Opening day is finally here, so it’s time to get the 2017 baseball train moving.

It's also time for a bunch of wild speculation.

Here are 17 bold(ish) prognostications that are just as valid as any other predictions you'll read during the season because baseball is weird and none of us knows what's really going to happen. (Note: This column was originally published in February. Updates are noted throughout when necessary.)

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1. Spring training games will bring joy for two innings, then everyone will get bored — just like we always do. Spring training produces mixed emotions. Fans are so excited to see live baseball, but we quickly remember that opening day is still a loooong way off. Our mood goes from "Baseball is back!" to "I'm gonna check out Netflix" in about 30 minutes. (Update: Yes, this happened. It always happens.)

2. The Braves’ Dansby Swanson will win NL Rookie of the Year. This is hardly a bold prediction, but rather a logical one. After a strong debut in the majors late in 2016 — in which he hit .302/.361/.422, and displayed impressive defense — Swanson ended the season with 129 at-bats, just shy of qualifying as a rookie. So he'll come into 2017 with more big-league experience than other rookies. Expect him to parlay his impressive pre-rookie performance into an All-Star-caliber official rookie campaign.

3. The Red Sox Andrew Benintendi will win AL Rookie of the Year. Benintendi had a similar pre-rookie debut as Swanson, so this is another safe prediction. He showed impressive skills at the plate (.295/.359/.476), as well as his own highlight-reel defense. Expect him to take another step forward in 2017 and put everything together to become the American League's top rookie.

4. Jason Heyward will settle the debate on what type hitter he is. Lots of people would argue that we already know, and perhaps we do. But a lot of other people still hold out hope that Heyward's mythical breakout offensive season is still this close. Either way, 2017 could be the key season.

5. The proposal to get rid of the four-pitch intentional walk will win approval, but have little effect. This idea has plenty of supporters and plenty of detractors. Not to mention plenty of people who are indifferent. But even its most ardent supporters acknowledge that eliminating the four-pitch intentional walk won't speed up or shorten games enough to make a real difference, but MLB will give it a shot anyway. (Update: This has, indeed, won approval since I first wrote this.)

6. The proposal on the modified strike zone will not win approval. Players will oppose a raised strike zone. Besides, if this went into effect, it probably wouldn't have much effect over the long haul. Hitters would adjust, and pitchers would adjust to those adjustments. Pitchers would still miss their spots and hitters would still take advantage. Just like always. Nothing to see here. (Update: This has, indeed, been rejected for 2017.)

7. The MiLB automatic-man-on-second-in-extra-innings thing will be eliminated by June. This is a terrible idea. Seeing it practice will make it even more obvious. (Update: We saw it in action in the World Baseball Classic. Ugh.)

8. MLB will take a significant step toward putting the DH in the National League. As I wrote recently, it's time. If MLB really wants to make games more exciting, this is the most obvious change to make. The powers that be will realize this at some point during the 2017 season.

MORE: Five not-so-crazy rule changes MLB should consider next

9. The Cubs will not repeat as World Series champs. Sorry, Chicago. It's hard to win back-to-back titles. It's not happened since the 1998-2000 Yankees, and it's not happening in 2017. Don't get me wrong: The Cubs will be great, and likely flirt with 100 wins, but they won't win it all. That's because ...

10. The World Series winner will be a team you don't expect. We think we know the teams that will seriously compete for a title, but sometimes baseball has other plans. This will be one of those years. I'm not saying teams such as the Padres, Rockies or Rays will suddenly dominate the game, only that the World Series winner won't be one of the usual suspects. Sorry, Boston and New York.

11. The NL MVP winner will be someone you’re not thinking of. Just like the World Series race, the MVP race will end with a surprising (at the moment) face holding the award. We always think we know roughly how things will play out, but we're often wrong. Most of the usual candidates will still have great seasons in 2017, but someone else is going to emerge with a stellar performance to take the honor. Maybe someone such as, I don't know, Freddie Freeman (6.5 WAR in 2016).

12. The AL MVP winner will not be Mike Trout. Trout has had multiple MVP-worthy seasons, and was finally recognized with the award in 2016. But he won't repeat in 2017, regardless of whether his numbers back it up. That's just how it's going to go for him for the next few years. But who will actually win? Let's go with Jose Altuve.

13. The NL Cy Young winner will be Clayton Kershaw. This is always a safe prediction, and Kershaw will pick up his fourth Cy Young award in 2017 after having an injury-shortened-but-still-ridiculous 2016 campaign that saw him post a 1.69 ERA and finish fifth in the voting.

14. The AL Cy Young winner will be Chris Sale. There may end up being more deserving pitchers (amirite, Kate Upton?), but Sale's ongoing dominance combined with his new address in Boston will sway voters in a perhaps-unfair way.

15. Zach Britton will pitch in a postseason game: Yes, the Orioles will make the playoffs again. And yes, Zach Britton will actually pitch this time. Buck Showalter wouldn't make that mistake twice, would he? No, I don't think so, either.

16. Bartolo Colon will continue to mesmerize America. While continuing to defy age and traditional athlete stereotypes, Mr. Colon will again produce a surprisingly good season in 2017 (think a 14-11 kind of good). Now with the Braves and ready to give a new fanbase reason to swoon, Colon will keep on keepin' on and serve as an inspiration to non-athletic-looking people everywhere. If you missed it, check out MLB's Colon-themed hype trailer.

Man, there seem to be a lot of Braves references in this list. Well, that’s because …

17. The Braves will surprise people. Don't laugh. Atlanta will be a compelling on-field story in 2017. The Braves won 20 of their final 30 games in 2016, giving hope that the team's rebuild would be complete faster than expected. They've got a legit ROY candidate in Swanson, a legit MVP candidate in Freeman, an elite center fielder in Ender Inciarte, plus a potentially solid starting rotation. While most pre-season projections peg the Braves somewhere around 72 wins (a four-win improvement over 2016), a total that's closer to 80 is possible. If everything breaks just right — and I mean just right — Atlanta could even finish the season above .500.

Bring it on, 2017. Prove me right or prove me wrong. It doesn't really matter. Just entertain us along the way.