SPECULATOR: 2018 Snap judgments (batters)

The temptation is overwhelming.

We are all itching to (over-)react to what’s happened over the first two weeks of the season. Exercising excruciating patience, a staple mantra here over the years, is the prudent thing to do. But if you must scratch that itch, the Speculator is the space for you.

Our disclaimer at the bottom of this page means we aren’t constrained by issues like the legitimacy of underlying sample sizes. Of course, we can’t completely disregard our numbers-based approach, but we do have some more leeway as we project ahead, especially when the early returns align with our preseason outlooks.

So this week (batters) and next (pitchers), we’ll take a look at some surprising early performances, and ask ourselves the...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From Speculator

Our annual exercise pitting current players on the age-old 10-step path to prospect stardom list.
Jun 11 2025 3:06am
Two-plus months into the season, we'll use QBaB to see who's making the best quality of contact, and speculate on their outlook going forward.
Jun 4 2025 3:09am
After last week's in-season "UP"side column, it's time to strike a more pessimistic tune.
May 28 2025 3:07am
We'll take a page from the Baseball Forecaster with a new batch of "UP"side projections based on 2025's early returns.
May 21 2025 3:06am
Starters who have had one (just one!) bad start, and what things would look like if we give them a mulligan
May 14 2025 3:10am

Tools