Tribe 2014 Predictions, Thoughts, and Analyzations

now is the time where i take a few minutes to talk Tribe 2014.


first i'll go on record with my prediction for the Tribe's 2014 season. assuming everyone plays to the max of their abilities and we don't get hit with too many major injuries, i think we'll finish 84-78. because we won 92 games last year, i think a lot of people will predict wins more towards the high 80s, but i'm not willing to go that high. and regardless of exact record, i don't think we'll be good enough to win our division. it's probably going to take at least 90 wins just to nab a wild card spot because there are a lot of good teams (at least right now on paper) in the AL this season. maybe if the stars align, we could possibly build on last year and bring a little more postseason play back to Cleveland this season. is this the year we finally win a World Series? after glancing at our starting rotation, on good conscience, i can't realistically say yes. but, anything can happen and i'm so ready for the season to get underway.



my PD boys, whom i respect a great deal, have made predictions that i want to keep on record here.

Hoynsie: 90-72, wild card

D-Man: 85-77, no wild card

Terry: 85-77, no wild card

Bud: 88-74, no wild card

Z-Mise: 88-74, wild card

i'm with D-Man and Terry here. i don't think we will crack 90 wins and if we do not, then we are not getting a wild card spot. it's interesting that Bud and Zack are predicting the same record, yet Zack thinks the Indians will get a wild card spot, while Bud does not. and as much as i love Hoynsie, i can only hope his prediction ends up being right lol he's way more hopeful than i can be right now. at least everyone has us finishing over .500!



the majority of players, pitchers and hitters, had successful springs. that is evident by the Indians' record of 20-9-2, best in both leagues. we displayed both great offense and defense. even the kids in the lower levels of the organization demonstrated star play. if anything, knowing we have some stellar athletes coming up in the farm system bodes well for the future of the franchise.

there is pressure on the team this year to prove that last year was not a fluke. it's going to be very difficult to match last season's record of 92 wins. at the very least, it's going to be tough just to put together 2 winning seasons in a row, something the Indians have not done since 2000-2001. a lot of things will have to go right, and sometimes in sports you just have to get lucky. the atmosphere around the Tribe players in spring seemed loose and confident, and if that can carry onto the field this year, then they will be a threat to every team they face.


some things that might make a difference this year that we didn't have last year:

--a full season with Salazar in the starting rotation

--Swisher starting the year without a shoulder injury and hopefully playing a full season healthy

--Bourn being more acquainted with AL pitchers, leading to more stolen bases

--Santana not catching as much, which should help his offense and take the pressure of calling games off him

--having a healthy Vinnie Pestano back in our bullpen for a full season

--having a full season under their belts with Francona as manager

--all of the players who were newbies last year have now gotten familiar with everyone and meshed very well together with the rest of the guys
 

the Indians did not make any big splashes in the free agent pool this offseason, mainly due to our higher salary acquisitions from the previous offseason. so i cannot honestly say we've improved any from last year. in fact, due to some of the big factor guys we lost, i think we may be, not necessarily worse, but possibly more inconsistent. as was the case last year, i think pitching is once again going to be questionable, both starting and relief.

our starting rotation has potential, but let's face it, it's not great. and it sure as hell is not intimidating to opponents by any means. Masterson is not a true ace, though he is our best starter hands down right now. he is capable of achieving a 20-win season, if our offense wants to help him out when he pitches. unfortunately, because Masterson pitches in the #1 spot, he usually goes against the opposing team's ace, and so it's easy to see why he's yet to have a 20-win season in his career. Kluber and McAllister are more than capable of throwing solid games, but they can also throw some ugly ones. not to mention there's concern that both will regress this year. Danny Salazar is getting his first full year in the big leagues now, and even though this kid has the stuff to be great, i think it's fair to say he will experience some struggles at times this year. and rounding out our top 5 is Carrasco. he would be better suited in the bullpen in my opinion, but what Tito wants, Tito gets. Carrasco has 2 personalities: the one who pitches well and remains focused on the game, and the one who's immature, forgets to use his fastball, and sometimes can't handle the pressure. i just hope that if the Carrasco Fiasco takes over the month of April, a change will be made by May.

it's comforting to know that we have Tomlin starting in Columbus, ready to be called up at any time. he's been very reliable, always pitching at least 5 innings when he starts. on the flip side, he hasn't pitched a full year in the bigs since 2011. he could struggle as well. we also have Bauer in Columbus, another pitcher with potential that has not yet been reached. he's young, unreliable, and not ready to be a current fixture in our rotation. after that, we really don't have any other strong pitching prospects. TJ House and Tyler Cloyd are both wild cards who would probably labor if brought up.

