60 Game Season Predictions

[KrankinSox]

We are only 9 days away from real baseball.  Let's kill some time with a little prediction game for the 2020 season.  I'll make predictions about certain topics. Feel free to make predictions about the same topics or add your own.  Here it goes:

White Sox record: 34-26

AL Central Standings:

1 Sox

2 Twins

3 Indians

4 Royals

5 Tigers

Positive outlooks:

- Giolito solidifies himself as a TOR arm with another great season. Finishes top 3 in AL Cy Young voting

- Tim Anderson has an even better season this year than last, adding more power to his game

- Luis Robert wins AL ROY

- White Sox offense finishes top 4 in the AL in runs scored

Negative Outlooks:

- Cease struggles again this season, ERA over 4.75

- Gio Gonzalez proves to be very unreliable

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Sox Record 35-25. I guess we missed the BOLD Predictions portion of our off season.

Robert and Dunning neck and neck for ROY. Dunning moves into a starting roll before game 25 replacing someone who was injured or not effective.

Sox lead the AL in HR's.

Sox win the World Series.

Crochet gets a save in the clinching World Series game.

World Series MVP Luis Robert

RR signed to lifetime extension.

[runtheballdown]

Not as optimistic as you for this year. I think the team underperforms the hype, renteria gets fired And they bring in the guy who will lead them to the next WS. The Sox have tons of pitching but the performance will start rising next year. I like all their starters including guys that get ripped here such as Lopez. Add in guys like dunning, Steiver And lambert as depth guys and there are tons of starters.

2021 will start a long run of success, barring significant injuries,  for the Sox. 

[southsider2k5]

I was really hoping for Kopech infusion, and maybe that still happens, as I believe players can opt back in as they want, but I am going to go with 33-27.  The team does seem to be still enjoying each other and having some fun even with all of the craziness going on.

[SoxBlanco]

I’ll go with 32-28. How many wins do you guys think it’ll take to snag a wild card spot? Or win the AL Central?

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

1 minute ago, SoxBlanco said:

I’ll go with 32-28. How many wins do you guys think it’ll take to snag a wild card spot? Or win the AL Central?

Whoever knocks the  crap out of Tigers and Royals best and manages over .500 against the other AL Central teams will win the division 35 wins will take the division , maybe 32/33 to make the playoffs.

[poppysox]

Nol reason this team doesn't win 60% of its games.  Vast new player improvements in CF, RF, DH  & C along with maturing improvement in LF, 3rd & SS.  Above average SP depth and a BP looking like a strength.  Of course, Madrigal will be a nice plus once he joins the team.  I think 36 wins and a division title is my minimum expectation.

[Kyyle23]

50-10

 

 

yea, I SAID IT

[Blackout Friday]

1 hour ago, SoxBlanco said:

I’ll go with 32-28. How many wins do you guys think it’ll take to snag a wild card spot? Or win the AL Central?

This is also my guess for team record. 
 

I don’t think Robert has the year people are expecting offensively. Something like Eloy’s first 60 games. Long terms still great, however. 
 

I think Cease and ReyLo show signs of improvement, but don’t quite “break out”

 

I think jimmy cordero is lights out. 
 

I expect tim to regress with the bat, but still be good. I have high expectations for his defense though. 
 

I think Eloy and Mazara are going to mash. 
 

 

Edited July 15, 2020 by Blackout Friday

[Chisoxfn]

World Champions!  I don't know why, but I just get these feeling it is going to be a magical season! I think Rodon ends up having an electric season with Carlos, Gio and a really strong offense carrying the way.  

[Squirmin' for Yermin]

1.  34-26 and making the playoffs

2. Rodon has an amazing year then gets traded in the offseason.

3.  Robert dominates ROY and finishes in top 15 players all together.

4. Giolito remains the same as PY(which is great).

5. Big regression from Anderson (drop of .50 BA points, which is still fine).

6. Mazara is top 3 on the team in HR.

7. Mercedes hits 10 HRs for some other team.

8. Cease progresses

9. Lopez permanently to bullpen

[Balta1701]

29-31, still in 3rd place. 

They're a young team with a generally weak coaching staff, teams that are more experienced are going to be better able to handle the extreme situations this season.

A young team is also probably at higher risk of guys going to places that increase their chances of catching it and missing significant time.

The Royals and Tigers rosters aren't as bad as last year so it won't be as easy to fatten up on wins. Aside from the pirates, same thing in the NL Central. 

Some of the things we had going for us, like Cleveland being banged up in spring training, no longer matter. 

Prove me wrong? 

[DoUEvenShift]

White Sox Record: 38-22

Positives:

-Nomar Mazara will finally breakthrough the mediocre start to his career and have a stellar offensive impact.

-Yermin Mercedes will get a spot on the roster and manage to do some damage with his few at bats.

-Abreu will surprise people and not regress from last year

-Robert will win a gold glove & ROY

-Giolito CY Young. Watch the changeup.

Negatives:

-Madrigal has a slow year

 

MLB general predictions:

-~10 teams will allow some capacity of fans at some point. (All postseason teams will as well)

~Field of Dreams game will have tickets but have fun with the price tag.

