Justin Mason’s Bold Predictions Part 1

It has been a few years since I did a bold predictions piece here on Rotographs. It is typically a fun piece to do and people like them, but I have found that I am so focused on drafts and other content at this time of year, that I just run out of time. Forgive me if I am not as bold as I should be as it has been a while since I have done one of these, but I hope you enjoy them!

1. Christian Yelich hits above .220. 

You like bold? I got you! Yelich hit .205 in the shortened season and had some troubling signs in his underlying numbers in terms of his contact and swing percentages. However, Yelich stated that he was affected by not being able to watch video in game and that should be resolved this season. He is crushing it this spring which is also a very good sign. 

 

2. There will be more home runs allowed in 2021 than in 2020. 

There has been a lot of talk about how the new “deadened ball” will play this year, but after watching a ton of the spring training games this year, I have reasons to believe that we will see more home runs this year than last year. First, with Major League Baseball cracking down on foriegn substances for pitchers, it may be more difficult for pitchers to locate within the zone. Also, it appears we may get about 102 more games per team this year. 

 

3. Lance Lynn throws more than 100 innings. 

I know there are a lot of concerns about starting pitcher workloads this year coming off of the shortened, but Lynn should be one of the guys that should be a workhorse. He threw the most innings in the Majors last season and so he should be able to add on innings more easily than other starters around the league. 

 

4. Yordan Alvarez hits more than 10 home runs

Alvarez is coming off of a season in which he .250 with one home run, has really struggled with injuries and has had a putried spring. However, I still believe in his talent and since he seems to be healthy right now, I see a path to double digit home runs which would be ten times what he was able to do last season. BOLD!!!

 

5. Jacob deGrom wins more than five games.

For years deGrom has struggled to get the run support from the Mets in order to win games. He only won four games last season, which was disappointing. However, I love the Mets lineup with the addition of Francisco Lindor and deGrom is the best pitcher in the game and already looks to be in midseason form. 

 

6. JT Realmuto outperforms Dalton Varsho in the month of April.

Yeah, I know that Realmuto is dealing with a broken thumb and Varsho is a top prospect, but Varsho is still very raw and hit .136 in spring after hitting .188 in 2020. I know the fantasy community are ageist and loves prospects, but I am still taking the grizzled vet in spite of the health concerns. 

 

7. Giancarlo Stanton hits more home runs than Eloy Jimenez

Stanton’s track record of injuries is very scary, but I still believe another monster season is possible for him. He has been working on flexibility this offseason to keep himself on the field and it seems like the Yankees are committed to having him DH most of the time to help him stay healthy. I think Eloy’s ADP of 56 in NFBC draft champions is really high considering he isn’t even on the Opening Day roster. 

 

8. Jordan Romano saves more games than Kirby Yates.

I don’t know for sure if Romano is the closer for the Blue Jays, but in spite of signing the big money deal, I am pretty sure that Yates won’t be closing games out for the Jays this season. Yates ADP in NFBC draft champions leagues this year was 164 while you were able to get outside the top 300. Seems like a steal. 

 

9. Carlos Santana will hit more home runs in April and May than Luke Voit. 

I know Voit hit the most home runs in baseball last season and is younger and in a better park, but he has traditionally struggled early in the season. He only has 14 career home runs and a .260 batting average in those two months and didn’t even hit a single home run until July last year. On the flip side, Santana has 65 career bombs in April and May. I’ll take that proven track record. 

 

10. I will get a bunch of angry comments from people that don’t realize this is an April Fool’s Day joke. 

I hope everyone enjoyed this and has a fantastic Opening Day! My real bold predictions will be coming out later today. 

 





Justin is the co-host on The Sleeper and The Bust Podcast and writes for Rotographs covering the Roto Riteup as well as other periodic articles. In addition to his work at Rotographs, Justin is the lead fantasy writer/analyst and co-owner for FriendswithFantasyBenefits.com, and the owner of The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational. He is also a certified addiction treatment counselor. Follow Justin on Twitter @JustinMasonFWFB.

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whiptydojoemember
2 years ago

😑