At the start of every season, the writers here at Fake Teams take our best shot at what we hope are bold predictions, guesses where we hope to make a statement on what we think can happen this year. While we don't anticipate that very many, if any, will come to pass, it's an interesting exercise to see whether the thinking involved held as true or not. You can find my original predictions here, and I will review the second half of the predictions soon.
Mark Appel, RHP, Houston Astros
WHAT WAS SAID
Mark Appel is the first of the second wave of Astros' prospects to get to the majors, debuting on September 1st. That doesn't mean you want to grab him in your fantasy league.
HOW IT TURNED OUT
Well, it's still theoretically possible that Appel could debut on September 1st, but I'm ready to call this one now. Appel struggled mightily at High-A, was promoted to AA, and seems likely on a path to debut at some point late in the 2015 season. The performance (and reports to go with it) point to more development needed, which could lead to the potential of a buy low opportunity if you're interested in trading for Appel.
GRADE: C-
Joc Pederson, OF and Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
WHAT WAS SAID
Corey Seager at the Futures Game. Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Crick, RHP, San Francisco Giants
Crick has remained in the starting rotation for Richmond, but the concerns remain the same as at the start of the year. He's posted an excellent strikeout rate (28% of batters, 11 per 9 innings), but the walks remain an issue (15%, 6 per 9 innings). I'm not convinced that he's any more likely to remain a starter long term, but the Giants seem like they will take their time before deciding whether he should move to the bullpen.
Stephen Piscotty, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
WHAT WAS SAID
HOW IT TURNED OUT
Piscotty MLB AB total so far: 0. Taveras: 154 and rising. Piscotty isn't going to catch him before the end of the season, in part because he's still not up (or even on the 40-man roster), and also because of the number of other outfielders already on the 40-man roster. The organization doesn't even need to add him until after next season, so the odds of a call up at this point are slim-to-none. Piscotty is actually having a very solid year at AAA Memphis, hitting .294/.356/.414 with 8 home runs and 10 stolen bases.
GRADE: D-
Matt Barnes, RHP, and Henry Owens, LHP, Boston Red Sox
WHAT WAS SAID
Injuries to the major league pitching staff force the Red Sox to get 15 starts each from Matt Barnes and Henry Owens.
HOW IT TURNED OUT
Barnes and Owens have currently made a grand total of zero starts in the major leagues this year, but have had double-digit starts from both Rubby de la Rosa and Brandon Workman, as well as multiple starts from prospects Allen Webster and Anthony Ranaudo. In hindsight, I should have looked at the 40-man roster a little more intently at the time, as Webster was already on it and Ranaudo would have to have been added to it after this season anyway, while Barnes and Owens do not.
GRADE: C-
For what it's worth, I'm also ready to call each of the following as "Nope, you should not try to predict award winners.":