🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Bill Dubiel's 10 Bold Predictions for 2016

Bill Dubiel continues RotoBaller's Bold Prediction series, offering his thoughts for the 2016 fantasy baseball season.

*Eric Cartman voice* "Come on, Kyyyyyyyyle..."

For real, Kyle got us in on the bold predictions and I'm glad he did. These are always fun to do, and it'll be even more fun looking back in September and finding out I nailed all 10. Max claimed in his piece that the best hitter on the team bats second, and if that's the case then my placement is appropriate. Ready for the cleanup thunder? Let's get wild.

Editor's note: Be sure to check out our fantasy baseball rankings assistant. We recently launched this handy new rankings tool - you can easily filter, sort, and export all sorts of rankings for mixed leagues, AL/NL only, top prospects, dynasty formats, keeper values and more! It's all in one place, and all free.

 

Bold Predictions for 2016

1. Byung-ho Park hits 40 home runs.

Kyle actually already touched on this one slightly in his bold predictions piece, but I'm here to single out Park instead of the combination of Park and Sano. Go on Youtube and search for "Byung-ho Park home run". I'll wait. Too lazy? Here's him smashing a 522-foot moonshot. Click around and you'll see more terrifyingly deep bombs and the accompanying bat flips that are the norm in South Korea. This dude has freak power, and he's going to abuse that 377' power alley in left-center.

2. Dallas Keuchel wins the AL Cy Young--AGAIN.

Keuchel and that incredible beard (he didn't shave it, did he?) are going to run the gauntlet and do the damn thing again, mark it down. My fantasy SP2 (behind only Jake Arrieta) was a pleasure to own last year thanks to his microscopic ERA and WHIP, both of which came on the back of his vicious sinker. Concerns about his lack of strikeouts are unfounded, as he had 212 total Ks last year (good for 8.4 K/9). The Astros are my AL pick for the World Series this year, and they're going to do it with Keuchel at the helm.

3. Miguel Cabrera brings the AL MVP award back where it belongs.

Last year's AL batting champ (bet you forgot that, didn't you? Don't lie...) went on the DL for the first time in his career last year, so naturally his statline suffered. In his absence, his prestige was surpassed by the likes of Josh Donaldson, Carlos Correa and Manny Machado, but I say Miggy regains his place on the throne as the AL's best. Allowing for some obvious regression from his career bests, Cabrera will still put up an MVP-caliber season hitting in the middle of a potent Tigers lineup and with a full healthy season. His .320 batting average, 100 runs scored, 30 bombs and 120 RBIs will put the Tigers squarely in the driver's seat in the AL Central in 2016.

4. Jaime Garcia makes...wait for it...30 starts this year.

I tried to trade Garcia in a package just yesterday. My friend Chuck (@CJSpeakEasy) said that he had "No interest in Jaime whatsoever. Dude is a China doll." That might be an exaggeration, but it also probably isn't. Garcia simply can't stay healthy, which is a real shame considering how good his per-game stats are. In the 27 starts Garcia has made over the last two seasons, he's 13-7 with an ERA of 3.17 and a WHIP hovering around 1.05. I drafted him this year thinking (praying) that he can stay healthy for the full year, and by God I'm going to stick by that.

5. Luis Severino is a top-10 pitcher in the AL.

I wrote "in the MLB", then really thought about it. I want to keep writing professionally, so there has to be a line drawn somewhere, bold predictions or not.

Severino has all the stuff of an ace--a fastball that hovers right around 95 MPH, a nasty slider and a change-up that would probably be a little more effective if he wasn't slinging it in there at 87 MPH. The key here is whether or not the Yankees will let him pitch more than around 175 innings. He's only 22 years old, and as the brightest young star they have they may not want to risk overworking him. Here's the thing--the rest of the Yankees rotation is riddled with injury histories and questionable performance. I say they don't have any choice come August, and they keep Severino on a six-day schedule to keep him in play for the stretch run. A sub-3.50 ERA and 200 Ks is well within his grasp, and I say he gets there.

6. Eric Hosmer is a top-five first baseman.

If the Wizard of Hoz duplicates his stats from last year he'll be near or in the top 10 first basemen, and I expect him to approach the same run totals in 2016 with essentially the same lineup around him. However, I believe he can crack 30 home runs after posting his highest ISO in the last four years in 2015 (.162). He hit .297 last year, and I believe he'll change his approach in 2016, sacrificing some of that batting average for better power numbers. I have him breaking 30 homers and 100 RBIs, which should put him in the top five at the position.

7. David Price is not a top-20 starting pitcher.

Look at all that optimism up there. Time to break out my Debbie Downer outfit.

Such a significant fall might be a bit harsh, but these are the bold predictions! Plus Price traded in Canada blue for Beantown red, and outside of their really smahhht cawlidges, there ain't much I like about that chowdah-suckin' city. Really though, I think it's all about the change of scenery here. Fenway Pahhhk ain't the Trawp or the Rawjahs Centah, and I think Price won't adapt well to the culture or the screwy dimensions. Through his career hitters have tended to pull the ball against Price (34.7% pull versus 27.9% oppo according to Fangraphs) and I think the Green Monstah swallows him up.

