Phillies Nation’s 2017 staff predictions

The staff of Phillies Nation made a bunch of predictions for 2017. Let’s see how close we get!

PHILLIES PREDICTIONS

1. What’s the 2017 won-loss record?

Tim Malcolm: 75-87
Michael Sadowski: 77-85
Corey Sharp: 77-85
Kirsten Swanson: 76-86
Daniel Walsh: 74-88

2. Who will hit the first home run on the team?

Malcolm: Cameron Rupp
Sadowski: Odubel Herrera
Sharp: Tommy Joseph
Swanson: Maikel Franco
Walsh: Michael Saunders

3. When will be the first three- or four-game sweep win?

Malcolm: May 26-28 vs Cincinnati
Sadowski: April 25-27 vs Miami
Sharp: May 26-28 vs Cincinnati
Swanson: April 25-27 vs Miami
Walsh: April 25-27 vs Miami

4. When will be the first three- or four-game sweep loss?

Malcolm: April 14-16 at Washington
Sadowski: April 10-12 vs New York
Sharp: April 18-20 at New York
Swanson: April 18-20 at New York
Walsh: April 14-16 at Washington

5. Who will hit the most home runs on the team?

Malcolm: Maikel Franco
Sadowski: Maikel Franco
Sharp: Maikel Franco
Swanson: Maikel Franco
Walsh: Tommy Joseph

6. Who will hit for the highest average on the team?

Malcolm: Cesar Hernandez
Sadowski: Odubel Herrera
Sharp: Odubel Herrera
Swanson: Odubel Herrera
Walsh: Odubel Herrera

7. Who will have the most wins on the team?

Malcolm: Jerad Eickhoff
Sadowski: Aaron Nola
Sharp: Jerad Eickhoff
Swanson: Jerad Eickhoff
Walsh: Jerad Eickhoff (also, “kill the win”)

8. Who will have the most pitcher strikeouts on the team?

Malcolm: Jeremy Hellickson
Sadowski: Jerad Eickhoff
Sharp: Vince Velasquez
Swanson: Vince Velasquez
Walsh: Vince Velasquez

9. Who will have the most saves on the team?

Malcolm: Hector Neris
Sadowski: Hector Neris
Sharp: Hector Neris
Swanson: Hector Neris
Walsh: Hector Neris

10. Final Odubel Herrera batting average.

Malcolm: .288
Sadowski: .298
Sharp: .311
Swanson: .281
Walsh: .285

11. Final Maikel Franco home run total.

Malcolm: 32
Sadowski: 29
Sharp: 32
Swanson: 29
Walsh: 22

12. Final Cesar Hernandez on-base percentage.

Malcolm: .358
Sadowski: .342
Sharp: .381
Swanson: .363
Walsh: .350

13. Final Aaron Nola start total.

Malcolm: 26
Sadowski: 29
Sharp: 25
Swanson: 26
Walsh: 27

14. Final Vince Velasquez strikeout total.

Malcolm: 131
Sadowski: 210
Sharp: 162
Swanson: 176
Walsh: 165

15. Final Jerad Eickhoff ERA.

Malcolm: 3.63
Sadowski: 3.97
Sharp: 3.38
Swanson: 3.82
Walsh: 3.75

16. When will J.P. Crawford get his first at bat?

Malcolm: June 2 vs San Francisco
Sadowski: July 19 at Miami
Sharp: July 21 vs Milwaukee
Swanson: Sept. 1 at Miami
Walsh: Sept. 1 at Miami

17. When will Nick Williams get his first at bat?

Malcolm: Sept. 16 vs Oakland
Sadowski: Sept. 9 at Washington
Sharp: Sept. 1 at Miami
Swanson: Aug. 1 at Los Angeles Angels
Walsh: Sept. 15 vs Oakland

18. When will Mark Appel throw his first MLB pitch?

Malcolm: Sept. 17 vs Oakland
Sadowski: Sept. 8 a Washington
Sharp: Not this year
Swanson: Sept. 7 at Washington
Walsh: Sept. 16 vs Oakland

19. Will the Phillies trade anyone currently on the 25-man roster, and if so, who?

Malcolm: Yes. Jeremy Hellickson, Michael Saunders, Pat Neshek
Sadowski: Yes. Cesar Hernandez, Freddy Galvis, Howie Kendrick
Sharp: Yes. Jeremy Hellickson, Pat Neshek, Howie Kendrick
Swanson: Yes. Jeremy Hellickson
Walsh: Yes. Jeremy Hellickson, Pat Neshek