so there are definite question marks here with our rotation, and in order to win close to 90 games again, we will undoubtedly need our starting 5 to be spectacular. to have a chance at postseason, ideally, we need 3 or 4 of our starters to win a dozen games each. they'll need to be innings eaters, so we don't have to depend on the bullpen to bail us out on the regular. and speaking of that...


besides starting pitching, a team also needs a strong bullpen to be successful. our bullpen this season is very different from years past, and that may cause some problems. John Axford and Josh Outman are basically replacing the holes left by Chris Perez and Joe Smith. while Axford has looked great in spring games, Outman had some trouble with the long ball. that said, you never know how either will perform during the season. we don't know if Axford can close, he lost his closer job last year after all, and we have to be prepared that he may not be able to. then the entire bullpen will have to be shuffled around as far as who takes on which roles.

Vinnie Pestano is back with the club and he looked very good in spring. he's not hurt this year, which was his main problem last season. he's not going to return to his old role of set up man right away, but regardless of what inning he comes out for, if he can pitch like he did in 2012, that's a nice weapon to have.

of course our bullpen wouldn't be complete without a veteran presence, and this year that role is being filled by Scott Atchison. he had a nice spring, but we've seen in the past that the older bullpen guys can be disasters when they get in the real games. he could be this year's Hill or Durbin and get DFA'd before the All Star break. and you can't rule out that a guy his age might suffer a freak injury or two.

Blake Wood is also breaking camp with the Tribe this year. he's had surgery in the past and while that sometimes makes pitchers stronger, it's hard to say if Blake is really going to be a reliable part of the pen yet.

the final 3 making up our bullpen this year are Allen, Shaw, and Rzepczynski, all of whom were with the Tribe last year. these guys pitched very well for us in 2013, and the same is expected from them this year. although again, some regression could be a realistic possibility. if that happens, we have guys in Columbus with big league experience that we can call upon for help. but overall, i think the bullpen definitely has the potential to be one of the strongest in the league and lock down games for us.


i always say, good pitching means nothing if the offense can't score, and a few question marks remain in our lineup as well. Bourn really needs to prove himself this season. he has to do better than last year in order for us to put together a run towards the World Series, not to mention show everyone that he is worth his giant contract. how did he do in spring training? well he didn't play very much because he strained his hamstring. yes, the same hamstring he had surgery on during the offseason. with him starting the year on the DL and not having a full spring in preparation for the year, that doesn't exactly give me a vote of confidence in our center fielder. he needs his legs to be that speed demon on the basepaths, and with a hamstring issue, it's hard say how much that will affect his ability.

Swisher is another big piece of our team who needs to improve his numbers from last season if we want to make a push towards October. hopefully his shoulder won't give him any trouble this year and he can produce when we need him to.

is Cabby going to have a better year? you would think so, especially considering this is his last year before free agency and players have a tendency to step things up during their walk year. if he can improve in any way, that will be a big help for us. the fact that he's had a great camp is encouraging.

last year Jason Kipnis had a cold spring and slow start to the regular season. this spring, his bat was hot. if that can carry over into April, it would give the team a boost that it did not have a year ago.

David Murphy was a new addition to the team this offseason. he's set to platoon in right field with Raburn. unfortunately, Murphy didn't blow anybody away with his spring play. he's also known to have slow starts and unproductive numbers in April. so right now it's anyone's guess if he will even be an asset to this team.

another somewhat new addition to the team is Santana at the hot corner. he is going to play 3rd base this year. he's done a decent job in winter league and spring training, but he still has not played very much there. the Indians have basically said Santana will continue to "try out" at 3rd while the season gets going. we don't know for sure that this experiment will work out well, and if it doesn't, that could cause problems such as affecting his hitting and/or the outcomes of our games. i'm not saying this is something that could ultimately ruin the team, but it's a variable that we didn't have last season. best case scenario, Santana proves he can handle 3rd base and we finally get some nice production from that spot on the field.

because Santana is going to be playing more 3rd, that means Gomes will be our starting catcher. he did quite well coming off the bench last year. will his bat remain hot now that he's going to get more playing time, or will there be a regression?