Because of the awful optics of the season negotiations, the rising age of the average MLB fan, and poor revenue their will be some big announcements this off season with the biggest 2 being:

-Automated strike zone 2022

-2 team MLB expansion announced going into effect 2023-2025. (Las Vegas and either Charlotte or Nashville)

 

 

 

 

 

[flavum]

Sox and Twins both finish 37-23

Robert as good as advertised. 

Giolito and Keuchel pitch more innings than any other two teammates in the AL.  

Eloy smiles a lot

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

48 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

World Champions!  I don't know why, but I just get these feeling it is going to be a magical season! I think Rodon ends up having an electric season with Carlos, Gio and a really strong offense carrying the way.  

It's settled then .

[Jack Parkman]

Record: 

32-28

Positives: 

Giolito keeps getting better, quickly approaching ace territory

Rodon finally starts showing why he was the 3rd pick in the 2014 draft

Eloy/Mazara rake

Herrera is back to being good

Neutral outcomes: 

Cease takes a step forward, but not to good level (ERA in the low 4s, lots of Ks, lots of BBs) 

Grandal and Abreu are Grandal and Abreu

EE hits .220 but 20 dingers

Anderson hits .290 but with more power

Negatives: 

Lopez continues to suck

Moncada has an off year, but looks great in September after a slow July/August. 

Keuchel gets knocked around a bit

Colome sucks and is replaced as closer

Madrigal is a bit disappointing in the XBH/BB dept. 

 

Ultimately, the Sox offense and Giolito/Rodon are good enough to push them over .500 but not quite enough to make the playoffs. 

 

Edited July 15, 2020 by Jack Parkman

[The Mighty Mite]

6 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

I was really hoping for Kopech infusion, and maybe that still happens, as I believe players can opt back in as they want, but I am going to go with 33-27.  The team does seem to be still enjoying each other and having some fun even with all of the craziness going on.

Yeah, I was feeling a lot better on things and then we got the news that was Kopech was sitting out this season. I'm also going with 33-27.

Edited July 15, 2020 by The Mighty Mite

[southsider2k5]

 

[SoxAce]

Only thing that could very well hold this team back is their defense and their manager. But this is a very young, talented team. 

[southsider2k5]

16 minutes ago, SoxAce said:

Only thing that could very well hold this team back is their defense and their manager. But this is a very young, talented team. 

The good news is that with additions like Robert and Madrigal on the roster, they are both plus defenders.

[poppysox]

59 minutes ago, SoxAce said:

Only thing that could very well hold this team back is their defense and their manager. But this is a very young, talented team. 

Some of the older players like Abreu and EE are likely to do better than expected hanging out with such a young and aggressive squad.  The enthusiasm of youth can be catching.

[wegner]

60 game record...36-24

Post Season record...11-4

Win division series in 4 games

Win AL Championship in 6

Win World Series in 5

Then it is all in the mayor's hands to figure out how to handle the parade!!

[SoxAce]

7 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

The good news is that with additions like Robert and Madrigal on the roster, they are both plus defenders.

Yea but guys like Engel and Yolmer are plus defenders themselves. They cancel each other out in that department (you can argue slightly better or below). It's their bats that we've upgraded. 

Tim Anderson is the key for me. If he can be good out there with the glove, it changes the entire team on the defensive side. Mazara being at least average is an added bonus.

[Jose Abreu]

46 minutes ago, SoxAce said:

Yea but guys like Engel and Yolmer are plus defenders themselves. They cancel each other out in that department (you can argue slightly better or below). It's their bats that we've upgraded. 

Tim Anderson is the key for me. If he can be good out there with the glove, it changes the entire team on the defensive side. Mazara being at least average is an added bonus.

I wrote a much more detailed explanation in December, but I'd argue that the defensive concerns are overblown. Our only bad defenders are at the least important positions (1B, LF, RF). Tim Anderson is the key, like you said, but I'd hesitate to lump him in as "bad" since he was good in 2016 and 2018, and looks really smooth so far. 

 

Either way, the plus defense at premium positions in CF, C (huge upgrade there), 3B/2B, and ideally SS is more than enough to outweigh poor defense at 1B/LF and, to an extent, RF (although Mazara isn't that bad) IMO. 

[greg775]

29-31. Team is cursed one final season and misses playoffs. This season is a crapshoot. Nobody knows what will happen as the current Moncada situation proves. There's absolutely no way of predicting.

Sorry to say I have little confidence in RR and Coop. I think until they are gone we're not ready for prime time. Also I think the defense will be lousy. Pitching could go either way. We have bodies that's for sure.

Prediction: Vaughn makes team and is the real deal. I have no idea who the new manager will be and that's scary, too. I'd really like it if we were one of the teams to shine during the season of corona. Somebody will click during the 60-game run; will it be the White Sox?

p.s. i wish Madrigal was handed the starting job. This is the sort of season you CAN rush players, cause there's a built in excuse if they stink. I'd have Vaughn and Madrigal start from Day One baby. If it doesn't work out, you just tell 'em after the season you were getting them some experience since there are no minor league schedules. Absolutely nothing to lose. Their confidence won't be shot if they stink for reasons just mentioned.

Edited July 16, 2020 by greg775