SPECULATOR: Spring Training "What if"s — NL Edition

Extending last week's theme, let's run down eight pressing questions from National League camps:

What if James Loney's (1B, LA) second-half surge is sustainable?

The 2012 Baseball Forecaster dismisses the possibility: "A stepping stone? Nah, he's teased us before." To be fair, there is good reason for that point of view: Loney had a well-established track record over more than 2000 career AB; our fanalytic principles tell us not to get sucked in by a 170-AB stretch where a few errant gusts of wind were at his back. But...

  • Even though elevated h% and LD% drove the surge, it was GBs he was turning into LDs, not FBs. More balls in the air may indicate he can hold some power gains.
  • One Dodger observer points out that Loney's...

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

We'll apply some lessons learned from last year's pool to speculate on this year's breakouts.
Mar 5 2025 3:09am
Landmines are littered throughout the draft pool, even in the early rounds. We'll take a speculative look at which are most likely to bust.
Feb 26 2025 3:08am
We'll tour through 2025's biggest ADP fallers compared to this time last year, speculating on the best rebound targets.
Feb 19 2025 3:11am
A look at who switched things up the most last season, and what that means for their 2025 outlook.
Feb 12 2025 3:05am
Using some of our new playing time component metrics to look at potentially higher PA ceilings for Elly De La Cruz, TJ Friedl, and others
Feb 5 2025 8:34am

Tools