Okay, no more Boston players. I sweah.

8. The Arizona Diamondbacks have three 20/20 players.

This one is actually not crazy. The obvious one is Paul Goldschmidt, who is a virtual lock for 30/15. A. J. Pollock did it last year, popping 20 big flies and stealing 39 bags. The breakout I'm banking on with this prediction is David Peralta. We have never seen him fully unleashed due to the logjam in the Arizona outfield. However, with Ender Inciarte out of the picture Peralta should start every day. He hit 17 homers and stole nine bases with just 462 at-bats last year, so if he approaches 600--watch out.

9. Sean Doolittle saves 40 games.

The big leap of faith here is whether or not the Athletics will even give him 40 opportunities. Assuming they do, I think Doolittle will convert at least 40. His stuff is on another level when he's at full strength, which he should be after missing the majority of the 2015 season. If he can regain the 95 MPH fastball that made him so lethal towards the end of 2014, I think Doolittle can regain his place among baseball's closer elite.

10. Matt Carpenter is a top-three third baseman.

Here's why this one is bold--it implies that one of Josh Donaldson, Manny Machado or Nolan Arenado underperforms Carpenter. The two-time All Star sacrificed batting average for power last season, hitting just .272 while smashing 28 homers. This year I think he'll find a comfortable balance and continue to rack up the counting stats as the Cardinals continue to win ballgames. Let's get real ballsy and throw out a stat line--.285 with 110 runs scored, 98 RBIs and 27 homers.

Boy, that still isn't going to be good enough to beat the big three up there, is it? Fingers crossed Machado gets cold at some point, eh?

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-12" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Philip Rivers

Will Start Again in Week 16
Drake London

Falcons "Very Hopeful" Drake London Can Return in Week 16
CFB

Dylan Raiola Entering His Name into Transfer Portal
Micah Parsons

MRI Confirms Torn ACL for Micah Parsons
CFB

Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby Plans to Transfer When Portal Opens
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia, Phillies Finalizing One-Year Deal on Monday
Jaylen Warren

Questionable for Monday Night Due to Illness
Bam Knight

has "Bad Sprain," Unlikely to Play in Week 16
Brandon Royval

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
CFB

Baylor, LSU, Miami Among Potential Suitors for DJ Lagway
CFB

Aidan Chiles Will Enter Transfer Portal
Manel Kape

Shines At UFC Vegas 112
New York Jets

Jets Fire Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks
Kevin Vallejos

Gets Second-Round Knockout Win
Christian Watson

Avoids Long-Term Injury, Status for Week 16 Unclear
Giga Chikadze

Suffers His First Career Knockout Loss
CFB

Quarterback DJ Lagway Entering Transfer Portal
Cesar Almeida

Gets Dominated
Cezary Oleksiejczuk

Wins Sixth Fight In A Row
Teddye Buchanan

Ravens Linebacker Teddye Buchanan Believed to Have Torn ACL
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Melquizael Costa

Gets First-Round Knockout Win
Lane Hutson

Sends Out Two Power-Play Assists
Kirill Kaprizov

Nearing Wild Goals Record
Marcus Buchecha

Still Winless In The UFC
Benjamin Kindel

Posts Three Points in Sunday's Loss
Alex Tuch

Delivers Two Assists in Sunday's Win
Quinn Hughes

Scores in Wild Debut
Kennedy Nzechukwu

And Marcus Buchecha Fight To Draw
David Jiricek

Hurt Against Bruins
Marcus Johansson

Exits With Injury Sunday
James Harden

Calf Contusion Puts Monday's Status in Doubt
Tari Eason

Questionable Versus Nuggets on Monday
Lance Gibson jr

Lance Gibson Jr. Drops Decision In His UFC Debut
Anthony Davis

Tagged as Questionable Against Jazz
D'Angelo Russell

Ruled Out for Second Straight Game
King Green

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jusuf Nurkić

Jusuf Nurkic Set to Rest Monday vs. Mavericks
Kristaps Porzingis

to Miss at Least Two Weeks With Illness
Dallas Goedert

has Third Two-Touchdown Game on Sunday
Nico Collins

Records First Multi-Touchdown Game of the Season
D'Andre Swift

Falls Just Shy of 100 Rushing Yards, Scores Twice in Week 15
Josh Jacobs

Scores Two Touchdowns in Week 15 Loss
Jameson Williams

has Fourth 100-Yard Game in Sunday's Loss to Rams
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Scores as a Runner and Receiver in Week 15
Kenley Jansen

Agrees to One-Year Deal With Tigers
Merrill Kelly

Returns to Diamondbacks on Two-Year Deal
Javonte Williams

Returns to Start Second Half on Sunday Night
James Cook

Dominates With Three Touchdowns in Week 15 Win
Travis Etienne Jr.

