SBL "Can't Predict Baseball" Prediction Article - 2026 Seaso
Jul 26, 2016 21:21:35 GMT -5
Anthony_TwinsGM, Ross White Sox, and 3 more like this
Post by Phillies_GM_Fin on Jul 26, 2016 21:21:35 GMT -5
SBL "Can't Predict Baseball" Prediction Article - 2026 Season
Ty Cobb Division
Seattle Mariners - Will be the first team since the Texas Rangers (1991) to have 3 hitters with 200+ hits in 2026 (Latham, Woods, Mussi)
BUST: Woods = 209; Mussi = 186; Latham = 135
Toronto Blue Jays - SP Cristo Valdes will burst through with a 5+ WAR season for the Blue Jays
BUST: 0.3 WAR
Los Angeles Angels - Team will hit 300+ home runs this year
BUST: 196 HOME RUNS
Kansas City Royals - Will have 3 starters throw at least 30 starts each, after having none in 2025
BUST: Roderick Clemens pitched 30, on the number. Nava had 29.
Detroit Tigers - Julio Ramos will not lead the team in home runs and post an OPS+ of under 100
BUST: Ramos tied Buchanan with 28 home runs, posted 134 OPS+.
Larry Doby Division
Boston Red Sox - Matt Gilmore will lead the team in wins and strikeouts
BUST: Flecha won 13, compared to Gilmore's 11, K were 195 vs. 181 for Flecha
Chicago White Sox - White Sox bullpen will have the most strikeouts for a bullpen in their division
BUST: Tampa led with 466 K's from their bullpen
Texas Rangers - 3 players post .850+ OPS in 2026
BUST: Not one!
Oakland Athletics - Craig & Ramos will combine for 85+ home runs and 375+ strikeouts
BUST: 81 home runs and 303 strikeouts
Tampa Bay Rays - Jose Rivera will lead the teams' starters with the lowest babip
BUST: .347 babip
Rod Carew Division
New York Yankees - 1B Tony Zambrano will hit more home runs than doubles
SUCCESS: 42 home runs, 32 doubles
Cleveland Indians - Will lead the AL in team triples
BUST: 19 TRIPLES, Oakland and Houston led with 42
Houston Astros - Will steal 100 bases as a team
BUST: 67 stolen bags
Minnesota Twins - Kevin Moore and David Walker will both post .700+ OPS
BUST: Walker = .585; Moore = .713
Baltimore Orioles - Sano hits fewer than 20 home runs
BUST: 33 home runs between Baltimore and Arizona
Mel Ott Division
Los Angeles Dodgers - Yasiel Puig will play 148+ games and lead the NL in slugging
BUST: 89 games, .509 slugging
New York Mets - Chris Barnes will lead the team in innings pitched and wins
SUCCESS: 16 wins, 206.1 innings pitched
San Francisco Giants - Claude Barrett finishes top 3 in Cy Young voting
SUCCESS: Barrett finished 2nd to Torres
Atlanta Braves - Strickland does not lead the team in hitting or home runs
SUCCESS: 19 home runs
St. Louis Cardinals - CF Tyson Clark leads the NL in stolen bases
BUST: Only manged 22 games
Sandy Koufax Division
Miami Marlins - Miami rotation lead the Sandy Koufax division other rotations in strikeouts
SUCCESS: 731 strikeouts by the rotation. By far, better than the teams in this division
San Diego Padres - Austin Tilfor will top 100 RBI's for the first time in his career
BUST: 44 runs batted in; 4 separate injuries this season
Washington Nationals - Gary Bell will top the 200 inning mark
BUST: 105.1 innings pitched
Arizona Diamondbacks - Aguilar will win 20 games and post a WAR over 5+
BUST: 9 wins, 3.4 WAR
Chicago Cubs - Bryan Lizardo will not lead the NL in on-base % or WAR
BUST: 3.0 WAR, 5 separate injuries this season
Tony Gwynn Division
Colorado Rockies - Will not have a hitter post 20+ home runs
BUST: 2 hitters posted 20+ home runs (Vazquez; Hedgpeth)
Cincinnati Reds - Will lead the NL in steals, and forever be known as the Redlegs going forward
BUST: 15th in the NL - Redlegs referenced no more
Philadelphia Phillies - Will dip to 69 wins, down from 85
BUST: 91 wins
Milwaukee Brewers - RF Miguel Perez will lead the team in on-base %
BUST: In the minors this season
Pittsburgh Pirates - Torres & Watson will combine for 38+ wins for the division winners
BUST: 26 wins combined
**Looking to drive a fun read and some discussion. Feel free to post your own predictions! Please don't take anything written personally. It's all in good fun.
