Justin Mason’s 2021 Bold Predictions Review

Another year, another Bold Predictions review! This is an article I typically dread as the success rates usually hover at around 30%. However, this was one of my best years in doing this article and in fantasy in general. So, without further adieu, I present the results of my 2021 Bold Predictions! 

Manuel Margot is a top 30 outfielder. 

Well this was disappointing, but not surprising considering his inability to gain full time playing time in Tampa Bay. The fact he stole 13 bases and hit 10 home runs allowed him to finish as the #61 outfielder, but the lesson is, don’t draft Tampa Bay hitters and expect them to get a full time role. 

0/1

 

Patrick Corbin is a top 15 SP

Corbin was good in the last month with four quality starts out of his last five, but that could come close to salvaging the atrocious numbers he put up over the first five months. I don’t think Corbin is necessarily done, but he needs to make some major changes before we can buy back into a rebound. 

0/2

 

Chris Martin leads the Braves in saves. 

Martin started the year injured and was never able to recover enough to take the role from Will Smith. Smith wasn’t exactly a lock down closer, but he was able to keep the job the entire season, which says a lot about how the Braves feel about him moving forward. 

0/3

 

Cedric Mullins is a top 60 outfielder. 

This is going to be the best call of my life. Mullins was going outside to top 500 in NFBC ADP and turned in a 30/30 season. There is a lot to be learned about why I hit this one. While I can’t pretend like I saw a 30/30 season, his lineup spot over the last month of 2020 and the gains he was making in contact are things to look for in future breakouts. 

1/4

 

Jeff McNeil is not a top 150 player

My concerns with McNeil were pretty spot on, finishing outside the top 500 players in fantasy in 2021. The problem with guys that rely too much on the batting average is that if that craters, you are left with nothing. This is the lesson to be learned here. 

2/5

 

Trevor Bauer is not a top 20 starter

I am not going to talk too much as to the reason why, I will just take the W and run. 

3/6 

 

Trevor Rosenthal leads the American League in saves.

This was a huge bummer as the news of his injury issue came out hours after I posted this article. No real lesson to be learned here. 

3/7

 

Mike Soroka is not a top 100 pitcher. 

Here is another one I nailed. I have been a huge Soroka backer in the past, but the more and more I do this, the more I fade injury risk guys. This is just another example of why. 

4/8

 

Dylan Cease is a top 40 starter.

I love hitting ones like Cease. Guy has always had a ton of talent and was coming off a disaster of a small sample in 2020 which made it easy to take the gamble. Pitching is difficult and sometimes it takes a few years to realize their potential. The fantasy industry is quick to bury prospects that fail initially, the lesson here is to pounce on those guys because the payoff can be huge. 

5/9

 

Stephen Strasburg is not a top 50 starter this season. 

Just like Soroka, this is all about fading injury risk and there was no bigger risk coming into 2021 than Strasburg. In a year in which we knew there would likely be more injuries, it should have been too easy to fade the likes of Strasburg. 

6/10