Here are 10 crazy, wild, yet possible, fantasy predictions for the 2016 MLB season:
Edwin Encarnacion will lead the majors in HR and RBIs
Encarnacion is the most underrated hitter in baseball. Ever since he switched his batting stance and swing after 2011, he's been one of the best hitters in the game. From 2012-2015, he's averaged 38 home runs and 106 RBIs in 142 games per season.
Encarnacion, who happens to be in a contract year, hits cleanup in a loaded Blue Jays lineup. As the DH, he has the potential to hit 45 bombs and drive in 125 runs hitting in the home run-friendly Rogers Center.
Kris Medlen will post a sub-3.00 ERA
From 2012-13, Medlen was one of the most dominant pitchers in the National League, going 25-13 with a 2.47 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He then had a second Tommy John surgery, missing all of 2014 and the majority of 2015.
Most pitchers don't fully find their groove until their second season returning from Tommy John. Don't be surprised if Medlen returns back to his 2012-13 form pitching at spacious Kaufman Stadium with the best defense in baseball behind him.
Gerardo Parra will be a top-10 fantasy OF
Here's three examples of how Colorado's Coors Field can change a hitters' career:
| Stat | Michael Cuddyer | Justin Morneau | Drew Stubbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA as Rockie | .307 | .316 | .273 |
| Career BA Prior | .272 | .277 | .239 |
| OPS as Rockie | .886 | .850 | .799 |
| Career OPS Prior | .794 | .829 | .691 |
Unlike Cuddyer and Morneau, Parra is in the prime of his career. He'll be 29 this season and is coming off career-highs in homers and RBIs while falling 0.4 points short of a career-high in OPS.
Jose Reyes will be the highest-scoring fantasy SS
The big question with Reyes is a looming domestic violence suspension from MLB, which will likely lead to him being drafted late. If there's no suspension, Reyes could return to being a triples champion while hitting over .300 and swiping more than 30 bases.
Carlos Gomez will join the 30-30 club
A 40-40 season may be out of reach, but 30-30 is within striking distance for Gomez. He's already had four seasons of 30-plus steals, but has never surpassed 24 home runs in his career.
Gomez, a right-handed hitter, will have the luxury of playing 81 games at Minute Maid Park this season. Right-handed hitters have made a living hitting home runs down the 315-foot left-field line.
Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg will rack up a combined 550 strikeouts
Last season, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke combined for 501 strikeouts - the most by a teammate tandem since 2002, when Arizona Diamondbacks starters Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling combined for a ridiculous 650 Ks.
Scherzer totaled 276 strikeouts last season, and it's very likely he repeats that feat in his second year with Washington.
Strasburg is the key cog in this prediction. If his 10.4 SO/9 average remains the same, he would need to log 237 innings to reach 275 Ks. Strasburg is due for a dominant season and has the pitching arsenal to get it done.
Chris Colabello will record 100 RBIs
In just 360 plate appearances last season, Colabello hit .321 with 15 long balls and 54 RBIs. With a full season under his belt as Toronto's everyday first baseman, Colabello could easily drive in 100 runs with OBP machines like Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Encarnacion in front of him.
Colabello is an aggressive hitter with the ability to spray line drives all over the diamond. The seven-year veteran of independent baseball is out to prove 2015 was no fluke.
Paul Goldschmidt will be a fantasy bust
Goldschmidt is being taken anywhere from first to fourth overall in fantasy drafts. He's a great hitter, but being taken as a top-three pick requires a monster season.
The lack of protection in Arizona's lineup makes it unlikely he launches north of 35 dingers. If you have the third pick, you're better off taking the best pitcher on the planet in Kershaw, or Giancarlo Stanton and his unlimited ceiling. A good fantasy first baseman can easily be had in the middle rounds.
Matt Kemp will be drop-worthy
Kemp enjoyed a moderately successful first season in San Diego, slashing .265/.312/.443 with 23 homers and a surprising 100 RBIs.
With Justin Upton hitting behind him all of last season, Kemp had a licence to be aggressive. The protection and his uncharacteristically high batting average with runners on base inflated his RBI total.
The 2016 Padres lineup looks like a Triple-A outfit. Kemp will now be protected by the wrong Upton brother, along with other replacement-level players. Let someone else draft Kemp in your league.
Joe Mauer will win Comeback Player of the Year
2014 and 2015 have been the two worst offensive seasons of Mauer's career since being called up to the show. Lingering concussion symptoms since 2013 have been the main reason why.
These symptoms have involved occasional blurred vision from sunshine during day games. A new workout regimen that includes stretching drills to loosen neck muscles, eye exercises and a plan to wear sunglasses at the dish could help Mauer regain some of his MVP form.
