EXPECTATIONS FOR 18: Jay Bruce

[Edgy MD]

Hi, I'm Jay Bruce, once and future Met.

I was in the midst of a career year in 2016, got traded at the deadline, and then farted my way to the finish.

I similarly was tearing it up in 2017, got dealt off, and bumbled down the stretch.

I'm not good with change. I didn't know that, but recent experience has sort of spelled it out for me.

So I re-signed with the Mets. They're not the Reds, who are a beast I know, but I've now spent a full season with them. And with Conforto hurt and perhaps dozens more to follow him into the training room over the next three years, I know there'll be a position to play if I stay healthy and perform.

Will I stay healthy and perform? I dunno. Perhaps you do.

[fimg=330:1c2p47sk]https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/267ecbd690c5811bd0dc377d9419dad7758e9ff1/c=0-6-3921-2954&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2017/04/20/Cincinnati/Cincinnati/636282810684013166-USATSI-10005450.jpg[/fimg:1c2p47sk] [fimg=372:1c2p47sk]https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/960x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F670423822%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale[/fimg:1c2p47sk]
[fimg=151:1c2p47sk]http://www.bostonherald.com/sites/default/files/styles/featured_big/public/media/ap/2017/07/07/7d9e7d8d5cc04171a7beab6fbff2ae10.jpg?itok=Hac7UxCA[/fimg:1c2p47sk] [fimg=404:1c2p47sk]https://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2016/09/05/images/mlbf_1139512283_th_45.jpg[/fimg:1c2p47sk] [fimg=147:1c2p47sk]https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/bj.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&strip=all[/fimg:1c2p47sk]

Get your predictions in now or else all bets are off.

[youtube:1c2p47sk]3Qo7t4rC5Ww[/youtube:1c2p47sk]

[Fman99]

I expect him to fucking mash.

[Lefty Specialist]

I expect a pretty much typical season- 35/100, .255/.320/.520. In the middle of the order, if he and others stay healthy, that'll be quite satisfactory.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Just kidding!

I think he'll be a solid contributor to this team. 30 homers, 95 rbi.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

27-90 250/315/470

Plays every day

[nymr83]

Yeah, basically "average the last 2 years"

[Guest d'Kong76]

#3 in the 2018 CPF Rankiings Project, All-Star.

[nymr83]

d'Kong76 wrote: #3 in the 2018 CPF Rankiings Project, All-Star.

I'll say this - if he is #3, we are a 75 win team again. A 90 win Mets team has bigger contributions from Syndergaard, deGrom, Cespedes, & Conforto with hopefully a 3rd starter or a surprisingly good Rosario providing more value as well.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Or... if he hits 58 homers and drives in 140 runs and is ranked third, it will be a pretty awesome season.

[nymr83]

sure, but i don't think that is in his likely range of outcomes.

[MFS62]

He's one of those players about whom you can really say "check the back of his baseball card" because that's how consistent he has been.
SO, I'll say :
162 664 595 86 148 31 3 32 96 .249 .319 .472 .790

Later