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Every year around this time I feel the need to fill a couple pages with optimism. I get it out of my system and then I can go back to normal. Well today is my day.
1. Travis Snider and Starling Marte are both going to hit well. Well I suppose I need to define "well". I think that both of those guys are going to OPS better than .775 and approach 20 homeruns on the season.
Snider is a talented guy who has never put it all together. Injuries have been a problem. I don't know if Snider will continue to be injury prone but I will be optimistic - I'll assume that he's going to be healthy this year. If he's healthy I think it's reasonable to think that he will hit 15-20 homeruns. I think he's capable of a healthy batting average in the .250-.280 range and he can get on base.
Marte is a physical specimen. Look at his shoulders. I know he's going to strike out a lot but he's athletic, quick to the ball and strong. I think he's going to hit for a pretty good BA - say .270-.300 - and I think he's going to collect a fair share of homeruns. I'm more excited about Marte than I am about anything.
2. Pedro Alvarez is going to go apeshit. I don't know why I'm predicting this. Just a hunch maybe. I also have a hunch that McC is going to have a down year but let's not talk about that. I think that this is the year when Pedro Alvarez comes into his own. Last year - yeah it was good. June particularly. I mean - August was his best month by the counting stats but look at the BABIPs and you'll see what I mean. I think that June is representative of what he can do and I think that he's in a great place going into the season. All the pressure is on McCutchen. All Pedro has to do is go out and execute.
3. Gerrit Cole is coming. Sometimes the pitcher's stuff is so overpowering that he can just put it low in the zone and make the hitter do something with it. I mean Mariano Rivera has thrown the same one pitch for most of his career - everyone knows it's coming but he still gets the job done. Gerrit Cole has the pure stuff. I think he might have some difficulties the first 2 or 3 times out. He has shown (and even talked about) a tendency to get amped up, elevate and flatten the ball and get shelled for it. Eventually he'll get the adrenaline out of his system, start controlling pitches down in the zone and then we'll see who can handle him. Hopefully he'll be like the rising tide that floats all boats. Maybe we can finish strong.
Well that's shorter than it's been in the past but those are the players I'm most interested to watch. I'm interested in seeing what Sands, Tabata and Presley do and I have half a notion that Charlie Morton could provide some surprise relief for the rotation.
1. Travis Snider and Starling Marte are both going to hit well. Well I suppose I need to define "well". I think that both of those guys are going to OPS better than .775 and approach 20 homeruns on the season.
Snider is a talented guy who has never put it all together. Injuries have been a problem. I don't know if Snider will continue to be injury prone but I will be optimistic - I'll assume that he's going to be healthy this year. If he's healthy I think it's reasonable to think that he will hit 15-20 homeruns. I think he's capable of a healthy batting average in the .250-.280 range and he can get on base.
Marte is a physical specimen. Look at his shoulders. I know he's going to strike out a lot but he's athletic, quick to the ball and strong. I think he's going to hit for a pretty good BA - say .270-.300 - and I think he's going to collect a fair share of homeruns. I'm more excited about Marte than I am about anything.
2. Pedro Alvarez is going to go apeshit. I don't know why I'm predicting this. Just a hunch maybe. I also have a hunch that McC is going to have a down year but let's not talk about that. I think that this is the year when Pedro Alvarez comes into his own. Last year - yeah it was good. June particularly. I mean - August was his best month by the counting stats but look at the BABIPs and you'll see what I mean. I think that June is representative of what he can do and I think that he's in a great place going into the season. All the pressure is on McCutchen. All Pedro has to do is go out and execute.
3. Gerrit Cole is coming. Sometimes the pitcher's stuff is so overpowering that he can just put it low in the zone and make the hitter do something with it. I mean Mariano Rivera has thrown the same one pitch for most of his career - everyone knows it's coming but he still gets the job done. Gerrit Cole has the pure stuff. I think he might have some difficulties the first 2 or 3 times out. He has shown (and even talked about) a tendency to get amped up, elevate and flatten the ball and get shelled for it. Eventually he'll get the adrenaline out of his system, start controlling pitches down in the zone and then we'll see who can handle him. Hopefully he'll be like the rising tide that floats all boats. Maybe we can finish strong.
Well that's shorter than it's been in the past but those are the players I'm most interested to watch. I'm interested in seeing what Sands, Tabata and Presley do and I have half a notion that Charlie Morton could provide some surprise relief for the rotation.