Records Three Receiving Touchdowns in Week 15 Win
Amon-Ra St. Brown

has Monster Game in Week 15
Javonte Williams

Questionable to Return in Week 15 With Shoulder Injury
Davante Adams

Rams Pessimistic About Davante Adams' Status for Week 16?
Robert Williams III

Available Against Golden State
Donovan Clingan

Back on Sunday Night
Micah Parsons

Believed to Have Suffered Torn ACL in Sunday's Loss
Joel Embiid

Cleared for Action on Sunday
Zeev Buium

Has Two Points in Canucks Debut
Anthony Edwards

Remains Out on Sunday Evening
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Available Versus Philly
Dylan Holloway

Injured at Sunday's Practice
Filip Gustavsson

Takes on Bruins Sunday
Tyrese Maxey

Will Miss Another Game on Sunday Night
Brandon Bussi

Looks to Stretch Winning Streak to Nine Games
Cam York

Returns From Four-Game Absence
Jaccob Slavin

Returns to Action Sunday
Joel Embiid

Questionable Versus Atlanta
Jarrett Allen

Expected to Return on Sunday
Collin Sexton

Unavailable Against Cleveland
Khris Middleton

Still Sidelined Versus Pacers
Alexandre Sarr

Out Again on Sunday
Ayo Dosunmu

Unlikely to Play vs. Pelicans
Tyrese Maxey

Trending Toward Second Straight Absence
LaMelo Ball

Misses Third Straight Game
Kristaps Porzingis

Remains Out Versus 76ers
Viktor Arvidsson

Not Expected to Play Sunday
Elias Pettersson

Unavailable Sunday
Jonas Brodin

to Miss Second Consecutive Game Sunday
Emil Lilleberg

Exits Early Saturday
Will Smith

Hurt in Saturday's Victory
Pavel Dorofeyev

Exits Win With Injury
Haydn Fleury

Cleared to Play
Simon Nemec

to Miss "Some Time"
Jorge Polanco

Agrees to Two-Year Deal With Mets
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Return to South Carolina in 2026
CFB

Washington State Expected to Hire Kirby Moore as Next Head Coach
CFB

Kyle Whittingham Stepping Down as Utah Head Coach
Manel Kape

Set For UFC Vegas 112 Main Event
Brandon Royval

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 112
Kevin Vallejos

Set For His Third UFC Fight
Giga Chikadze

In Dire Need Of Victory
Cesar Almeida

Set To Welcome Cezary Oleksiejczuk To The UFC
Cezary Oleksiejczuk

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Maikel Garcia

Royals Agree on Five-Year Extension
Melquizael Costa

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Looks to Win Second Consecutive Fights
Marcus Buchecha

Looks To Bounce Back
CFB

Sherrone Moore Charged with Home Invasion, Among Other Charges
CFB

Freddie Kitchens Fired from North Carolina Coaching Staff
CFB

Bryce Underwood Could Leave Michigan Without Buyout
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Padres Not Considering Trading Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tarik Skubal

Tigers Engaged in "Serious Talks" Around Trading Tarik Skubal at the Winter Meetings
CFB

Chris Brazzell II Declaring for NFL Draft
CFB

Fernando Mendoza Named AP College Football Player of the Year
Raisel Iglesias

to Remain the Braves Closer
Robert Suarez

Agrees on Three-Year Deal With Braves
CFB

Sherrone Moore Remains in Police Custody
CFB

Joe Klanderman Joining Baylor Coaching Staff
CFB

Kentucky Hiring Jay Bateman as Next Defensive Coordinator
Si Woo Kim

Closes 2025 With Strong Finish Among Putting Woes
Akshay Bhatia

Looks to Rebound in 2026 After Down Year Off the Tee
Brian Harman

2025 Season a Step Back Despite Spring Win
Sam Burns

' Elite Putting Headlines a Solid 2025 Season
Sepp Straka

Ends Stellar 2025 Campaign on a High Note
Robert MacIntyre

Closes Out a Steady 2025 Campaign
CFB

Chip Kelly Interviews for Georgia Tech Offensive Coordinator Job
CFB

Louisville Receiver Chris Bell has a Torn ACL
Min Woo Lee

Breaks Through to Win in Texas This Year
PGA

Alex Noren Wins Twice on European Tour This Year
Wyndham Clark

has Up-and-Down 2025 Golf Season
CFB

Michigan Fires Head Coach Sherrone Moore
Corey Conners

Comes Close to Winning Again in Very Good 2025
Justin Rose

Turns Back the Clock in 2025
CFB

Jim Knowles Expected to be Hired as Tennessee's Defensive Coordinator
Harris English

Enjoys Solid Finish at Hero World Challenge
CFB

Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles Not Being Retained at Penn State
Pete Alonso

Orioles Finalizing Five-Year Deal
Kyle Finnegan

Tigers, Kyle Finnegan Agree on Two-Year Deal
Bo Bichette

Red Sox Out on Bo Bichette For Now
Philadelphia Phillies

Phillies Extend Manager Rob Thomson Through 2027 Season
Michael King

the Mets' Top Rotation Target?
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Could Move Back to Leadoff Spot

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP