Random player predictions for 2014-all teams

[Bellhorn04]

I'm not much into those detailed predictions of what's going to happen in the upcoming season with final standings and playoff results. But I thought it might be fun to just toss out some random predictions of what individual players might do.

 

First up: Jacoby Ellsbury.

 

I have a feeling Ellsbury is going to have a big year. Not 2011 big, but a little better than 2013. I think he will be jacked to show the Yankee fans his stuff. He might need to be careful, in fact, that he doesn't get too jacked and hurt himself trying to do too much.

 

So there you have it - just a random hunch, totally unsupported by any metrics whatsoever.

[Bellhorn04]

Josh Beckett. I think Beckett might have a surprisingly good bounceback season. And yes, I'm basing that solely on the reports of his first spring outing. He seems to think he's healthy again.

[Bellhorn04]

Grady Sizemore. I'm starting to get a good feeling that he's going be a nice surprise and a contributor for us this year.

[jacksonianmarch]

I think Ellsbury is going to have a very good season. .300 20HR 50SB season. It's all about health for Sizemore.

[Spudboy]

I'm not much into those detailed predictions of what's going to happen in the upcoming season with final standings and playoff results. But I thought it might be fun to just toss out some random predictions of what individual players might do.

 

First up: Jacoby Ellsbury.

 

I have a feeling Ellsbury is going to have a big year. Not 2011 big, but a little better than 2013. I think he will be jacked to show the Yankee fans his stuff. He might need to be careful, in fact, that he doesn't get too jacked and hurt himself trying to do too much.

 

So there you have it - just a random hunch, totally unsupported by any metrics whatsoever.

 

I love it! There is a place for metrics, of course. But actually watching the game and making your own seat of the pants ( SUBJECTIVE!!!!!! ) assessments of players and other aspects of the game is what being a baseball fan is really about. Well done!

 

Of course that short right field porch will probably help. This makes me want to see a spray chart for Ellsbury.

[Thunder]

While we're on the topic of CF who left their teams to play for the rival, I'm predicting an MVP like year for Granderson in Queens. That RF porch at Citi Field was attacked in the HR Derby last year, and Granderson is a pull hitter. I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of .320, 30 HR, 120 RBI, along with a possible gold glove in CF. The only other real threat in the NL for Gold Glove at CF is McCutchen.

[Station 13]

Granderson hitting .300? LOL

[Thunder]

Granderson hitting .300? LOL

 

It can happen. I think he'll fit well with Wright. Since they don't overlap at all on the field, they should compliment each other well on offense.

[seabeachfred]

Well not to shake your trees my friends but if we don't start winning some God damn games pretty soon, this could well carry into the regular season. To those who keep saying that pre-season games and pre-season records don't mean anything, I say ********!!!!!! Look at 2009 and 2011.....Lousy springs led to lousy starts and late season collapses. I could say the same about 2010 because we had another lousy spring and didn't do much but that year we had a whole slew of injuries so that wouldn't mix in real well, though a fact was we wouldn't have won anything that year either, injuries or not. What I'm insisting is that lousy Spring Training record do have serious consequences and we have recent Red Sox history. Conversely, we had decent Springs in years when we started out 16-8, 18-8 and 22-8. Those years were 2004, 2007 and 2013. Get it ?????

[East Bay Evans]

What I'm insisting is that lousy Spring Training record do have serious consequences and we have recent Red Sox history.

 

 

2013 ST: 17-17 (.500) Regular Season: 97-65 (.599)

2012 ST: 16-11 (.593) Regular Season: 69-93 (.426)

2011 ST: 14-19 (.424) Regular Season: 90-72 (.556)

2010 ST: 17-14 (.548) Regular Season: 89-73 (.549)

2009 ST: 20-14 (.588) Regular Season: 95-67 (.586)

2008 ST: 8-13 (.381) Regular Season: 95-67 (.586)

2007 ST: 15-12 (.556) Regular Season: 96-66 (.593)

2006 ST: 9-20 (.310) Regular Season: 86-76 (.531)

2005 ST: 15-15 (.500) Regular Season: 95-67 (.586)

2004 ST: 17-11 (.607) Regular Season: 98-64 (.605)

2003 ST: 15-14 (.517) Regular Season: 95-67 (.586)

 

Bold being lousy/middling spring training records. Underlined being the best ST records.

