Ten Bold Predictions for the 2017 MLB Season

Predictions in sports are commonly highly discussed topics, as they can make people look incredible smart or incredible stupid. With that said, here are 10 bold predictions for the 2017 MLB season. Although some of these predictions may be outlandish, all are real possibilities.

Jarrett Parker becomes the everyday left fielder for the San Francisco Giants, and finishes the year as a top 50 outfielder.

Jarrett Parker will begin the season in a platoon role batting against righties, with Mac Williamson hitting against lefties. Parker, who recorded 23 home runs and 20 steals at the AAA level in 2015, has a career slash line of .267/.371/494 through six seasons of professional ball. The former second-round pick in 2010 has shown an innate ability to walk, as he has a career walk rate of 11.7%, which is well above league average of 8%. Also, the 28-year-old has posted a career ISO of .227, which is once again well above the league average of .140.

Parker will have an immediate opportunity to earn the full time left fielder job, as platoon mate Williamson is currently “battling an injured quad and is likely to miss at least two weeks”, according to Baseball-Reference.com. If Parker does not earn the full-time job within this two-week period, he is sure to outplay his counter-part Williamson, who batted .136 at AT&T Park last season. Parker in an everyday role is more than capable of being a 20/20 player, as he has shown pop at all levels, and will be batting at the bottom half of a Giants lineup that that finished 13th in steal attempts out of all 30 MLB teams in 2016.

Lance Lynn will win 16 games and finish the season as a top 50 starting pitcher.

Lynn missed the entire 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He spent over 12 months rehabbing, and has officially re-earned his spot in the St. Louis Cardinals rotation, slotting in behind Carlos Martinez and Adam Wainwright as their third starter. The 29-year-old has a career 3.37 ERA and 8.71 K/9, giving him a great ceiling. If he can return anywhere close to this, he will have great fantasy value.

The Cardinal’s, who finished fourth in runs scored in 2016, have added lead off specialist Dexter Fowler, improving their already elite offensive. This increases Lynn’s value, who himself is off to a great spring, pitching a total of 15 innings, resulting in a 1.20 ERA and a .93 WHIP. The Cardinals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010, and if they want to make it back in 2017, Lynn will have to be a major factor.

Newly acquired Seattle Mariner, Mitch Haniger, will finish the year as a top 25 outfielder.

Former Arizona Diamondback, Mitch Haniger, was sent to Seattle, along with teammate Jean Segura, in a trade for Taijuan Walker in 2016. Haniger had an electric spring training, slashing .406/.472/.719 in 32 at bats. This has earned him the everyday right fielder position against American League foes, as well as the starting left field position during interleague play.

The 26-year-old’s combination of power and speed makes him a threat to be a serious producer atop one of the most talented lineups in the league, as the Mariners finished as the sixth best scoring offense in 2016. Mariner’s Manager Scott Servais has stated that Haniger “has the green light” on the base paths, giving him the opportunity to steal plenty of bases in 2017. Haniger will begin the year batting second for the Mariners, giving him a great chance to score over 100 runs. Becoming a top 25 outfielder is easily within reach for Haniger.

Kendall Graveman will become the unquestioned ace of the Oakland Athletics staff, after finishing the season with a sub-4 ERA and over 140 strikeouts.

Kendall Graveman will be the Oakland Athletics opening day starter in 2017. He is an elite ground ball pitcher, as he has a career groundball rate of 51.5%, (league average is 44%), along with a fly ball rate of 27.6%, (the league average is 35%), showing that Gravemen can be a very effective pitcher at the major-league level.

Unfortunately, the Athletics have the worst fielding percentage in the MLB, although it should not hold Graveman back from emerging as the work horse of this Athletics rotation, as he is the only healthy pitcher on the roster that has logged over 180 innings in a season.

David Phelps will finish as a top 20 reliever in standard formats, and a top 10 in formats that include holds.

Phelps is one of many starters turned relievers whom find themselves in prime position to pick up holds. The 30-year-old pitched 86.2 innings in 2016, finishing the year with a 2.28 ERA, 25 holds, and 114 strikeouts. Miami Marlins manager, Don Mattingley, stated that he believes “Phelps can serve in an Andrew Miller-like role”, which suggests that he will be pitching in the seventh, eighth, and occasionally ninth innings, giving him the chance to improve upon his career high holds total.

The Marlins bullpen appears to be stable, with A.J. Ramos manning the ninth, and Kyle Barraclough and Phelps serving as his bridge. If the Marlins can find success in 2017, Phelps is sure to be a beneficiary in the holds and saves categories on top of his respectable career 8.28 K/9.

Yangervis Solarte hits 20 home runs for the first time in his professional career, and finishes as a top 100 hitter.

Yangervis Solarte has been creeping up fantasy draft boards all spring, but has remained my sleeper of the year. The 29-year-old is primed for a breakout season as he will have an everyday role for the first time in his career. He totaled 15 home runs and 71 RBIs in just 109 games last season, which would have put him on pace for 22 home runs and 105 RBIs over a 162-game span. The everyday third basemen will bat at the top half of the San Diego Padres order ahead of Wil Myers and company, which will positively impact Solarte’s run production.

Gerrit Cole will be a top 5 cy young candidate behind a sub-three ERA and 200 strike outs.

Gerrit Cole finished as a top five Cy Young finisher and top twenty MVP candidate in 2015. He endured a tough 2016 campaign, where he only managed to start twenty-one games, resulting in a career worst ERA, WHIP, and K/9 due to a lingering rib injury.

Cole is only one year removed from having 19 wins and a 2.60 ERA, and with his injury officially gone by the way side, the twenty-six-year-old a great chance to return to form in 2017. I fully believe he will rejoin the Cy Young conversation once again.

Christian Yelich will put together a 25/25 campaign for the first time in his career.

Yelich had his first breakout year in 2016, reaching career highs of 21 home runs and 98 RBIs. The 25-year-old has a career .293 batting average and is averaging 19 steals per 162 games. He is a perennial 20 home run and 20 steal-candidate, as he has stolen over 20 bases three times in his professional career. The Miami Marlins three-hitter will be a candidate to win MVP as well as the batting title in 2017.

Clayton Kershaw has the best year of his career, winning the NL Cy Young and MVP behind a sub-2 ERA and 300 plus strike outs.

Clayton Kershaw remains the golden standard of major league pitching. He has eight consecutive seasons with an ERA in the twos and a career K/9 of 9.8. If the 28-year-old retired today, he would be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Kershaw has endured some adversity over the last year as he has dealt with a serious back injury as well as a tough playoff loss in the NLCS. This extra motivation will keep Kershaw above all other pitchers in 2017.

Andrew Benintendi will not only win the Rookie of the Year, but will also be a top 25 finalist in the MVP race.

Andrew Benintendi, has an uncertain potential. His MLB sample size is a mere 118 plate appearances. The former Golden Spikes award winner is a five-tool player who has batted .313, .312, and .295 in three seasons at five different levels, including the MLB.

The 22-year-old will begin the year batting second, although may slide back to third if manager John Farrell feels like he needs to shake things up. Batting ahead of Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Hanley Ramirez will allow him to become an extremely productive player. Benintendi has also put on 25 pounds of muscle this offseason, giving him some boosted power for the upcoming year. A .300 batting average, 25 home runs, 100 runs, and 20 steals isn’t out of the question for the rookie.