Three bold predictions- 2012

[cincrazy]

Reds related:

1. Mesoraco has a breakout season, and by the end of the season is slotted in between Votto and Bruce, finally giving the team the middle-of-the-order RH bat it's been seeking.

2. Homer Bailey wins 15+ games and finally stays healthy for a full season.

3. Scott Rolen gets hurt early in the season and is unproductive, but Walt swings a trade before the deadline to solidify the position.

MLB related:

1. The Nationals and Marlins aren't nearly as good as everyone believes they are, particularly the Marlins.

2. The Cardinals make the playoffs as a wild card team and are eliminated by the Braves in a one-game playoff as the Braves extract some revenge for last season.

3. The Pirates have their first winning season since 1889, and with a wave of prospects on the horizon, finally give their fans hope for the future.

[REDREAD]

1. Arroyo bounces back. Gives the team 200 IP with around a 4.00-4.50 ERA
2. Ludwick makes Walt look good.
3. Cozart has a disappointing offensive season. Not Janish bad, but weak.

4. (Not so bold) The Reds bullpen becomes a huge advantage and helps secure a division title.

[RedsManRick]

1) Homer Bailey is the team's 2nd best starter behind Latos
2) Scott Rolen plays in 120+ games
3) Chris Heisey hits lefties better than righties

[WildcatFan]

1. Jeff Francis gets a start in the postseason
2. Stubbs has a 30-30 season
3. Three words: Wire to Wire

[Scrap Irony]

1. Joey Votto dominates the league and is widely considered among the top two or three players in all of baseball. Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, and MVP.

2. Zack Cozart shines as a regular, winning the Rookie of the Year in a really weak National League field, with a 245/310/425 season. Meanwhile Devin Mesoraco struggles, hitting pop ups instead of big flies. He's replaced after two ineffectual months with Dioner Navarro who plays really well.

3. Scott Rolen hits well-- when healthy. However, he only plays 65 games. Fortunately for the Reds, both Frazier and Francisco hit well in his absence. Red 3B top 30 HR for the year, with an OPS over 800.

[RedlegJake]

1. Rolen stays healthy and plays 130 games, gold glove caliber defense with a bit less range but his bat is crucial in the middle of the order.

2. Zack Cozart struggles early but adjusts and by the end of May begins to hit and ends the season with a .270/.345/.455 line. Devin Mesoraco struggles and goes down to AAA for more seasoning, Navarro comes up to take his place. Hanigan does the bulk of catching playing 110 games. Mes returns in time in late August to be playoff eligible and this time he hammers the ball.

3. Latos/Cueto/Bailey and Leake emerge as one of the NL's best 1 thru 4 starting rotations, with Arroyo giving the Reds an innings eating 5th starter at a league average ERA. It's the pitching that propels the Reds to the division title and the NL pennant with a lockdown bullpen that is the best in baseball. Health issues are moderate and Francis and Brackman pitch extremely well when called upon. Chapman stays down until late August and returns to be playoff eligible. Aroldis pitches well as a starter but not overwhelmingly so - he has issues as he learns new pitches and works on command but is much improved and ready to take the hill when he makes his first start on August 20th.

4. Jay Bruce becomes a true offensive force - 40 homers 135 rbi to go with Votto's 1.010 OPS season.

5. The Reds go in first place to stay on August 8th. Their final celebration is when Madson records the final out of the World Series. Mesoraco is the surprise Series MVP.

[Ghosts of 1990]

1. Chris Heisey will hit more home runs than either Jay Bruce OR Drew Stubbs, but not both.

2. Sean Marshall will do an Arthur Rhodes 2010 impression.

3. Reds will play a postseason game.... they'll be one of the 5 NL teams in the playoffs.

[CesarGeronimo]

1. Bronson Arroyo doesn't have the best overall stats but gets strong run support, weasels his way out of jams and leads the team in wins.

2. Brandon Phillips gets on base at .350 clip and leads the league in runs after being slotted permanently in the leadoff spot for the first time in his career. Dusty gushes that he's always wanted a runs hogger at the top of the order.

3. Mike Leake raises his game in a major way -- he is arrested for stealing a 911 from Porsche of Kings Auto Mall. He explains that he just wanted to take the car for a test drive and the dealership was too busy to help him so he found the keys and took it out on his own.

[Captain Hook]

Originally Posted by CesarGeronimo

1. Bronson Arroyo doesn't have the best overall stats but gets strong run support, weasels his way out of jams and leads the team in wins.

2. Brandon Phillips gets on base at .350 clip and leads the league in runs after being slotted permanently in the leadoff spot for the first time in his career. Dusty gushes that he's always wanted a runs hogger at the top of the order.

3. Mike Leake raises his game in a major way -- he is arrested for stealing a 911 from Porsche of Kings Auto Mall. He explains that he just wanted to take the car for a test drive and the dealership was too busy to help him so he found the keys and took it out on his own.

So is that like the opposite of a "base clogger"?

[Edd Roush]

1. Ryan Ludwick hits 30 home runs.

2. Homer Bailey has more wins than Johnny Cueto.

3. Devin Mesoraco wins Rookie of the Year.

[camisadelgolf]

My 2011 predictions were so bad that I should be disqualified from making more:

Originally Posted by camisadelgolf

1.) Ramon Hernandez is traded.
2.) Aroldis Chapman starts the conversion to starter around August.
3.) The Cubs finish better than fourth place.

[Degenerate39]

1. Bruce his 40 home runs and beats out Votto for the MVP
2. Latos and Cueto combine for 37 wins
3. Devin wins Rookie of the Year

[_Sir_Charles_]

Originally Posted by Degenerate39

1. Bruce his 40 home runs and beats out Votto for the MVP
2. Latos and Cueto combine for 37 wins
3. Devin wins Rookie of the Year

Me likey! :O)

[OnBaseMachine]

1. Jay Bruce hits 40 homers

2. Devin Mesoraco hits 20 HR and wins the NL Rookie of the Year

3. Aroldis Chapman makes 10 starts and posts an ERA below 4.00 in those starts.

[CesarGeronimo]

Originally Posted by Captain Hook

So is that like the opposite of a "base clogger"?

Yes, it's the opposite in Dustyspeak, but it's also actually the same thing as a base clogger except with the acknowledgment that base cloggers actually score bunches of runs, so they are renamed runs hoggers.