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I’m not sure what qualifies as bold anymore, but I know I want to write things that help readers find value in their leagues. Here’s a link to my bold predictions from last year in which I say Elly De La Cruz will have a 30/50 season. It’s easy enough to say this now, but at that time, much of the fantasy world was in doubt, including Razzball’s fearless leader, as he mentions in his recent Draft Champions Draft Recap: I Choo-Choo Cruz You. I have to lean into the Elly call because a lot of those predictions were not good. I thought Anthony Rendon would watch “The Fan” and start hitting somehow, for instance. Gonna try and do a little better this year. 

Pygmy Hippos will be a minor league mascot within the next three years. 

And we’ll have minor league Capybaras within the next five years (shoutout to FLOW, the best film I’ve seen in a long, long time). 

Blue Jays OF Alan Roden will get 500+ plate appearances and bat at least .280 with 20 home runs. He will open 2026 with the nickname “The Thinker” on his baseball reference page.  

The Chicago Cubs will win the NL Central. OF Kyle Tucker will finish top 3 in MVP votes. 

Astros 3B Cam Smith will nonetheless make their fans hate the Kyle Tucker trade, and Tucker will not sign with Chicago in free agency, mostly because Ricketts is a cheap parasite bleeding every last drop from the fan base.   

Rockies OF Zac Veen will steal 40 bases despite RFK’s insistence that Veen does not work.

Marlins 1B Matt Mervis will hit 25 home runs.  

Orioles RHP Tomoyuki Sugano will win 15 games with an ERA around 3.15. 

Marlins LHP Ryan Weathers will record 200 strikeouts with an ERA around 2.75. 

Diamondbacks RHP Justin Martinez will record 100 strikeouts with 30 saves. 

Royals LHP Kris Bubic will win 13 games with an ERA around 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.10. 

Cardinals C Ivan Herrera will finish in the top three among backstops on the Razzball player rater. 

Cardinals C Willson Contreras will finish in the top three among backstops on the Razzball player rater. 

No other Cardinals position player will finish in the top 25 among their position group (Arenado will be traded). 

Padres 1B Luis Arraez will hit .400. 

The Boston Red Sox will finish the season with the American League’s best record. Is this a bold prediction? Like I say, I might be too deep in the weeds to understand the concept anymore. My articles tend to include a few bold predictions anyway.  

Red Sox LHP Sean Newcomb will be good in 2025 and will remain a major league pitcher of some shape for the next ten years. 

Red Sox OF Ceddanne Rafaela will be an All-Star and gold glove winner. 

The Washington Nationals will remain in contention all season and will make the playoffs in 2026. 

The Athletics are an American League variation on this theme. 1B Nick Kurtz and SS Jacob Wilson will both hit at least 15 home runs. 

The New York Yankees will miss the playoffs.

Thanks for reading! 

 

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luvdarooks
1 month ago

I can keep 10 ($5 raise each year), NL $260 5×5 BA—– Keeping Chourio15, Elly15, tatis16, Merril15l, Skeens20. Srtrider11, r.Ray6, & MiLB stay at salary till year after they get activated(De Vries2 Weatherholt5). THATS 10—-what do you think so far? ========== Still Love my Joey’s Ortiz8 Bart7.   which 2 do i try to trade  ? Really do love my minors but this is the year to win

Vash
Vash
1 month ago

Very curious about Cam Smith. Is he a 5 tool player?

FuzzyD
1 month ago

I enjoy your articles and have been going with a lot of your suggestions!

I have my last pick in a very deep (50 player rosters) and can’t decide between Cijntje, Mize, R Snelling, Roden, MJ Melendez, Torkelson , Abner Uribe or Baty…..any thoughts? Thx!

Water Boy
Water Boy
1 month ago

Howdy

Just drafted in my H2h pts weekly lg

Thoughts on this roster, im iffy on it

C: I’ll stream, Realmuto

1b: Freddie freeman

2b: Bogaerts (2b/ss)

3b: bregman

SS elly de La cruz

IF: trea turner

OF1: Jackson chourio
OF2: jarren Duran
OF3: Trout
OF4: yelich (oF/ DH)

DH: yordan alvarez (OH/DH)

Utility 1: Riley greene (OF/DH)
Utility 2: ozuna DH

Bench: casas, Pete crow Armstrong, Jackson Holliday , Jonathan India , Ryan McMahon, Jorge soler (OF/DH), seiya suzuki (OF/DF), lane Thomas

SP1: berrios
SP2: Mackenzie gore
SP3: shota imanaga
SP4: Freddy peralta
SP5:Spencer schwellenbach
SP6framber valdez

RP: Liam hendricks
RP: drew Rasmussen (RP/SP)
RP: Kirby Yates

Bench : Nick lodolo, Charlie Morton, max schrezer

Water Boy
Water Boy
Reply to  Water Boy
1 month ago

Also have Kerry carpenter (OF/DH)

Dude
Dude
1 month ago

So if you had Will Warren is a keeper QS league, would you drop for Sugano, Bubic or Veen.
This is my staff:
Cease
Flaherty
Freddy P
Pfaadt
Robbie Ray
Wacha
Bubba Chander
Zebby
Warren
IL:Kirby

Thinking of dropping Wacha for Sugano and Warren for Veen. Thoughts?

J.R.
J.R.
1 month ago

Love bold predictions. Im curious on the Mervis one. I didnt even realize he got traded to MIA until the article. Is it you think breakout with PT, some adjustment he made, or something else?
I have Bubic and Contreras so hope this pan out!