Santana's time at 3rd also means we won't need to use Lonnie Chisenhall as much. a good strategy for the team would be to simply use Chiz against right-handed pitchers, and don't let him go near the lefties. there's also a chance Lonnie gets sent down to Columbus if the Indians feel like they can't regularly find playing time for him.

the last two additions to the team are Elliot Johnson and Nyjer Morgan. Elliot had a big spring. Tito likes him because he can play every position in the infield and outfield, and he's even been named the team's emergency catcher. his defense is stronger than his offense, so it's possible that once the season gets underway his bat will cool down. Morgan also had a nice spring, but he didn't play in the big leagues last year (he played in Japan) and had a somewhat disappointing year in 2012. if he's only a part-time player here, will he be productive? and will his alter ego "Tony Plush" cause any on- or off-field distraction or drama?

and the questions don't end there. as well as Brantley did last year and this spring, who's to say he won't face any adversity this year? will he still be as clutch as he was a year ago? and Raburn, will he be able to carry over his hot spring to the regular season, or will leg injuries slow him down? will the Goon Squad be as productive as it was last season? will Giambi still be a force, or is he just too old to help us now? and can Aviles continue to be a productive utility man for this team? i'm really not trying to be negative, i'm just pointing out how many question marks there are surrounding this team.


bottom line, this is not the same team that won 92 games last season. it's not a totally different team, but we have changed some of the pieces in our puzzle. it's unclear how any of the new guys will adapt to their new city and new roles. so far everyone's said the right things, but their true characters will come out when we encounter the inevitable tough times that always strike at some point.

this team is not going to be perfect. there are gonna be times when our starters have bad games. and there are gonna be times when the bullpen can't get anybody out, and when our closer blows games. there will be games where we're shut out because our offense can't hit their way out of a wet paper bag and bring anybody home. but there will also be times where we shut the other team out and win blow out games. there will be amazing comebacks and exciting walk-off wins. in order to succeed, we need to believe. hopefully we won't suffer through any long losing streaks, and if we're going in a bad way, that we can turn things around quickly and get back on the right path. the path to winning.


after reviewing the Tribe's spring and looking over the roster, i do think we have a good chance to finish the season with a winning record. i also think it's feasible that we could grab a wild card spot again. how far might we go in the postseason this time? it's hard to say. the odds will be best if everyone can stay relatively healthy, if the players who had bad years last year improve this year, and if our starters can consistently give us 6-7 innings every time out. that's a lot of ifs, but with Tito leading the way, it's not impossible.



i have spent the last 3 seasons arranging my schedule to ensure that i didn't miss any Tribe games. and that was a challenge last year considering all the health issues that popped up on me that i had to take care of in-season. going for a 4th straight year might be impractical because my health is still not 100%, but i will try my best to not miss any games that i can control without life getting in the way of my baseball habit lol based on the promos they're offering this season, i'm aiming to go to at least 8 games this year. and i won't give that up without a fight.

regardless, i am more than ready for baseball to begin. it's been a long 183 days. as always, i will be cheering the team on for all 162 games, through the good times and bad, with unwavering support. what else would you expect from me? ;D Ride or Die Tribe! Let's Go! =D



for the record, i'm picking the Dodgers to go all the way this year. i picked Washington to win it all last year and they disappointed. i think they'll do better this year, but i'm not picking them again lol i'm sure some sportswriters still see the Tigers as the favorites to come out of the AL, but i'm not sold, especially after losing some key players this offseason. i am going with a matchup of the Dodgers and Rays. i believe the AL will beat the NL once again in the All Star Game, so Tampa Bay will have home field advantage in the World Series, but i like the LA Dodgers to win it in 6 games.

Brantley's 2014 Spring Training #s and My Expectations

they're baaaaaaack! yes it's that time again. time for the sound of the crack of the bat to grace our ears and the boys of summer to command our attention. Brantley had a big offseason, adjusting to life with a newborn, signing himself to a long-term deal with the Indians, and getting his very own bobblehead. but the fun downtime is over; now it's time (for all of us) to get back to work and take care of our unfinished business.

to avoid monotony, i have stepped up my game yet again as far as Brantley documentation goes this season. i have added righty vs. lefty pitcher details in my notebook, as well as outs when he comes to the plate. i've also included his at bats with runners in scoring position and his 2 out hits. last year, i kept track of some of these numbers in a Word document only. this year, i thought it would be better to just add the stats to my notebook.

one other thing i must note: i "watched" all the spring training games on my gameday. however, this season i did not have audio for every game. for the first time, some spring games were broadcast on Cleveland FM stations, which i had no way of hearing. also, a couple games that were supposed to be free webcasts online during the week ended up not being free. sadly for me, that resulted in an inability to record the pitch count for every at bat Michael had. gameday was not specific in that regard, and so with no audio i was SOL. i did the absolute best i could with the spring details, and anything that did not get documented was not my fault.


now let's break down the numbers. i am going to document his ST #s, the 3rd spot #s, the 5th spot #s, the 4th spot #s, the leadoff #s, the 6th spot #s, and the #s of everything not leadoff combined, as well as the left field #s, the center field #s, and the overall outfield #s.


