2017 Nats media season predictions

OK, your long nightmare is over. It's no longer the offseason. It's no longer the preseason. It's officially baseball season again in Washington.

Opening day is full of all kinds of traditions, and so it is that we present our own annual tradition: the Nationals media opening day season predictions. Now in its eighth year of existence, this feature has spanned three different websites and has had some revolving door participants, as the beat has changed over time. But it always makes for some good debate, and it always makes for a great revisit at season's end.

Thank you to all of my colleagues who participated and were willing to put their reputations (or what's left of them) on the line. And thank you to everyone else out there who doesn't lambaste us too bad for all the mistakes we surely have made in trying to predict the 2017 baseball season in the District ...

WHICH NATIONALS WILL BE SELECTED FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME?
Jorge Castillo (Washington Post) - Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg
Jamal Collier (MLB.com) - Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner
Todd Dybas (Washington Times) - Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner
Craig Heist (106.7 FM) - Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner
Chelsea Janes (Washington Post) - Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Trea Turner
Byron Kerr (MASNsports.com) - Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer
Bill Ladson (MLB.com) - Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner
Pete Kerzel (MASNsports.com) - Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner
Eddie Matz (ESPN.com) - Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Tanner Roark, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner
Mark Zuckerman (MASNsports.com) - Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Trea Turner

WHAT WILL TOTAL HOME ATTENDANCE BE?
Jamal Collier - 2,700,072
Byron Kerr - 2,643,921
Craig Heist - 2,600,000
Bill Ladson - 2,600,000
Jorge Castillo - 2,569,237
Eddie Matz - 2,555,555
Mark Zuckerman - 2,537,914
Chelsea Janes - 2,521,104
Pete Kerzel - 2,519,744
Todd Dybas - 2,493,859

HOW MANY HOMERS WILL BRYCE HARPER HIT?
Byron Kerr - 44
Craig Heist - 38
Pete Kerzel - 38
Eddie Matz - 38
Mark Zuckerman - 37
Jorge Castillo - 36
Todd Dybas - 36
Bill Ladson - 35
Jamal Collier - 33
Chelsea Janes - 33

WHO WILL LEAD THE PITCHING STAFF IN WINS? HOW MANY?
Byron Kerr - Max Scherzer, 21
Pete Kerzel - Max Scherzer, 21
Todd Dybas - Max Scherzer, 19
Jorge Castillo - Max Scherzer, 19
Eddie Matz - Max Scherzer, 19
Mark Zuckerman - Max Scherzer, 19
Jamal Collier - Max Scherzer, 18
Craig Heist - Max Scherzer, 18
Chelsea Janes - Max Scherzer, 18
Bill Ladson - Max Scherzer, 15

WHO WILL LEAD THE PITCHING STAFF IN STRIKEOUTS? HOW MANY?
Byron Kerr - Max Scherzer, 285
Todd Dybas - Max Scherzer, 279
Mark Zuckerman - Max Scherzer, 278
Jamal Collier - Max Scherzer, 277
Jorge Castillo - Max Scherzer, 268
Eddie Matz - Max Scherzer, 263
Craig Heist - Max Scherzer, 260
Bill Ladson - Max Scherzer, 250
Chelsea Janes - Max Scherzer, 248
Pete Kerzel - Max Scherzer, 212

WHO WILL BE THE SIXTH PITCHER TO START A GAME?
Byron Kerr - A.J. Cole
Eddie Matz - A.J. Cole
Pete Kerzel - Erick Fedde
Bill Ladson - Erick Fedde
Jorge Castillo - Jeremy Guthrie
Jamal Collier - Jeremy Guthrie
Craig Heist - Jeremy Guthrie
Mark Zuckerman - Joe Ross
Chelsea Janes - Jacob Turner
Todd Dybas - Austin Voth

WHAT WILL DANIEL MURPHY'S BATTING AVERAGE BE?
Jorge Castillo - .321
Craig Heist - .320
Todd Dybas - .318
Mark Zuckerman - .317
Jamal Collier - .316
Chelsea Janes - .316
Pete Kerzel - .313
Eddie Matz - .313
Bill Ladson - .290
Byron Kerr - .289

HOW MANY STOLEN BASES WILL TREA TURNER HAVE?
Craig Heist - 73
Bill Ladson - 70
Byron Kerr - 65
Jorge Castillo - 64
Mark Zuckerman - 62
Eddie Matz - 58
Pete Kerzel - 51
Chelsea Janes - 43
Jamal Collier - 42
Todd Dybas - 42

WHERE WILL ADAM EATON BAT IN THE LINEUP THE MOST TIMES?
Jamal Collier - 2nd
Craig Heist - 2nd
Byron Kerr - 2nd
Pete Kerzel - 2nd
Bill Ladson - 2nd
Mark Zuckerman - 2nd
Jorge Castillo - 6th
Chelsea Janes - 6th
Todd Dybas - 7th
Eddie Matz - 7th

RANK RYAN ZIMMERMAN, JAYSON WERTH AND MATT WIETERS IN ORDER OF HOME RUNS.
Jorge Castillo - Zimmerman, Werth, Wieters
Todd Dybas - Zimmerman, Werth, Wieters
Chelsea Janes - Zimmerman, Werth, Wieters
Pete Kerzel - Zimmerman, Werth, Wieters
Bill Ladson - Zimmerman, Werth, Wieters
Eddie Matz - Zimmerman, Werth, Wieters
Craig Heist - Zimmerman, Wieters, Werth
Jamal Collier - Wieters, Zimmerman, Werth
Byron Kerr - Wieters, Werth, Zimmerman
Mark Zuckerman - Werth, Zimmerman, Wieters

WHO WILL LEAD THE PITCHING STAFF IN SAVES? HOW MANY?
Jorge Castillo - Blake Treinen, 37
Jamal Collier - Blake Treinen, 37
Chelsea Janes - Blake Treinen, 36
Todd Dybas - Blake Treinen, 29
Pete Kerzel - Blake Treinen, 27
Eddie Matz - Blake Treinen, 26
Craig Heist - Blake Treinen, 25
Byron Kerr - Blake Treinen, 25
Mark Zuckerman - Blake Treinen and Koda Glover, 21
Bill Ladson - Shawn Kelley, 20

HOW MANY GAMES WILL THE NATIONALS WIN?
Byron Kerr - 99
Mark Zuckerman - 97
Todd Dybas - 94
Eddie Matz - 94
Jamal Collier - 93
Craig Heist - 93
Pete Kerzel - 93
Jorge Castillo - 92
Chelsea Janes - 91
Bill Ladson - 84

HOW WILL THE NATIONALS' SEASON END?
Chelsea Janes - Lose World Series
Eddie Matz - Lose World Series
Jorge Castillo - Lose NLCS
Craig Heist - Lose NLCS
Byron Kerr - Lose NLCS
Pete Kerzel - Lose NLCS
Mark Zuckerman - Lose NLCS
Jamal Collier - Lose NLDS
Todd Dybas - Lose NLDS
Bill Ladson - Miss playoffs