Cincinnati Reds: Pre-season Prognostications For 2013

Oct 9, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jay Bruce (32) hits a single in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants in game three of the 2012 NLDS at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Each year on the second day of February, a ground hog in Pennsylvania lifts his tired head out of his hole long enough to let the people know how much winter is left. Keeping that same tradition, I make it a habit to do a little portending of my own, Cincinnati Reds style.

Last season I was pretty much spot on with Ryan Ludwick. My exact words last Spring were, “Ludwick will wind back the clock—just not all the way back to 2008 when he put up monstrous numbers. He will bat .278 with 25 HR and 91 RBI.” Of course his actual numbers were .275 with 26 HR and 80 RBI. Not that bad, eh?

I predicted the Reds would win the NL Central, as they certainly did. I also predicted Johnny Cueto would win 18 and have an ERA of 2.30. His real statistics were 19 wins with a 2.78 ERA. I had my bad ones as well but I choose not to highlight them.

After having looked in my crystal ball, I now present to you, Reds Nation, my pre-season predictions for the 2013 Reds. They will repeat as Central Division champs, win 102 regular season games, and host the playoffs as the #1 seed. There will be only two .300 hitters, no 20-game winners and Jay Bruce will hit 40 homers. Here is the complete prophecies, in table format not quatrain, as my good friend and classmate Nostradamus would.

I have left Nick Masset off the list intentionally. I don’t think he will play this season. It’s foggy, but that is what the ball says.

What are your thoughts?

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