Los Angeles Dodgers: 20 bold predictions for the 2018 Dodgers
By Jason Reed
Predictions 10-12:
Prediction 10: Pedro Baez will be in between his two different performances
Prior to the end of August and September, Pedro Baez seemed unhittable and gave opposing hitters a very hard path to Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning. However, a meltdown in that time frame resulted in Baez ultimately losing his setup job and a playoff roster spot.
I do think the reception around Baez is a tad harsh but I definitely understand why Dodger fans do not want to see him on the mound ever again. While I do not think he can recapture that magic, he will not be as bad as he was at the end of the last season. I expect and ERA in the range of 2.90 to 3.30.
Prediction 11: Justin Turner hit his ceiling in 2017
Do I think Justin Turner is still an all-star caliber player? Yes. Do I think Justin Turner is still one of the best third basemen in the league? Yes.
However, it is hard to deny that 2017 did serve as Turner’s “ceiling” and it will be very hard for him to beat the numbers he produced. Not only that, I do not think that Turner can replicate his production from 2017.
While I think he can get close and he still is an all-star, he is 33 years old coming off of the best year of his career to date. Again, he can probably still hit .300 with 20 home runs, but there is no way we see the same dominant Turner that we saw throughout 2017.
Prediction 12: Corey Seager will re-enter the MVP discussion
Corey Seager was an MVP finalist in his rookie year. Although the award was undoubtedly going to Kris Bryant, the fact that Seager finished third in his rookie year is astonishing.
With Giancarlo Stanton heading to the American League, the National League lacks true star power. Bryce Harper, Nolan Arenado and Joey Votto are all the likely favorites, but Seager very well could make that push too.
Seager battled injuries last year that hindered his production and hurt any sort of MVP case he could have had. However, entering 2018 (hopefully) healthy, Seager can return to MVP status and even win the award.