20. Which Phillie(s) will make the NL all-star team?

Malcolm: Odubel Herrera
Sadowski: Maikel Franco
Sharp: Odubel Herrera
Swanson: Odubel Herrera
Walsh: Odubel Herrera

21. On what date will the Phillies be eliminated from postseason contention?

Malcolm: Sept. 10
Sadowski: Sept. 14
Sharp: Sept. 24
Swanson: Sept. 18
Walsh: Sept. 23

22. Of the 15 NL teams, in what place will the Phillies finish?

Malcolm: 10th
Sadowski: 9th
Sharp: 9th
Swanson: 9th
Walsh: 11th

23. How many fans will visit Citizens Bank Park for the first home game against Seattle on May 9 (Carlos Ruiz’s return)?

Malcolm: 31,957
Sadowski: 33,952
Sharp: 32,000
Swanson: 33,743
Walsh: 26,000

24. How long will Pete Rose’s (let’s be honest) Wall of Fame speech last?

Malcolm: 8 minutes
Sadowski: 17 minutes
Sharp: 25 minutes
Swanson: “FOREVER” … or 5 minutes
Walsh: “too long”

25. What will be the Phillies’ final 2017 attendance total?

Malcolm: 2,046, 119
Sadowski: 2,100,000
Sharp: 2,200,000
Swanson: 1,998,683
Walsh: 2,000,000

MLB PREDICTIONS

26. NL playoff teams.

Malcolm: Washington, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles
Sadowski: Washington, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Colorado
Sharp: Washington, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco
Swanson: Washington, New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles
Walsh: Washington, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco

27. NL MVP.

Malcolm: Corey Seager (LAD)
Sadowski: Nolan Arenado (COL)
Sharp: Anthony Rizzo (CHC)
Swanson: Bryce Harper (WAS)
Walsh: Nolan Arenado (COL)

28. NL Cy Young.

Malcolm: Madison Bumgarner (SF)
Sadowski: Noah Syndergaard (NYM)
Sharp: Clayton Kershaw (LAD)
Swanson: Jake Arrieta (CHC)
Walsh: Clayton Kershaw (LAD)

29. NL Rookie of the Year.

Malcolm: Tyler Glasnow (PIT)
Sadowski: Hunter Renfroe (SD)
Sharp: Dansby Swanson (ATL)
Swanson: Dansby Swanson (ATL)
Walsh: Dansby Swanson (ATL)

30. AL playoff teams.

Malcolm: New York, Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Seattle
Sadowski: Boston, Toronto, Cleveland, Houston, Texas
Sharp: Boston, Toronto, Cleveland, Texas, Houston
Swanson: Toronto, Boston, Cleveland, Houston, Seattle
Walsh: Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, Seattle

31. AL MVP.

Malcolm: Manny Machado (BAL)
Sadowski: Carlos Correa (HOU)
Sharp: Francisco Lindor (CLE)
Swanson: Manny Machado (BAL)
Walsh: Mike Trout (LAA)

32. AL Cy Young.

Malcolm: Carlos Carrasco (CLE)
Sadowski: Yu Darvish (TEX)
Sharp: Corey Kluber (CLE)
Swanson: Chris Sale (BOS)
Walsh: Chris Sale (BOS)

33. AL Rookie of the Year.

Malcolm: Aaron Judge (NYY)
Sadowski: Yulieski Gurriel (HOU)
Sharp: Aaron Judge (NYY)
Swanson: Andrew Benintendi (BOS)
Walsh: Andrew Benintendi (BOS)

34. MLB home run champion.

Malcolm: Nolan Arenado (COL)
Sadowski: Nolan Arenado (COL)
Sharp: Nolan Arenado (COL)
Swanson: Giancarlo Stanton (MIA)
Walsh: Nolan Arenado (COL)

35. MLB batting champion.

Malcolm: Mookie Betts (BOS)
Sadowski: Miguel Cabrera (DET)
Sharp: Corey Seager (LAD)
Swanson: Mookie Betts (BOS)
Walsh: Jose Altuve (HOU)

36. MLB pitcher strikeout champion.

Malcolm: Madison Bumgarner (SF)
Sadowski: Noah Syndergaard (NYM)
Sharp: Max Scherzer (WAS)
Swanson: Felix Hernandez (SEA)
Walsh: Max Scherzer (WAS)

37. World Series matchup and winner.

Malcolm: St. Louis vs. Boston (winner: Boston)
Sadowski: Washington vs. Houston (winner: Houston)
Sharp: New York vs. Cleveland (winner: Cleveland)
Swanson: Los Angeles vs. Cleveland (winner: Cleveland)
Walsh: Chicago vs. Boston (winner: Boston)

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.