Well, it’s finally here! Opening Day is upon us Chicago, with the Cubs beginning their journey back to the World Series Sunday night against the Cardinals, while the White Sox start year one of their rebuild Monday afternoon.
The writers at Sports Mockery are excited to do it all again this season, and we decided to share the staff’s thoughts on the new season! So I asked our staff these four questions:
1. Team Record, where they finish in division (if playoffs, how far)
2. The most improved/surprising player or a bold predictions
3. Any players win major awards
4. A quick blurb on the team
Adam Nissan – Cubs Staff Writer
Cubs Record: 109-53
Most Improved Player: Willson Contreras
Kyle Hendricks wins Cy Young Award
Adam on the Cubs in 2017 – “Crazy to think the 2017 team will top what happened in 2016 but they will. Repeat in 2017. Book it”
Adam on the White Sox – “0-162.”
Dhruv Koul – Sports Mockery Columnist
Cubs
1. 96-66 (1st in division, lose in NLCS to Nationals)
2. Albert Almora – takes over fully as starting CF by June
3. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Willson Contreras, and Javy Baez all hit 25+ home runs
Dhruv on the Cubs – “The Cubs are the best team in baseball, hands down, but it’s too hard to repeat in the MLB. I think the Cardinals give them a good chase in the division, so Joe Maddon can’t rest everybody like he did last year. So I think they run out of gas in the NLCS.”
White Sox
1. 71-91, finish last in the AL Central
2. Todd Frazier traded before Jose Quintana
3. Tim Anderson wins a Gold Glove award
Dhruv on the White Sox – “The White Sox will suck this year and next. I expect them to be a damn solid team by 2019, however.”
Marc-Louis Papryca – Blackhawks Staff Writer
Cubs
1. Cubs 101-61 Central Division Champions Win World Series
2. Jason Heyward hits .275 with 25 HR
3. No major awards. Russel, Rizzo and Heyward win gold gloves. Rizzo and Bryant win silver sluggers.
Marc on the Cubs – “Cubs continue to have fun and delight fans while winning.”
White Sox
1. White Sox 81-81 Third in division
2. Jose Abreu has a season like his rookie year and subsequently gets traded for prospects.
3. No major awards.
Marc on the White Sox – “Sox show signs of moving in a positive direction but are years away from doing anything.”
Emmet McClain – White Sox Staff Writer
White Sox
Doug Schwamb – White Sox Writer
White Sox
- 72-90 Fifth in the A.L Central
- 2. Bold Prediction : Tyler Saladino and his mustache will continue his success from last season.
- Biggest Surprise of the Season: No awards but Tim Anderson will hit 25 home runs, steal 30 bases, and make an all star appearance.
Doug on the White Sox – “The White Sox are in the midst of a rebuild, but there’s a lot to look forward to. The upcoming prospects will make the rebuilding process a whole lot easier, and there are s few players in the Majors that can help this team contend in the future. Players such as Tim Anderson, Jose Abreu, and Nate Jones.”
Cubs
- Cubs record: 90-72. 1st in the division. Reach the World Series, but get outplayed by the Red Sox.
- Biggest Suprise of the Season: Schwarber gets more than 30 appearances behind the plate.
- Biggest Prediction: Heyward has a comeback season and hits 25 HR and 100 RBI.
Doug on the Cubs – “The Cubs will only win 90 games, but still manages to win the division. The reason being is because Joe will rest his guys a lot more, and expect him to keep making changes to the rotation of seven rather than five.”
And finally, here is my thoughts on both teams, but you can hear my entire thoughts on both the Cubs and White Sox on the most recent episode of the 312 podcast.
Sean Sears – Staff Writer
Cubs
- 98-64, 1st in the central, beat Boston in the World Series (I really wanted to pick the Dodgers but go Cubs)
- Surprise player: Last year I picked Kyle Hendricks, so this year I’m going with Addison Russell solidifying his place as a top-five shortstop this season
- Bold prediction: Jason Heyward ends the year as the Cubs leadoff hitter, also Russell, Rizzo, and Heyward win gold glove
My thoughts on the Cubs – “What more can you say about the team everyone thinks is the best in baseball? Whether or not the Cubs win it all again in 2017, they are going to have more fun than anyone else this season, and I can’t wait to watch them do it.”
White Sox
- 70-92, 4th in the division, no playoffs
- Surprise player: Leury Garcia, if he can find playing time, he’s going to score some runs.
- None, but Carlos Rodon does prove he can be a staff ace when healthy
My thoughts on the White Sox – “The Sox, while rebuilding, still have a decent amount of talent on the major league roster, enough to keep them from actually tanking. Which means making deals for Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, David Robertson, etc. are going to be crucial for the Sox to continue to find success while attempting to rebuild.”
