Review: Jeff Zimmerman’s 2025 BOLD Predictions

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It’s time to review my preseason BOLD predictions.

1. Cristopher Sánchez will be a top-3 starting pitcher.

He didn’t quite make it to the top three but ended up sixth according to our player rater. I’ll take it as a hit.

Batting: 1.000

2. Lawrence Butler and Mark Vientos will be bottom-200 hitters.

Both underperformed their ADP, but only Vientos completely underperformed.

Name: ADP, EOS Rank
Butler: 61, 91
Vientos: 106, 205

It’s tough for unknown breakouts to keep going without regression coming hard.

I’ll take half a hit…

Batting: .750

3. Spencer Strider will out-earn Jacob deGrom.

Whoa, that was a swing-and-miss with deGrom coming in at #12 and Strider at #214. I had no faith in deGrom throwing as much as he did and that would bite me in the buttocks in the next prediction.

Batting: .500

4. Jacob deGrom, Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, and Max Fried will underperform their combined innings projection by 175 IP.

Here are the numbers and the actual results.

I underprojected with the four starters as they averaged 190 IP as a group. The regular projections were off by 100 IP. I knew this was going to failure halfway through the season and reworked my projections.

I fouled off a bunt with two strikes.

Batting: .375

5. Grant Holmes will outperform Clay Holmes.

The final results might have been closer if Grant had stayed healthy. Maybe not with the 12 Win versus 4 Win difference.

Another three-pitch strikeout.

Batting: .300

6. Xavier Edwards will have more stolen bases than RBI. 

Close. 27 SB vs 43 RBI. Still, 43 RBI for someone with over 600 PA is sad. It was the lowest total, with TJ Friedl coming in next at 53 RBI (685 PA). Here are the hitters with at least 600 PA ranked by fewest RBI.

Even with some guys having decent home run totals, they struggled to consistently hit for power, each with a sub-.200 ISO.

A close play at first base, but I’m still out.

Batting .250

7. Robert Garcia (417 ADP) will have more of the Rangers’ Saves than Chris Martin (209 ADP).

A solid single with Garcia getting 9 Saves and Martin just at 2 Saves.

Batting: .357

8. Over the final two months, Dalton Rushing will get more starts at catcher than Will Smith.

And Will Smith comes in with 96 PA and Rushing with 66 PA. I made a wrong assumption that Rushing would stay healthy. I need to remember, catchers are never healthy.

Batting: .313

9. Zach Dezenzo outperforms Cam Smith.

Talk about a pillow fight with Smith coming in as the 216th-ranked hitter and Denenzo as the 459th.

Batting: .278

10. Ha-Seong Kim 김하성 김하성 will be Tampa’s top fantasy hitter.

This was so wrong that Hunter Feduccia (392nd) outperformed Kim (400th).

I feel I got thrown out going to first base from right field.

Final batting average: .250

I nearly pulled a Kyren Paris with a hot start and then completely fell apart, but Robert Garcia helped me with a late hit.