The Major League Baseball season is around the 100 game mark. There have been plenty of surprises already, and more are sure to come. Bold predictions are not always supposed to happen, that’d ruin the fun of it. Here are five predictions that would shake up the MLB if they were to happen:
1.) Madison Bumgarner Stays with Giants; Misses Playoffs
Bumgarner has played all 11 major league seasons with the San Francisco Giants. There’s just something special about an athlete playing their whole career with the same team (take Kobe Bryant or Derek Jeter for examples.) Mad Bum probably doesn’t even want to go to a first-place team when he could stay with the club that he’s won three World Series with. This is especially true now that the Giants went 14-3 from July 1 through July 21, bringing them within 2 1/2 games of a Wild Card spot. Don’t be surprised if the Giants still sell some guys, hold onto Bumgarner and miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
2.) The Twins become the First Team to Hit 300 Home Runs in a Single-Season
Through their first 98 games, the Twins hit a whopping 182 home runs. This is on an easy pace to beat the current record of 267, set just last season by the Yankees. Let’s take it a step further and say they smash that record and reach the 300 mark. Their current pace through 98 game puts that on pace for 300 homers, and it’s a possibility that they keep at that rate. Players like Nelson Cruz, Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano help increase the chances of the Twins reaching the unlikely feat.
3.) Oakland Catches Houston in AL West; Forces Game 163
Oakland is about as hot as anyone right now, and are just 6 1/2 games behind the Astros in the AL West. One of the main reasons that the A’s are trailing the Astros is because of, well the Astros. They’ve played eight games so far this season, and the Astros won seven of them. Oakland meets Houston 11 more times this year, and they’re going to want to do well in those match-ups if they want to win the West.
One player the Athletics would like to see get back on track is Khris Davis. He’s known for hitting home runs, and at the time of writing his last long ball came on June 18. His batting average isn’t too important, but it is down to .233 as of July 22. Davis’ batting average has literally been .247 for the past four seasons, and bringing it back up to that point can help the A’s in the long run.
4.) Pete Alonso Breaks Rookie Home Run Record
Aaron Judge set the rookie home run record with 52 in 2017. After 99 Mets games this season, Pete Alonso is up to 33 dingers. This is a realistic feat, as Alonso has showed consistency this season, not to mention he won the Home Run Derby on July 8. He’ll want to take advantage of the 15 games against Pittsburgh, Colorado and Kansas City as they all have team earned run averages of near or over 5.00. To break the record, “Polar Bear Pete” needs to hit at least 20 homers throughout the teams last 63 games of the season.
5.) The Braves win the World Series
This may not seem like too bold of a prediction, but there are many reasons why it could be. One is that if the Nationals buy some bullpen arms at the trade deadline, they could very well beat the Braves out of first in the NL East. Another is that the Dodgers and Yankees exist, and the Braves may have to get past both of them if they want to win the franchises fourth fall classic.
They have a number of contributing veterans like Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann that have played in crucial games before, which can help the entire team play loose. The exciting youngsters like Ronald Acuna Jr. and Dansby Swanson can also play, and they certainly have the composure to perform under pressure. Lastly, pitchers such as Mike Soroka and Dallas Keuchel are having great seasons on the mound. However, they may want to add an arm to the bullpen for a better chance at a run this October.
Feature image courtesy of nypost.com.
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