Ready or not, here we come. Do we have exactly the team we want? Of course not. Do we have a team that’s good enough to win the East? Absolutely. Do we have a team that could finish in fourth place? With the wrong set of injuries and some indifferent play, again yes. But if your step doesn’t quicken for the first of 162 (162 wins would be a record… but not unexpected) then I’m not entirely sure why you’re a baseball fan.
A lot of things happened in the offseason that were unpredictable unless you were Jurickson Profar‘s trainer, or Spencer Strider‘s diet, or a patch of ice in Korea. (Isn’t Ha Seong Kim’s injury fairly similar to Cecil Upshaw‘s? Maybe not.) But next man up, whether that man is Mike Yazstremski, Didier Fuentes or Mauricio Dubón. It’s BASEBALL! And I invoke the Joaquin Andujar Rule: “You can sum up baseball in one word. You never know.”
But I do know. I know we’re winning 162. Unless we stink. I know no one is going to get injured. Unless pigs fail to fly. I know Walt Weiss will put himself back in at shortstop if that’s what the team needs. And if it is, we’re in huge trouble. Maybe some of you will rail at decisions Alex Anthopolous made five years ago. Maybe some of you will want Snit back… or Fredi… or Chuck Tanner. Maybe some of you will wonder how we let a 40-home-run-hitting Marcell Ozuna walk. Maybe some of you will hope that Jeff Francoeur will be busted selling blueberry beer to minors. Maybe some of you will learn to spell Yazstremski.
But if a well-placed hit on a hot July night doesn’t tell you that for at least one moment the world is properly aligned, you should probably take up flag football or cornhole. They’re good sports… but they ain’t baseball. And nothing else is.
I have a wedding to go to tonight, so my first recap won’t be posted until very late, if not tomorrow. But why do you need a recap? It’s Opening Night, and you know it was great. Because it was Opening Night.
As is traditional, post predictions below: Wins (162 preferred, but not required) MVP, Comeback Player, Rookie Sensation, Most denied ABS challenges, or anything else you want to predict. Play Ball.
Being a natural pedant, I suppose I’ve understood but I’ve never liked that Yastrzemski was shortened to Yaz. It’s Yas. Yas, king, Yas.
92 and 70. Win the east. Olson returns to the realm of the 40 homer man.
Let’s do this thing.
It’s Opening Day, so have a spring in my step and a nickel in my pocket. OK, to be honest, I never carry cash and my steps don’t spring as they used to. But I do feel especially good, because I’m going to the game tonight! First time I’ve been to Opening Day in decades.
For predictions, I’ll say 162-0 until proven otherwise (as JonathanF has taught me to do). I’ll take Fuentes for ROY, Baldwin for MVP, and MHII for Comeback Player.
As to tonight’s game, I predict the Braves win 3-2 in 13 innings, on a walkoff two run home run by Olson in the 13th. Sale goes the full 13. Unlike Tony Cloninger, Sale shows no ill effects from his outing. The ghost of April 12 1966 is exorcised.
Good for you, tfloyd. It’s on yur shoulders now.
Tonight will be a rout. Those bats will catch fire early and we won’t care at all who’s on the mound this month.
Braves 6-2 over the Royals. Ho hum.
We are going to win 93 games and peak at the right time, having a healthy rotation in October for the first time in decades.
Riley’s return to form and Harris’s newfound patience will make the lineup dangerous again
The dodgers will fall apart at the end of the year under the weight of age and expense and fail to muster much challenge to us in the playoffs.
We will take down the Red Sox behind a lights out pen in the WS. Go ahead and clear a spot for the trophy.
I’m a pessimist, so put me down for 83-79, missing the playoffs. The starting pitching will be a problem all season, but solid offense and a good bullpen will make the team better than last year.
I believe. 95+ wins.
Pitching will be fine with a highlight or two, not sure who, but the bats will come back. Riley, Olson, Acuna all mvp candidates. If Harris breaks out, it’s probably 100 wins.
Annual prediction time:
W-L 92-70
HR Riley 36
RBI Acuna 107
Runs Acuna 109
Wins Sale 17
ERA Schwellenbach 2.40 (in 96 innings)
SO Sale 205
Braves
Cubs
Dodgers
WC1 Phils
WC2 Reds
WC3 DBacks
BJs
Tigers
Mariners
WC1 Os
WC2 Yanks
WC3 Royals
Braves over Royals in WS
Sitting in a bar at Bozeman airport, laptop on the counter, mlb.tv on. Ready to go! Go Braves!!
Ronnie’s best year is coming up all the way to another MVP campaign.
Ok Chris… I’ll accept single, gidp, k. I’d like to place an order for about 209 more just like it.
Weiss is a genius for hitting Ozzie third
My reports of Ozzie’s senescence were greatly exaggerated
On pace to turn 1400 double plays this year
Enough with the drone shots! We get it; it’s your new toy.
Watching Drake Baldwin fulfill his destiny of being an everyday part of the lineup may actually be worth the pain of witnessing this hollowed-out-husk of a rotation attempt to labor through each five-game cycle.
This is fun. MH2!
The team brought the leather tonight.
I like baseball
Man, Suárez‘s fastball is electric.
162-0!
162-0 is still on the table.
Well done, tfloyd. Nothing better than a dominant shutout to start off the season. And kudos to Delta’s free, fast internet!
I’ll take full credit. I guess I’d better go tomorrow and Sunday as well.
Glad they followed my script.
Recapped