Bold Predictions for Every MLB Team Before the End of the Season
We're heading down the final stretch of the 2015 season, and there are plenty of intriguing storylines left to play out. Each of the 30 teams is in a different place in terms of competitiveness, but all have something to play for over the last quarter of the baseball year.
Here are bold predictions for every team as 2015 winds down. Each one will focus on the regular season—we'll leave the postseason for another time. Some teams have obvious questions. Can the Nationals salvage what's left of a disappointing year? Will the Blue Jays' new pieces spur an American League East title? And which players will have the biggest impact on the extremely muddled AL wild-card race?
We'll take a shot at answering those questions, along with many others. Want to weigh in on your favorite team's end-of-the-year goals? Fire away in the comments section. They say age before beauty, so we'll get started in the National League.
Los Angeles Dodgers
1 of 30
Prediction: Chase Utley will play a significant role in the Dodgers' NL West run.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made a notable waiver-wire pickup when they acquired Chase Utley from the Phillies while the 36-year-old is in the midst of the worst season of his impressive career.
Utely has a slash line of .213/.280/.328 this season, easily the lowest numbers of his career. He's battled through injuries, and his recent resurgence after coming off the disabled list on Aug. 7 suggests that he still has something left in the tank.
With starting second baseman Howie Kendrick expected to remain on the DL until September, Utley will get regular playing time in the coming weeks. He reportedly is willing to play third base, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, which will help him get even more playing time once Kendrick returns as the backup to Justin Turner. Since coming off the DL on Aug. 13, Turner has hit .160/.214/.280.
Utley has significant postseason experience, and he'll have plenty of opportunity to contribute to the Dodgers down the stretch. The bet here is that he'll make the most of it and earn himself one more chance to play in October.
San Francisco Giants
2 of 30
Prediction: The Giants will get on a hot streak and back in the playoff picture.
As of this writing, the San Francisco Giants trail the Dodgers by 1.5 games in the NL West and are four games behind the Cubs for the second wild-card spot. Taking a look at the team's remaining schedule reveals that San Francisco is in its most crucial stretch of the season.
The Giants are in the midst of a four-game series in Pittsburgh, and after Sunday's game, they return home for six games against the Cubs and Cardinals, who have the league's best record. They end August with the first of three games against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
These are just 10 games of about 40 remaining, but these are the games that will play the biggest role in determining whether the Giants make the playoffs. Starting pitcher Mike Leake returned from the DL on Saturday and pitched six innings with six strikeouts and just one run allowed. He's scheduled to pitch twice more over the next 10 games, as is Madison Bumgarner.
Though there is still a month left to go, the Giants will treat this stretch of games as make-or-break contests, and the defending champs will rise to the occasion and propel themselves back into first place by the beginning of August.
Arizona Diamondbacks
3 of 30
Prediction: Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock will both end the season with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
It's been a tough year for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015. Despite having one of the game's best players in Goldschmidt and a collection of promising youngsters such as Pollock, Yasmany Tomas and Jake Lamb, they've been under .500 for much of the season and stand very little chance of making a playoff run.
Two reasons to keep tuning in to Diamondbacks games down the stretch, though, are Goldschmidt and Pollock. Goldschmidt has turned in another outstanding season and continues to be the most unheralded star in the league, while Pollock has enjoyed a breakout year, making his first All-Star team and currently sitting in the top five in the NL in batting average and stolen bases.
With one more stolen base, Goldschmidt will have his first season with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Pollock needs seven more home runs to join the club, though that might be a bit of a stretch for him since he's never hit more than four in a single month.
If Pollock can go on a home run tear, he and Goldschmidt would become just the eighth set of teammates to each hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in the same season since 2006—and the first since 2011. Since this article is about bold predictions, Pollock will reach that mark.
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San Diego Padres
4 of 30
Prediction: James Shields will not be traded.
Shields is in the first year of a four-year, $75 million contract that looks like a colossal overspend after the first five months of the deal. Shields cleared waivers and can now be traded to any team, but the bet here is that he won't be going anywhere at least until the offseason.
Teams such as the Yankees and Blue Jays have a need for starting pitching, but considering the enormous amount of money (and three more seasons) left on Shields' contract, it's doubtful the San Diego Padres will find a trade partner, especially considering that the team couldn't get a deal done by the July 31 non-waiver deadline.
This offseason will be a crucial one for the Padres, and Shields could be one of several players to be shipped elsewhere. For now, though, expect him to stay put.
Colorado Rockies
5 of 30
Prediction: Jose Reyes will get moved before the end of August.
When the Colorado Rockies acquired Reyes from Toronto in the Troy Tulowitzki trade, it seemed odd that a team clearly in a rebuilding mode would take on a player with so much money left on his contract. Reyes is owed $48 million over the next two seasons, and he's been nowhere near the same player he was with the Mets.
Reyes cleared waivers and can now be traded anywhere. The Rockies have received interest from some teams, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, but for now have stood pat.
The bet here is that the team is simply waiting as long as possible to weigh its options before making a move. It just doesn't make much sense for the Rockies to want to keep Reyes around, and his comments, via Heyman, about focusing on winning at this point in his career make it seem like he'd rather be elsewhere.
"At this point, I just want to win," Reyes said. "I'm at the point in my career where I want to win. If it's here or someplace else, I don't know. Next year, I mean, should be better. But I don't want to spend the rest of my career playing on a last-place team."
St. Louis Cardinals
6 of 30
Prediction: The Cardinals will set the franchise record for wins in a season.
The St. Louis Cardinals are currently on pace to win 103 games, which would be their most since 2004. They won a franchise-best 106 games in 1942, and with a strong finish, they will break that record in 2015.
St. Louis has been the best team in the National League all season. Its team ERA is a minuscule 2.65, which is especially impressive considering that it has played nearly the entire season without ace Adam Wainwright. John Lackey has the worst ERA (2.99) among the team's starting pitchers, which bodes very well for the team in the postseason.
With the Pirates and Cubs each having great seasons, the Cardinals won't be afforded the luxury of resting their stars down the stretch. That means more games in which the team is actually trying to win, which will give it enough boost to reach 107 wins.
Pittsburgh Pirates
7 of 30
Prediction: Gerrit Cole will lead the NL in wins.
The Pittsburgh Pirates currently hold the top spot in the NL wild-card race, and they owe a large portion of their success to their top three starters—Cole, Francisco Liriano and A.J. Burnett.
Cole currently is second in the league in wins behind Jake Arrieta and Madison Bumgarner. He's behind by only one, and the way the schedule is shaped up down the stretch, he'll have a great chance to surpass both.
With 24 games remaining against teams with losing records, Cole will have plenty of chances to add more wins. He'll face the Rockies, Marlins, Brewers and Reds several times over the last month. With the Pirates needing those wins to maintain their current standing, they will lean on Cole heavily, and he should be able to finish the season as the league's wins leader.
Chicago Cubs
8 of 30
Prediction: The Cubs will pass the Pirates for the top wild-card spot.
The Chicago Cubs seem poised to reach the postseason for the first time since 2008, and if they make it as a wild-card team (which seems very likely considering they're seven games behind the Cardinals), then playing that game at home would be an enormous advantage.
It's no secret the Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908, and the fans at Wrigley Field have been aching for some postseason baseball. If the Cubs can earn home-field advantage for that elimination game, it will greatly boost their chances of advancing.
With 12 wins in their last 15 games (as of Aug. 22), the team is peaking at the right time. Chicago's final home stand of the season features a three-game series with the Pirates, and its last six games are on the road against the Reds and Brewers. That give the Cubs a great opportunity to erase their current deficit and put themselves in a better position to reach the NLDS.
Milwaukee Brewers
9 of 30
Prediction: Taylor Jungmann will finish strong and establish himself as a future ace.
The former first-round pick struggled his way through Triple-A in 2015, racking up a 6.37 ERA in 11 games, before making his major league debut on June 9. Since then, Jungmann has been dominant, allowing two earned runs or fewer in 12 of his 13 starts, and he'll continue to deal as the season winds down.
Jungmann ranks second among all rookie pitchers with 2.1 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs. He trails Noah Syndergaard for the lead in WAR, and his 2.23 ERA is the best among all rookie pitchers with at least 60 innings pitched.
Jungmann has been so consistent in his brief major league career, and though he turned in some mixed results in the minors, a strong finish will set the 25-year-old up for an even bigger breakout year in 2016.
Cincinnati Reds
10 of 30
Prediction: Joey Votto will reach 30 home runs for the first time since 2010.
The Cincinnati Reds have had a disappointing season in 2015 and are clearly in rebuilding mode, having traded away Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake and Marlon Byrd in the past month. The Reds' struggles have been discouraging in large part because they've overshadowed the tremendous bounce-back season that Joey Votto is having.
Voto missed 100 games in 2014, the first year of his 10-year, $225 million contract. That, combined with the team's 76-86 record, had Reds fans in a panic mode, but Votto has assuaged those fears by looking like his old self in 2015.
Always known as a patient hitter, Votto's walk rate of 18.3 percent is better than his career average of 15.4 percent. Even more encouraging is his power resurgence—his isolated power is .240 this season, per Fangraphs, his highest number since his MVP-winning season in 2010. Isolated power is a measure of a hitter's raw power, according to Fangraphs, and is calculated by subtracting a player's batting average from his slugging percentage.
Our bet is that Votto will hit at least seven more home runs this season and reach 30, providing some consolation for an otherwise-down year for the Reds.
New York Mets
11 of 30
Prediction: David Wright will contribute down the stretch for the Mets.
Wright has missed basically the entire 2015 season for the New York Mets while dealing with a lower-back injury. He's slated to return to the team on Monday and play a role in New York's pursuit of the NL East title.
Mets manager Terry Collins has said that Wright will not play every day, according to ESPN's Adam Rubin, which is not surprising considering how long it's been since Wright saw Major League pitching. Still, he can contribute as a reserve player, especially with the little depth the Mets have in their infield.