Brantley's 2014 Spring Training #s are as follows:

batting average: .500

OBP: .552

SLG: .740

OPS: 1.292


Michael played in 18 (of 31*) games in spring training. he started and played left in 15 games, and he started and played center in 3 games. he did not play in 13 games due to just not being in Tito's lineup.

Michael had a hit in 13 of the 18 games he played and reached base in 15 games. he had a 7-game hitting streak and reached base in 8 straight games at one point. he bat .500 (18-for-36) against right-handed pitchers and .500 (7-for-14) against left-handed pitchers. consistent much? lol

Michael hit .471 (8-for-17) with runners in scoring position. he also hit 1.000 (2-for-2) with no outs and runners in scoring position, .375 (3-for-8) with 1 out and RISP, and .429 (3-for-7) with 2 outs and RISP. he finished with a team high 14 RBI. additionally, Michael hit .688 (11-for-16) with 2 outs.

Michael also finished with the spring with the highest batting average not only on the Indians, but out of every player in the league in spring training. his OBP was also the highest of all spring training players, while his OPS was the 2nd highest, and his SLG was 7th highest.

*on 1 day in spring, there was a split squad, where the team played 2 games at the same time. clearly Michael could not play in both games, so if you wanna get technical, he really only had an opportunity to play in 30 of the 31 spring games.


Michael bat 3rd in 1 game.

Michael bat 5th in 12 games.

Michael bat 4th in 3 games.

Michael led off 1 game.

Michael bat 6th in 1 game.


Michael played left in 15 games.

Michael played center in 3 games.


in ST, Michael had a total of 58 plate appearances and 50 at bats. here is how he fared:

25 hits

15 singles

8 doubles

2 triples

14 RBI

1 sac fly

7 runs scored

5 walks

2 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

2 strikeouts (looking)

5 first at bat hits

37 total bases


14 left on base

21 putouts

94 innings

ST batting average: .500 (25-50) (18 games)


now let's break down his numbers based on where he hit in the lineup.


when Michael bat 3rd in ST, he had a total of 2 plate appearances and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

0 hits

1 walk


1 left on base

2 innings

ST batting average in the 3rd spot: .000 (0-1) (1 game)
ST batting average in the 3rd spot while playing left: .000 (0-1) (1 game)


when Michael bat 5th in ST, he had a total of 41 plate appearances and 35 at bats in 12 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

22 hits

12 singles

8 doubles

2 triples

13 RBI

1 sac fly

6 runs scored

3 walks

2 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

1 strikeout (looking)

5 first at bat hits

34 total bases


7 left on base

17 putouts

67 innings

ST batting average in the 5th spot: .629 (22-35) (12 games)


when Michael bat 5th and played left in ST, he had a total of 35 plate appearances and 31 at bats in 10 games.

19 hits

10 singles

8 doubles

1 triple

11 RBI

1 sac fly

6 runs scored

1 walk

2 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

1 strikeout (looking)

3 first at bat hits

29 total bases


5 left on base

15 putouts

56 innings

ST batting average in the 5th spot while playing left: .613 (19-31) (10 games)


when Michael bat 5th and played center in ST, he had a total of 6 plate appearances and 4 at bats in 2 games.

