As a tie in with the prediction pieces that Jason just put up, I figured it'd be fun to do an Improbable Prediction Contest yet again. I'll let my past self do the talking:
Every year, some outlandish things happen in baseball - things that no projection system can see coming. Ben Zobrist hit 27 home runs and lead the league in WAR in 2009. Jason Bartlett hits more home runs in a season than he had in his entire career. Pat Burrell sees a .110 drop in his Isolated Power (ISO). The Rays win 97 games in 2008. Carlos Pena hits 46 home runs in 2007. Outlier seasons, every one of them.
And so, since projection systems are all but worthless in predicting outlier seasons, I figured it'd be fun to have a contest to see if anyone can predict what zany, improbable events are going to happen this season. Will this be the year James Shields wins a Cy Young? Will the Rays win more than 100 games? Win less than 81? You tell me!
Feel free to re-enter your "off-the-wall" prediction from Jason's survey, as this time we'll all be able to see who thinks exactly what.
You're allowed two predictions, and both of them must be considered improbable. I don't have any set prize in mind, but if anyone actually predicts something correctly, I'll figure something out for you at the end of the season.