Thanks, Stark, for startring the BOLD PREDICTION thread.
1. Bradley Zimmer takes the game by the balls, is game's latest breakout star OFer.
Does too many things too well, takes that next step into excellentness. Makes the All-Star game. I just see one of those guys who keeps getting better b/c he gets it and works his arse off. Based on current trend, his neck ends up twice as large as head by end of season. He is like a less-ugly Hunter Pence.
2. Several Indians lead the league in SABR-important categories.
Corey Kluber leads the league in ERA, Yonder Alonso leads the league in RBI, and Francisco leads the league in smiles.
3. In bid to make game more exciting for young people, Rob Manfred issues midseason league-wide rule that, beginning in 10th inning, all batters must swagger to the plate like Jose Ramirez.
Not to be outdone, Jose up his own swagger game by adopting Conor McGregor's cage walk.
4. Bullpen suffers greatly with loss of Micky Calloway.
Team struggles to just plug in junk and keep dominating. Carl Willis is great and all, but the 'stache can't make up for Calloway's alchemy. Bullpen goes through serious ups and downs, as does the bottom of the rotation.
5. Team saved in early August by young, stud hurler coming up from the minors.
As the team's bullpen woes start to affect the team with an up-and-coming Twins team breathing down their neck, the season is saved when a forgotton prospect rises like a phoenix from the ashes of the low minors. New life is breathed into the team when- you guessed it- Brady Aiken comes up after finding success after transitioning early in the year. No longer the worst 1st round pick since Darren Kirkreit, Brady re-establishes his spiritual baseball bloodline back to Rapid Robert.
I would predict things like Corey Kluber failing but I don't hate the Indians. Other BOLD possibilities: Lil Cowboy leads the rotation, Yandy Diaz joins bigleague squad fulltime as 3b and parttime as member of grounds crew, Zach McAlister becomes new fan favorite, Indians begin using drone to bring relievers in from bullpen, Trevor Bauer acts like a mature adult, and Andrew Miller falls off a cliff (literally).