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Five Bold Predictions for 2018

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not sure why anyone thought we’d be an offensive juggernaut...

You have to realize how shitty of a take you have when you just make up things like this.
 
  1. Yan Gomes is an All-Star: following an early season scuff by Roberto Perez, Gomes takes the majority of innings behind the dish and returns to production that eclipses his Silver Slugger year of 2013. He sets career highs in home runs (27), RBIs (82), and slugging percentage (.502) while also playing Gold Glove defense behind the dish.
  2. Yonder Alonso shines: Alonso one-ups his all-star campaign from last season and fills the Carlos Santana void very nicely for the Indians. He slugs a career high 35 home runs and gives Edwin Encarnacion constant protection all season long.
  3. Carlos Carrasco struggles: following a Cy-Young caliber season in 2017, Carrasco comes back down to earth a bit in 2018 and ends up being the Indians 4th best starter behind Kluber, Bauer, and Clevinger.
  4. Michael Brantley is solid, but unspectacular: Michael Brantley returns in early-May and has a rather solid, if not pedestrian, season for the Indians. His power evaporates as he only hits four home runs, but he still reaches base at a decent clip with .287/.358 BA/OBP marks and 33 doubles.
  5. The Indians win their first World Series in 70 years: If healthy, the Indians have as much talent as anyone with two guys who could easily compete for AL MVP in Lindor and Ramirez, three guys who could easily compete for the Cy Young in Kluber, Bauer, and Carrasco, a solid bullpen, good defense, and necessary pieces to make a blockbuster move at the deadline should they need to do so. They cruise to the second best record in the American League, where they beat Boston in four games in the ALDS, smoke Houston in five in the ALCS, and take down the Cubs in an act of revenge, in six games, in the 2018 World Series.

1/5 again.

It's like clockwork at this point.
 
My god, how bad was Alonso in the second half? I'm afraid to look at his splits. As pleasantly satisfied as I was with his first half, this "slump" of his or whatever you want to call his several month suckage...makes me wish he was gone.
 
My god, how bad was Alonso in the second half? I'm afraid to look at his splits. As pleasantly satisfied as I was with his first half, this "slump" of his or whatever you want to call his several month suckage...makes me wish he was gone.

Honestly, his second half numbers aren't pretty, but they're not as bad as you'd think they would be (.238/.307/.709, 10 HR, 30 RBI). It was just his August (.194/.250/.587, 4 HR, 12 RBI).

Not as bad as Jose's combined second half though:
Ramirez first half: .302/.401/1.029, 29 HR, 70 RBI, 26 2B
Ramirez second half: .218/.366/.793, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 12 2B

He hit .174 in Sept/Oct (regular season). Just an ungodly nosedive. If he performs even at an average level in the second half, he probably goes over 45 HR, has a BA around .285, and is still in the MVP discussion.
 
Honestly, his second half numbers aren't pretty, but they're not as bad as you'd think they would be (.238/.307/.709, 10 HR, 30 RBI). It was just his August (.194/.250/.587, 4 HR, 12 RBI).

Not as bad as Jose's combined second half though:
Ramirez first half: .302/.401/1.029, 29 HR, 70 RBI, 26 2B
Ramirez second half: .218/.366/.793, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 12 2B

He hit .174 in Sept/Oct (regular season). Just an ungodly nosedive. If he performs even at an average level in the second half, he probably goes over 45 HR, has a BA around .285, and is still in the MVP discussion.
I just cant for the life of me figure out what happened to him. Its mind boggling.
 
Honestly, his second half numbers aren't pretty, but they're not as bad as you'd think they would be (.238/.307/.709, 10 HR, 30 RBI). It was just his August (.194/.250/.587, 4 HR, 12 RBI).

Not as bad as Jose's combined second half though:
Ramirez first half: .302/.401/1.029, 29 HR, 70 RBI, 26 2B
Ramirez second half: .218/.366/.793, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 12 2B

He hit .174 in Sept/Oct (regular season). Just an ungodly nosedive. If he performs even at an average level in the second half, he probably goes over 45 HR, has a BA around .285, and is still in the MVP discussion.

Ah, okay. I felt like he had around 20 home runs for like 6 months.
 
1. 64-98
2. Jose Ramirez becomes average
3. Kluber starts 17 games
4. Andrew Miller gets traded to NY for Clint Frazier
5. Michael Brantley’s cLAM% drops while his aNUS% home/road splits sky rocket...
I nailed this
 

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