3 hits

2 singles

1 triple

2 RBI

2 walks

2 first at bat hits

5 total bases


2 left on base

2 putouts

11 innings

ST batting average in the 5th spot while playing center: .750 (3-4) (2 games)


when Michael bat 4th in ST, he had a total of 9 plate appearances and 8 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 single

1 RBI

1 walk

1 total base


5 left on base

1 putout

16 innings

ST batting average in the 4th spot: .125 (1-8) (3 games)
ST batting average in the 4th spot while playing left: .125 (1-8) (3 games)


when Michael bat 6th in ST, he had a total of 2 plate appearances and 2 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

0 hits


2 putouts

4 innings

ST batting average in the 6th spot: .000 (0-2) (1 game)
ST batting average in the 6th spot while playing center: .000 (0-2) (1 game)


when Michael was not leading off in ST, he had a total of 54 plate appearances and 46 at bats in 17 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

23 hits

13 singles

8 doubles

2 triples

14 RBI

1 sac fly

6 runs scored

5 walks

2 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

1 strikeout (looking)

5 first at bat hits

35 total bases


13 left on base

20 putouts

89 innings

ST batting average everywhere other than leadoff: .500 (23-46) (17 games)


when Michael was not leading off and played left in ST, he had a total of 46 plate appearances and 40 at bats in 14 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

20 hits

11 singles

8 doubles

1 triple

12 RBI

1 sac fly

6 runs scored

3 walks

2 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

1 strikeout (looking)

3 first at bat hits

30 total bases


11 left on base

16 putouts

74 innings

ST batting average everywhere other than leadoff while playing left: .500 (20-40) (14 games)


when Michael was not leading off and played center in ST, he had a total of 8 plate appearances and 6 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

3 hits

2 singles

1 triple

2 RBI

2 walks

2 first at bat hits

5 total bases


2 left on base

4 putouts

15 innings

ST batting average everywhere other than leadoff while playing center: .500 (3-6) (3 games)


when Michael bat leadoff in ST, he had a total of 4 plate appearances and 4 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

2 hits

2 singles

1 run scored

1 strikeout (looking)

2 total bases


1 left on base

1 putout

5 innings

ST batting average in the leadoff spot: .500 (2-4) (1 game)
ST batting average in the leadoff spot while playing left: .500 (2-4) (1 game)


now let's break down his numbers specific to where he played in the outfield.


when Michael played left in ST, he had a total of 50 plate appearances and 44 at bats in 15 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

22 hits

13 singles

8 doubles

1 triple

12 RBI

1 sac fly

7 runs scored

3 walks

2 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

2 strikeouts (looking)

3 first at bat hits

32 total bases


12 left on base

17 putouts

79 innings

ST batting average while playing left: .500 (22-44) (15 games)


when Michael played center in ST, he had a total of 8 plate appearances and 6 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

3 hits

2 singles

1 triple

2 RBI

2 walks

2 first at bat hits

5 total bases


2 left on base

4 putouts

15 innings

ST batting average while playing center: .500 (3-6) (3 games)



other ST #s while playing left: 17 putouts, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (79 innings, 15 games)

other ST #s while playing center: 4 putouts, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (15 innings, 3 games)

overall ST #s while playing the outfield: 21 putouts, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (94 innings, 18 games)



here are my game-by-game notes and numbers for Brantley's Spring Training 2014.

February 26: not in lineup.

Game 1, February 27: 0-1, walk. AVG: .000
[3rd/LF/2 innings]

February 28: not in lineup.

March 1: game rained out.
[3rd/LF]

Game 2, March 2: 3-3, single (first at bat), single, stolen base, single. AVG: .750
[5th/LF/5 i]

March 3: not in lineup.

Game 3, March 4: 0-3. AVG: .429
[5th/LF/5 i]

March 5: not in lineup.

Game 4, March 6: 1-2, double (first at bat), hit by pitch. AVG: .444
[5th/LF/6 i]

March 7: not in lineup.

Game 5, March 8: 4-4, RBI single (first at bat), single, double, double. AVG: .615
[5th/LF/7 i]

March 9: not in lineup.

Game 6, March 10: 1-2, RBI sac fly (first at bat), single. AVG: .600
[5th/LF/5 i]

Game 7, March 11: 1-3, RBI single. AVG: .556
[4th/LF/5 i]

March 12: not in lineup.

Game 8, March 13: 1-3, single. AVG: .524
[5th/LF/6 i]

Game 9, March 14: 0-3. AVG: .458
[4th/LF/5 i]

March 15: not in lineup.

Game 10, March 16 (split squad): 0-2, walk. AVG: .423
[4th/LF/6 i]

March 17: not in lineup.

Game 11, March 18: 3-4, RBI double, run scored, double, run scored, double. AVG: .467
[5th/LF/6 i]

March 19: not in lineup.

Game 12, March 21: 3-4, RBI single, run scored, single, 2-run double. AVG: .500
[5th/LF/5 i]

Game 13, March 22: 2-4, RBI double, 2-run triple. AVG: .500
[5th/LF/7 i]

March 23: not in lineup.

