EXPECTATIONS FOR 18: Yoenis Céspedes

[Edgy MD]

Some guys are big. Few are bigger 'n' me.

Some guys are powerful. Not a lot are more powerful 'n' me.

Some guys are Cuban. I'm the Cubanest. The Cubanest of them all.

I'm a big, powerful Cuban with muscles on my muscles, and my much-expressed goal is to win an MVP.

Yeah, that's a lot of expressing for such an individual goal, even an individual goal that dovetails nicely with team goals. So I toned it down. But then I started it again this spring. Because I'm a little crazy.

I own a ranch, I drive funky cars, I dress a little bit flamboyantly, and maintain a private life despite all that. Yeah, and then there's the golf. I would climb out of my coffin to play a round of golf.

None of that, on it's own is crazy, right? But add it up, throw in the ballplayer bit, and yeah, maybe I'm a little crazy. But that's not without it's benefits. I work out hard, I play hard, and that's the stuff MVPs are made of, right?

Yeah, sometimes I injure myself, and when I do, I injure myself hard.

So you want to tell me what my 2018 is going to look like? Because I'm looking in the mirror, and the letters MVP are floating over my head.

[fimg=337]http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Yoenis+Cespedes+Arizona+Diamondbacks+v+New+LQxQ_tgFIAnl.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=151]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/83/0c/fb/830cfb67bd5055312e0dbdaf495130f8.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=337]http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2446392.1448466358!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/495027030.jpg[/fimg]
[fimg=335]https://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2016/11/30/images/mlbf_1211966583_th_45.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=353]https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/cespedes-3.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&strip=all[/fimg] [fimg=138]https://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/usp_mlb__miami_marlins_at_new_york_mets_84788288.jpg?w=1000&h=1368[/fimg]
[fimg=150]http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2365205.1442537291!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_750/cespedesleap-web.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=338]https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/2015/12/29/yoenis-cespedes-signs-contract.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=337]http://media.nj.com/mets_main/photo/mlb-miami-marlins-at-new-york-mets-0d1a7ebf28f4e4ef.jpg[/fimg]

I'm curious what you have to say, but let's be frank: It ain't hard to find a highlight reel of me.

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[Fman99]

MVP. He goes .315-38-115 and guns down a bunch of dudes on the bases. MASHER

[Frayed Knot]

"Like I always say about good hitters, ya gotta have the gluteus" -- Kevin Mitchell

[Edgy MD]

On his way to becoming the first Met to hit 50 when he misses a month following a beaning by Vince Velasquez of the Phillies. This leads to a vicious and frightening cycle of retribution between the two teams, before the commissioner has to step in.

Tries a little too hard when he comes back, overswinging and looking like he's going to hurt himself again, but he gradually finds his groove after a week or 10 days, initially just hitting it where it's pitched, before catching is on fire as the season closes out, hitting five homers in the last seven games, ultimately ending up with 37 homers in 123 games.

[metirish]

As he goes so do the Mets, I like Fman's line #LGM

[dgwphotography]

.280 18 52 - Spends 7 weeks on the DL with a pulled quad

[Lefty Specialist]

It's all about those quads. Healthy for 140-145 games, he could be MVP. I'm guessing he'll miss some time and be somewhere around .280/30/90.

[Ceetar]

Secretly back to golf by the All Star Break.

.282/.348/.530 in 142 games. 35 home runs (4 off of Strasburg, who goes on the DL after two of them). Bats third mostly. 1 walk off. 4 stolen bases. drives in three on the first pitch he sees in the World Series.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I predict pain. Like, 7-8 weeks' worth.

[Guest d'Kong76]

#4 in our 2018 CPF Rankings Project despite only appearing in 127 games.

[Edgy MD]

Yoenis speculates that a lack of golf can be prolonging his slump.

[fimg=500]https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/04/23/sports/23mets1-print/23mets1-print-master675.jpg[/fimg]

[Lefty Specialist]

Gotta respect a man willing to rock electric blue golf pants. Even at .195, is on a pace for 32 HR's and 146 RBI.

[seawolf17]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Gotta respect a man willing to rock electric blue golf pants. Even at .195, is on a pace for 32 HR's and 146 RBI.

And probably 300 strikeouts. But who's counting?