***After season update: 5 successful predictions, 25 busts!
Ty Cobb Division
Seattle Mariners - Will be the first team since the Texas Rangers (1991) to have 3 hitters with 200+ hits in 2026 (Latham, Woods, Mussi)
BUST: Woods = 209; Mussi = 186; Latham = 135
Toronto Blue Jays - SP Cristo Valdes will burst through with a 5+ WAR season for the Blue Jays
BUST: 0.3 WAR
Los Angeles Angels - Team will hit 300+ home runs this year
BUST: 196 HOME RUNS
Kansas City Royals - Will have 3 starters throw at least 30 starts each, after having none in 2025
BUST: Roderick Clemens pitched 30, on the number. Nava had 29.
Detroit Tigers - Julio Ramos will not lead the team in home runs and post an OPS+ of under 100
BUST: Ramos tied Buchanan with 28 home runs, posted 134 OPS+.
Larry Doby Division
Boston Red Sox - Matt Gilmore will lead the team in wins and strikeouts
BUST: Flecha won 13, compared to Gilmore's 11, K were 195 vs. 181 for Flecha
Chicago White Sox - White Sox bullpen will have the most strikeouts for a bullpen in their division
BUST: Tampa led with 466 K's from their bullpen
Texas Rangers - 3 players post .850+ OPS in 2026
BUST: Not one!
Oakland Athletics - Craig & Ramos will combine for 85+ home runs and 375+ strikeouts
BUST: 81 home runs and 303 strikeouts
Tampa Bay Rays - Jose Rivera will lead the teams' starters with the lowest babip
BUST: .347 babip
Rod Carew Division
New York Yankees - 1B Tony Zambrano will hit more home runs than doubles
SUCCESS: 42 home runs, 32 doubles
Cleveland Indians - Will lead the AL in team triples
BUST: 19 TRIPLES, Oakland and Houston led with 42
Houston Astros - Will steal 100 bases as a team
BUST: 67 stolen bags
Minnesota Twins - Kevin Moore and David Walker will both post .700+ OPS
BUST: Walker = .585; Moore = .713
Baltimore Orioles - Sano hits fewer than 20 home runs
BUST: 33 home runs between Baltimore and Arizona
Mel Ott Division
Los Angeles Dodgers - Yasiel Puig will play 148+ games and lead the NL in slugging
BUST: 89 games, .509 slugging
New York Mets - Chris Barnes will lead the team in innings pitched and wins
SUCCESS: 16 wins, 206.1 innings pitched
San Francisco Giants - Claude Barrett finishes top 3 in Cy Young voting
SUCCESS: Barrett finished 2nd to Torres
Atlanta Braves - Strickland does not lead the team in hitting or home runs
SUCCESS: 19 home runs
St. Louis Cardinals - CF Tyson Clark leads the NL in stolen bases
BUST: Only manged 22 games
Sandy Koufax Division
Miami Marlins - Miami rotation lead the Sandy Koufax division other rotations in strikeouts
SUCCESS: 731 strikeouts by the rotation. By far, better than the teams in this division
San Diego Padres - Austin Tilfor will top 100 RBI's for the first time in his career
BUST: 44 runs batted in; 4 separate injuries this season
Washington Nationals - Gary Bell will top the 200 inning mark
BUST: 105.1 innings pitched
Arizona Diamondbacks - Aguilar will win 20 games and post a WAR over 5+
BUST: 9 wins, 3.4 WAR
Chicago Cubs - Bryan Lizardo will not lead the NL in on-base % or WAR
BUST: 3.0 WAR, 5 separate injuries this season
Tony Gwynn Division
Colorado Rockies - Will not have a hitter post 20+ home runs
BUST: 2 hitters posted 20+ home runs (Vazquez; Hedgpeth)
Cincinnati Reds - Will lead the NL in steals, and forever be known as the Redlegs going forward
BUST: 15th in the NL - Redlegs referenced no more
Philadelphia Phillies - Will dip to 69 wins, down from 85
BUST: 91 wins
Milwaukee Brewers - RF Miguel Perez will lead the team in on-base %
BUST: In the minors this season
Pittsburgh Pirates - Torres & Watson will combine for 38+ wins for the division winners
BUST: 26 wins combined
**Looking to drive a fun read and some discussion. Feel free to post your own predictions! Please don't take anything written personally. It's all in good fun.
***After season update: 5 successful predictions, 25 busts!