 

Not really seeing any significant correlation here, particularly if one considers other MLB teams as well. (i.e. 2013 Dodgers, 2012 Braves etc...)

Edited March 9, 2014 by East Bay Evans

[Thunder]

That seems like the way it is in all sports. The teams that dominate the preseason usually come in last in the regular season standings or close to it.

[East Bay Evans]

I'd just take the step of recognizing that it really doesn't matter at all. There's a reason teams put out scrub teams/lineups during Spring Training, and it ain't to create a sense of "momentum" so to speak.

 

Once the real regular season games start, the Red Sox and other squads will start worrying about their records. I don't see any reason why we as fans shouldn't follow the FO's example.

[seabeachfred]

2013 ST: 17-17 (.500) Regular Season: 97-65 (.599)

2012 ST: 16-11 (.593) Regular Season: 69-93 (.426)

2011 ST: 14-19 (.424) Regular Season: 90-72 (.556)

2010 ST: 17-14 (.548) Regular Season: 89-73 (.549)

2009 ST: 20-14 (.588) Regular Season: 95-67 (.586)

2008 ST: 8-13 (.381) Regular Season: 95-67 (.586)

2007 ST: 15-12 (.556) Regular Season: 96-66 (.593)

2006 ST: 9-20 (.310) Regular Season: 86-76 (.531)

2005 ST: 15-15 (.500) Regular Season: 95-67 (.586)

2004 ST: 17-11 (.607) Regular Season: 98-64 (.605)

2003 ST: 15-14 (.517) Regular Season: 95-67 (.586)

 

Bold being lousy/middling spring training records. Underlined being the best ST records.

 

Not really seeing any significant correlation here, particularly if one considers other MLB teams as well. (i.e. 2013 Dodgers, 2012 Braves etc...)

 

Do the Red Sox and see for yourself......or do the Angels last season.....or the Lakers before the regular 2012-2013 season.

[East Bay Evans]

Do the Red Sox and see for yourself......or do the Angels last season.....or the Lakers before the regular 2012-2013 season.

 

The standings I posted above are the 2003-2013 Red Sox seasons. The Angels don't adhere to any annual ST-Regular Season trend either (feel free to look up the standings of the past decade or so). As for the Lakers, they're are playing an entirely different sport with a different schedule, so I doubt that they're especially relevant.

 

Basically, winning (or losing) these ST games has no effect on how a team does in the regular season.

Edited March 9, 2014 by East Bay Evans

[seabeachfred]

The standings I posted above are the 2003-2013 Red Sox seasons. The Angels don't adhere to any annual ST-Regular Season trend either (feel free to look up the standings of the past decade or so). As for the Lakers, they're are playing an entirely different sport with a different schedule, so I doubt that they're especially relevant.

 

Basically, winning (or losing) these ST games has no effect on how a team does in the regular season.

 

OK East Bay.....I really thought you picked out the St. Louis Cardinals when I saw ST.....another senior moment. Keep in mind, however, that in each of those ST seasons when we had losing streaks it affected our regular season with slow starts. We got off to bad ones in 2009, climbed to the lead and collapsed the latter part of the season....same in 2011. 2010 was hampered by a ton of injuries even though we wouldn't have won anything that year anyway. I'm still convinced that our miserable Spring in 2008 resulted in not being able to make that big move and finally overtake the Rays that season, their first of any kind where they made a move towards a title. Anyway, I still hold Francona responsible for blowing three division titles for us in 2005, 2008 and 2009, and his distracted persona in 2011 played havoc with the team and led to our collapse that September. Anyway, we can agree to disagree of this matter. I just think playing decent ball in ST is a positive one for getting prepared for the real thing. Thanks for the update, though.

[East Bay Evans]

Yes, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree as you've said.

 

Happy to inform you of some of these past records regardless.