Game 14, March 24: 2-4, single, run scored, single. AVG: .500
[leadoff/LF/5 i]

Game 15, March 25: 1-2, single (first at bat), walk. AVG: .500
[5th/CF/7 i]

Game 16, March 26: 2-2, 2-run triple (first at bat), single, walk. AVG: .522
[5th/CF/4 i]

March 27: late lineup change, given day off.
[6th/LF]

Game 17, March 28: 1-2, RBI hit by pitch (first at bat), run scored, RBI single, run scored, walk, run scored. AVG: .521
[5th/LF/4 i]

**Michael's 7-game hitting streak ends**

Game 18, March 29: 0-2. AVG: .500
[6th/CF/4 i]



for the first time in 2 years, Michael did not have to spend his offseason recovering from an injury. therefore, he was able to keep his ideal offseason routine as far as preparation and training for the upcoming season went. as a result, he had a scorching hot spring. i mean, how many players typically hit .500 after 50 at bats in spring? i couldn't be happier. (the only thing i could complain about is all the number of games Tito decided to give Michael off. normally he plays more spring games but oh well.) a big highlight for me was that he only had 2 strikeouts. he was very consistent--he bat .500 in almost every category i broke down lol--and his swing looked smooth as usual. it looked like he just picked up right where he left off at the end of last year. one could argue he was ready for the season to begin weeks before March 31.

Michael bat in 5 different spots in the order this spring. he had his best numbers in the 5th and leadoff spots during camp. while it's not necessarily fair to draw conclusions from BOP in spring training because the sample size is very small, it's completely unwarranted to say Michael can't bat 3rd, 4th, or 6th just because he didn't put up good numbers in the combined 5 games he hit there. Michael has proven in the past that he's more than capable to bat in every spot in the lineup. however, it's been speculated he will spend most of his time batting 5th this year, like he did in spring, though that may not be the case at the start of the season.

after it was revealed that Michael Bourn would be opening the season on the disabled list, Brantley was inserted into the leadoff spot for one game in spring. however, it doesn't appear as though Tito wants Brantley to lead off while Bourn is out during the regular season. he really likes Brantley to bat in the middle of the order, where he did exceptionally well last season.

also due to Bourn's injury, Brantley played a few games in center field this spring. even when Bourn returns, it's presumed Brantley will still see some time in center field this year, unlike last year, because we traded away back up CF Drew Stubbs. i expect him to spend the majority of his games this season manning left though.

and speaking of defense, it's important to note that Michael is beginning the season on a 245 errorless game streak. he has not made an error in the outfield since June 3, 2012. this is a current franchise record and i'm very excited to see how much longer he can go without committing any OF errors.



My Predictions/Hopes for Brantley's 2014 Season:

Michael managed to get through last year without injury, so first and foremost i really hope he can replicate that in 2014. as far as all Michael's numbers go, i am probably going to predict and hope for close to everything i wished for him last season. he set several new highs for himself last year, so some categories will be tough to top. considering he's now earning a 5 million dollar paycheck for this season, i imagine he will try extra hard to put up the very best numbers he can. if he can at least maintain around what he did last year, then i'll be happy.

i again want to see Michael get close to a .300 batting average. of course i'll settle with a BA between .295-.300 lol i continue to have the utmost confidence that he can do it. he continues to get better and better every year, and i truly believe this year could finally be the year he accomplishes that. for the past 2 seasons, he's finished with the highest BA on the team. can he do it a third time? i don't know, but it's an obvious call to say he will remain one of our most consistent and clutch hitters.

the next category to predict is home runs. ah, my favorite statistic lol because of Michael's style of play, he does not need to hit for power. he hits his line drives well enough into the ballpark gaps and uses all parts of the field to get on base and get guys home. so despite the fans' complaints that Michael is not a big long ball hitter, that is not important. if he can go yard at least 8 times this year, that's more than fine for him.

assuming Michael has the majority of his at bats in the middle of the order again, he should at least match his RBI total from last year. i'll predict/expect at least 75. as long as the top of the order gets themselves on base so Michael can drive them in, then this is a very realistic prediction.

other numbers i predict for Brantley in 2014:

stolen bases: 22

runs scored: 65

doubles: 40

triples: 5

walks: 50

fielding percentage: .998


so good luck this season, Michael! stay confident, keep doin' what you do, and show 'em what you got =D