2019 Predictions

[UMFan83]

Prediction Time

 

AL East: Yankees

AL Central: Twins

AL West: Astros

AL WC1: Red Sox

AL WC2: Rays

 

Rays over Red Sox

 

Astros over Twins

Yankees over Rays

Yankees over Astros

 

NL East: Nationals

NL Central: ....Cardinals (horsefeathers)

NL West: Dodgers

NL WC1: Phillies

NL WC2: Cubs

 

Cubs over Phillies

Dodgers over Cardinals

Nationals over Cubs

Nationals over Dodgers

 

Yankees over Nationals

 

I didnt put a lot of thought into it. I think the Cubs are going to be a .500ish team until they make a late season push and sneak into WC2. I don't really *love* the Cardinals like some but they have enough talent to win the Central.

 

Other Cubs predictions:

-Addison Russell returns and actually has a season closer to 2016, and everyone still hates him because they should forever and ever because he suuuucks

-Cubs do make moves at the deadline, but still not looking to add on any salary

-As I predict every season, Schwarber has his breakout season, hits 40 bombs after proving he can consistently hit lefties

-Cubs bullpen is a horsefeathering dumpster fire even with deadline moves

-Joe Maddon does not return after this season, a "mutual decision"

[Hairyducked Idiot]

[Cubswin11]

AL East: Yankees

AL Central: Indians

AL West: Astros

AL WC1: Red Sox

AL WC2: Twins

 

Red Sox over Twins

 

Astros over Red Sox

Yankees over Indians

Yankees over Astros

 

NL East: Nationals

NL Central: Cubs

NL West: Dodgers

NL WC1: Phillies

NL WC2: Cardinals

 

Cardinals over Phillies

Cubs over Nationals

Dodgers over Cardinals

Cubs over Dodgers

 

Cubs over Yankees

 

Win the division with 93 wins, it's a dog fight most of the year. Cards and Brewers have a tie breaker game for WC2 (both have 87 wins), the Pirates and Reds both win more than 76 but fewer than 83 games.

 

Good Cubs predictions:

- Bryant is back to MVP form, 7+ WAR year, sets a career low in K%. Hits over 30 Dongs.

- Rizzo ends up in his typical range of triple slash line outcome .275-290/.375-.390/.500. Finally tops 32 Dongs for a year.

- Javy manages to maintain most of his offensive output from last year and sets a career high in BB% (6-6.5%), he loses about 1 win off his WAR from last year but that's mostly due to defense and playing at SS.

- Willy is closer to the player he was in 2017/first half of 2018 as he gets proper rest. Tops 20 Dongs.

- Schwarber takes a mini leap and gets the K% down a bit and hits .250 while maintaining a BB% in the teens. Hits mid 30s Dongs.

- Zobrist is solid and is around the player he was in 2016 and 2017 for 120 games

- The bullpen ends up grading out as a top 10 pen in baseball, but it's a bumpy ride early and lots of turnover. Someone from the scrap heap/AAA shuttle emerges as a top 3-4 bullpen arm. Strop is his solid self, Morrow is solid but handled with care when he returns and it's annoying how little he's used but understood, Carl is a little more consistent but still frustrating, Cishek is solid but not as good as last year, Kintzler either somehow has the BABIP gods on his side and is usable or off the team before Memorial Day, Brach gives us 1-2 good months and 1-2 bad month then the rest are his career average or so months.

- The rotation, ends up a top ~7 rotation in baseball. Finishes with more than 13 but less than 16 WAR as a group. Darvish tops 4 WAR, Hendricks mid 3s, Q mid 3s, Hamels and Lester switch off being bad and good both finishing with ERAs over 3.65 but under 4.1 and both around ~2 WAR each (Hamels has at least 1 ace like month). Monty gives us 9 solid starts when a small injury comes up/spot skipped in the rotation.

- We trade for an OF'er (Castellanos, Haniger, Conforto, Nimmo, Peralta, Calhoun just a few names that pop out) and RP at the deadline

- Bote puts in a solid year and slashes .260/.340/.480 but doesn't get enough playing time as Joe favors Almora/Descalo over him and eventually Russell when he’s back.

- We play every month over .500 (like last year)

- Heyward puts up 1.5-2.5 WAR and isn't completely useless, similar numbers to last year.

 

 

Bad Cubs Predictions:

- Almora is close to the player he was from June on last year and is started way too much. He has 1 month where he BABIP's like crazy and hits .320+ but ends up with the same ugly peripherals a .260-.270 BA, OBP around .300 and SLG around .300 and wRC+ below 80.

- Descalso is a more solid LaStella but Joe plays him too much, like he did Jon Jay, he finishes at about 1 WAR. Not bad but not good.

- Caratini still can't hit or be a plus defender/framer but is given more playing time to keep Willy fresh, we have a new backup catcher before the end of June.

- Happ doesn't overly fix the K problems after his time in Iowa, still contributes some with versatility, OBP and Dongs (and has better peripherals and WAR than Almora) but it's clear he's the odd man out.

[NotSoSober]

the Cubs finish 4th in the NL central

Maddon is swallowed by a python

Epstein says horsefeathers it and leaves because Ricketts is a POS

Morrow never throws a pitch

Heyward has a better season than both Baez and Contreras

 

I can't wait

 

On the bright side,Bryant wins comeback player of the year but demands a trade to PHilly to play patty cake with Harper

[chibears55]

Cubs win 85 games

Maddon gets fired in May

Bullpen worse in baseball

Cubs bench worse in baseball

Schwarber and Heyward both hit under .260

 

Go Cubs

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[Tim]

Cubs in 97.

 

 

Even with a bunch of things going wrong.

 

 

We're just that talented a roster.

[sweetpeteman]

Optomistic:

 

East: Nats

Central: Cubs

West: Dodgers

 

WC: Phils, Rockies

 

East: Red Sox

Cent: Indians

West: Astros

 

WC: Yanks, A's

 

PlayoffS:

 

Phils over Rocks, Cubs over Phils, Nats over Dodgers, Cubs over Nats

Yanks over A's, Red Sox over Yanks, Stros over Indians, Red Sox over Stros

 

Cubs over Red Sox

 

Pessimistic:

 

Central: Cards, Cubs finish in 4th, who cares about anything else.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

yankees (home field)

indians

astros

red sox (wc)

angels (wc)

 

phillies

cubs

dodgers (home field)

cardinals (wc)

nats (wc)