The New Season: Pulling Out The Crystal Ball
By Tim Kabel
April 2, 2022
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We have less than a week before the season begins. I have spent a lot of time talking about the construction of the roster and the team that is currently in place. For today, rather than going over the fact that I think they should trade Aaron Hicks yet again, I have decided to make some predictions.
The purpose of this is to have some fun. I am not Tim Russert standing in front of the camera with a little white board predicting who will win the presidential election. This is not life or death. However. I am usually pretty good at these things. In the middle of every August, I correctly predict that we will have a heat wave. Once, when I took my kids to an aquarium to see a dolphin show, and we sat in the front row, I predicted that we would get wet. When I sat down to watch Raging Bull, I looked at my friend and said, “I bet you there’s a lot of fighting in this movie.”
At the conclusion of the season, I expect to be hauled up in front of ProfRobert and Fuster, and either rewarded with a delightful lemon meringue pie or flogged in the public square, based on the accuracy of my predictions.
How many wins will the Yankees have this season?
98
Who will win the American League East?
The Yankees. Toronto will be second.
How many times will Aaron Boone get ejected?
6
Will Aaron Hicks be the Yankees’ starting center fielder for the entire season?
No
How many Yankees will hit 40 or more home runs?
3. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Joey Gallo.
How many different pitchers will start games for the Yankees this year?
11
How many times will I use the term “Boone-proofing” in an article? (Not including this one.)
37.
How many home runs will Aaron Judge hit?
54
How many games will Gerrit Cole win?
19
Will the Yankees acquire another frontline starting pitcher between now and the trading deadline?
Yes
Will Aaron Hicks have more: home runs, stolen bases, or games on the IL?
Games on the IL
How many Yankees will hit 30 or more home runs?
6. Judge, Stanton, Gallo, Josh Donaldson, Gleyber Torres, and Anthony Rizzo.
How many times will Aaron Boone say in a postgame press conference, “I really like the way we’re getting after it.”? (Or something very similar)
73
Who will win more games, Max Scherzer or Gerrit Cole?
Cole.
Who will hit more home runs, Clint Frazier or Aaron Hicks?
Frazier.
Who will hit more home runs, Gary Sanchez or the combination of Kyle Higashioka and Ben Rortvedt?
Higashioka/Rortvedt
Which team will win more games, the Yankees or the Mets?
The Yankees
Who will win more games, Jacob deGrom or Nestor Cortes, Jr.?
Nestor is the bester.
Who will have more stolen bases, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, or Aaron Hicks?
Kiner-Falefa.
How many Yankees will hit 20 or more home runs this season?
9. Judge, Stanton, Gallo, Rizzo, Torres, Donaldson, Kyle Higashioka, Ben Rortvedt, DJ LeMahieu.
Which Aaron is least likely to be on the Yankees in 2023?
Hicks
Who will win the World Series?
The Yankees
Who will win the American League MVP?
Giancarlo Stanton
Who will win the American League Cy Young Award?
Gerrit Cole
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