Joed1414
Joed1414
Reply to  The Itch
1 month ago

Probably ditched a leg kick….seems guys are all ditching their leg kick and turning into studs….

Smitty
1 month ago

Especially nice to get your endorsement on guys I already have shares of (Sugano, Weathers, Ju. Mart, and Bubic). Very cool, thanks Itch

praidis
praidis
1 month ago

Itch! Thank you for all the awesome work and time on these fantastic articles. I hope you’re wrong about Tucker and the Cubs shock the world and lock him up.

12 team Yahoo H2H dynasty, 5 forever keepers, no cost. Need expert help! And I already harrassed Jakkers.

Juan Soto
Corbin Carroll
Ozzie Albies
CJ Abrams
Wyatt Langford
Junior Caminero
Jasson Domínguez
Roman Anthony
Kristian Campbell
Garrett Crochet

I’m leaning towards:
Soto
Carroll
Langford
Caminero
Anthony?

Concerned with Albies injuries, Abrams maturity and underlying stats, feeling Crochet way overrated?
Am I way overthinking and focusing too much on future potential VS current stats?

Chucky
Chucky
Reply to  praidis
1 month ago

You gotta put Crochet in there. I’d go Langford > Cammy.

Tim
Tim
Reply to  praidis
1 month ago

I agree with Chucky on Crochet. Soto, Carroll, Langford, Crochet and then it’s really a toss-up to me between Albies, Caminero, Dominguez. If you want to max offensive upside potential Dominguez, but if 2B or 3B is scarce lean into one of the other two. Caminero will probably struggle early, you just hope he figures it out by the 2nd half and not in 2026.

praidis
praidis
Reply to  The Itch
1 month ago

Thanks Chucky, Tim, Itch!! Your input is most appreciated. It’s a good problem to have, just overthinking it!

Milarky
Milarky
1 month ago

Hey Itch, a few weeks ago, I asked which 5 to protect as prospects out of the following (we do a 3-round prospect draft at allstar break, and can can keep five for up five to up to two full seasons):

Roki Sasaki (first year of prospect protection)
Dylan Crews (last year of prospect protection)
Heston Kjerstead (last year of prospect protection)
Carson Williams (first year of prospect protection)
Lazaro Montes (first year of prospect protection)
Chase Burns (first year of prospect protection)

At the time you suggested letting Kjerstead go because I can keep the other borderline guys longer. Given that we have a 3-round draft again at allstar, do you still think that? Should I take that to assume you’re not expecting too much from Kjerstead this year? I’m struggling to decide which guy to let go out of Williams, Montes, Kjerstead or Burns.

martinrostoker
martinrostoker
1 month ago

What a creative column!

I just picked up Weathers- sure hope you’re right.

I am in a Yahoo Points 10. team league with SP is critical.

I was thinking of picking up one more SP I would appreciate any ideas where I need to make improvements.
Below is my staff:

SP: Framber Valdez
SP: Max Fried
SP: Seth Lugo
SP: Bowden Francis
SP: Shane McClanahan
SP: Carlos Rodon
SP; Ryan Weathers
SP: Clarke Schmidt
SP: Will Warren

RP: Peter Fairbanks
RP; Jordan Romano

I was thinking of adding one from this list:

Kris Bubic
Casey Mize
Jack Leiter

1. Who would you pick up?
2. Who would you drop?
3. Drop a hitter to pick up who?
4. Just hold

Thanks!!!!!

Martin

martinrostoker
martinrostoker
Reply to  The Itch
1 month ago

Thanks so much!!!

Hutch
Hutch
1 month ago

Love your bold predictions! This the greatest time of the year! 12 team dynasty 5×5…can only keep one…Nick Kurtz or Tyler Soderstrom? Thanks itch!

Joed1414
Joed1414
1 month ago

Luis Angel is a better player than Ronald Acuna this year….

Joed1414
Joed1414
Reply to  The Itch
1 month ago

Well the stars have aligned and he will probably get playing time because baty blows and McNeil is hurt so I think he’s been dogging it in the minors and saving it for the majors

Last edited 1 month ago by Joed1414
jimmothy66
jimmothy66
1 month ago

bold prediction, byron buxton, royce lewis, and mike trout all play 150 games and finish 1 2 3 for the mvp

Matt
Matt
Reply to  jimmothy66
1 month ago

….so much for Royce! I would love to see a healthy trout and Buxton though

Dom Cobb
Dom Cobb
1 month ago

Now these are some bold predictions! Would love to see some of these happen. What would your bold prediction be for Kyren Paris if you were to write a blurb about him?

Dom Cobb
Dom Cobb
Reply to  The Itch
1 month ago

Thanks! Pretty good for someone who will be an endgame pick

alecleamas
1 month ago

Thanks for the film recommendation, FLOW looks compelling and reminds me of one of my favorite Kim Stanley Gardner stories. We’ll give it a look this evening.

I hope you’re right about Kyle Tucker. I’ve been getting him middle of Round 1 (pick 7-9) the past few days. If you think Ricketts is a turd let me introduce you to Bob “The Hillbilly Billionaire” Nutting. Pirates fans and Cubs fans deserve better. And Craig Counsel picked the wrong billionaire (I’m so happy Steve Cohen preferred the able and thoughtful Carlos Mendoza, a true leader of men).

Sugano seems intriguing, maybe he fools hitters for a few months. Who doesn’t love a crafty 35 yr old? But a healthy Sean Bouchard is the Rockies outfielder that needs to get 500 ABs, although Zac Veen sure does impress so far this Spring.