fWAR and not team so I am going to pretend like I am nailing this prediction right now

 

I also voted for the Almora choice which is on track and while Contreras isnt leading the team in fWAR he’s 2nd

[jersey cubs fan]

Dark horse candidate: Hendricks fails miserably

 

He is the same age as Jimi when he died.

 

This could happen, and conceivably barely hurt the Cubs chances.

This wasn't a request Kyle

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Is it too late to change my pick from "Chatwood has the best ERA on the staff" to "Javy somehow wins MVP?"

[Ding Dong Johnson]

my sub-2 war for rizzo pick is looking pretty good

[David]

looking pretty safe to say that the best answer here was #2 with a bit of an asterisk

 

he didn't need to learn to walk a little. he does whatever the horsefeathers he wants.

[UMFan83]

looking pretty safe to say that the best answer here was #2 with a bit of an asterisk

 

he didn't need to learn to walk a little. he does whatever the horsefeathers he wants.

 

Trying to rank these in terms of likelihood of coming true at this point

 

1. Javy learns how to walk a little and hit RHP better and unlocks superstar potential.

2. Rizzo or Bryant have sub-2 win seasons (would have said before the season that this was least likely especially if it wasn't due to injury)

3. Contreras leads the team in WAR (he probably won't pass Javy but he's number 2 on the team)

4. Almora puts it together vs RHP and puts out a 4+ WAR season (he hasn't put it together but ignoring obvious regression that is occuring is hitting .288 with a .714 OPS vs RHP which isnt awful for the bad side of the platoon and is on pace for about 3 WAR)

5. Ian Happ becomes a young-Zobrist-like WAR monster with 30+ HR power (won't happen due to playing time but he's made strides)

6. Lester has a huge bounceback and leads the team in fWAR (by performance). (He is not going to lead the team in fWAR but he's leading the starting rotation (though by default). Either way he has had a bounce back for now)

7. Schwarber breaks out and hits for enough average to put up a .950 OPS. (won't have a .950 OPS but has been a fairly stable presence despite recent slump and could have made the all star game...sort of like breaking out)

8. Lester pitches himself out of the rotation (if the regression monster ramps it up but due to the ineffectiveness of the staff as a whole is almost certainly not going to pitch bad enough)

8a. Hendricks pitches himself out of the rotation/Monty steps in (pretty much on level with Lester)

10/11. Darvish finishes top 2 in Cy Young/Chatwood figures it out (not going to happen)

[Aaron_Kennelly]

I'm glad you gave the Chatwood option so I didn't have to write it in.

 

[Sammy Sofa]

I picked Lester pitching himself out of the rotation as my long shot, and I'm hanging ALL of my hats on that one to win the big money, baby. That time bomb his blown up, and blown up but good.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

looking pretty safe to say that the best answer here was #2 with a bit of an asterisk

 

he didn't need to learn to walk a little. he does whatever the horsefeathers he wants.

rizzo still has a bit to go to get to 2 war

[David]

looking pretty safe to say that the best answer here was #2 with a bit of an asterisk

 

he didn't need to learn to walk a little. he does whatever the horsefeathers he wants.

rizzo still has a bit to go to get to 2 war

 

i feel safe in saying he'll be fine