Juan Uribe has hit .171/.237/.386 in his 21 games with the team, and he is currently the Mets' primary backup at third base. Wright will certainly be an upgrade, and he can spell Kelly Johnson against lefties and shift Daniel Murphy over to second base.
We don't expect Wright to regain his All-Star form over the last month of the season, but he will be much more than an afterthought. Wright will make a positive difference for the Mets and play an important role as they attempt to hold off the Nationals.
Washington Nationals
12 of 30
Prediction: The Nationals will miss the playoffs.
This might not seem like a very bold call at this point, but when you consider just how much the Washington Nationals were hyped up before the season—Grantland's Rany Jazayerli predicted them to be in contention for 100 wins in 2015—it is staggering just how far they've fallen short of expectations.
There are a number of reasons for Washington's dismal year, and injuries to key players have been the main obstacle. Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth, Denard Span and Stephen Strasburg have all missed significant time. Their absences, combined with down years from Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman and Doug Fister, have negated the superb season that Bryce Harper is having.
Harper has been outstanding all season long, and he will need help from the entire Nationals roster for the team to catch the Mets. Despite featuring perhaps the favorites to win both the MVP and Cy Young awards, the Nationals will find themselves on the outside looking in once the regular season reaches its end.
Atlanta Braves
13 of 30
Prediction: Julio Teheran will re-establish himself as the Braves' ace of the future.
By the time he was 24, Teheran had already had two stellar seasons as a full-time major league starter. He posted a combined 7.2 WAR from 2013 to 2014, according to ESPN, and had the look of a budding ace.
Things have unraveled in 2015, as Teheran has experienced his first struggles as a big leaguer. His 4.32 ERA is a career high for a full season, and he's already set a career high in walks this season despite pitching only 150 innings.
Teheran's strikeout rate is 7.80 per nine innings, per FanGraphs, right in line with his career average. He's experienced no significant change in fastball velocity, so his struggles appear to be fixable.
In his last nine starts, Teheran has a 3.25 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 55.1 innings, a good sign that he's rediscovering his old form. Expect him to continue to pitch well in the final month of the season and set himself up for a bounce-back year in 2016.
Miami Marlins
14 of 30
Prediction: Dee Gordon will hold on to win the batting title.
Gordon came out of the gates in 2015 on fire. He posted a .409 batting average in April and hit .351 in May, making the Miami Marlins happy that they traded for him in the offseason.
After receiving a fair amount of hype heading into the season, the Marlins have been awful. They've been out of contention almost since the beginning of the season, and slugger Giancarlo Stanton has missed significant time because of injury.
Watching to see if Gordon can win the batting title is just about the only reason to tune in to Marlins games down the stretch. Gordon struggled mightily in July, hitting .208, but he's bounced back and hit .372 so far in August. He holds a slim lead over Bryce Harper, but if he maintains his form, he'll hang on by just enough to claim the title.
Philadelphia Phillies
15 of 30
Prediction: The Phillies will not finish with the league's worst record.
The Philadelphia Phillies currently have a slight "lead" on the Rockies and Marlins for the dubious honor of having the worst record in the majors. Despite shipping off Cole Hamels, Ben Revere, Jonathan Papelbon and Chase Utley, the team will somehow avoid finishing as the worst team in the league.
There are plenty of other bad teams on the Phillies' schedule, such as the Marlins, Padres, Red Sox, Braves and Nationals, so there's opportunity to get some wins. Having rookie starting pitcher Aaron Nola on hand will help, as the Rockies play in a tougher division and have to face tougher teams down the stretch.
This is a prediction that won't get many Phillies fans excited, but in the midst of such an abysmal season, there isn't much else to be rooting for.
Houston Astros
16 of 30
Prediction: George Springer will play a big role down the stretch.
Springer has been out since July 2 after suffering a broken wrist, and his rehab process has been a slow one. The Houston Astros traded for Carlos Gomez to help bolster their outfield, and while Preston Tucker and Colby Rasmus have been solid overall, Springer would be a massive upgrade.
Houston is unsure when Springer will be able to return to the lineup. He has just started to swing a bat, according to Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle, and Fox Sports reported that Springer has used video game therapy to try to speed the recovery process up.
Whenever he returns, the Astros will not have the luxury of easing him back into the swing of things. They'll need him at the top of their lineup in order to hold off the Angels and Rangers in the AL West, and as long as his rehab assignments produce no setbacks, expect him to make a big difference in the final weeks of the season.
Los Angeles Angels
17 of 30
Bold prediction: Mike Trout will single-handedly jump-start the Angels offense.
Predicting Trout to do something extraordinary isn't exactly too bold of a prediction, considering how great the 24-year-old has been the past four seasons. But with the sad state of the Los Angeles Angels' hitting, it would take something remarkable from the game's best player to keep the team in contention down the stretch.
Since Aug. 1, the Angels have averaged 3.75 runs per game. They've gone 9-19 in their last 28 games, and they desperately need to start hitting if they wish to remain in the hunt for the postseason.
Trout is currently in the midst of one of the worst months of his career. He's hitting .183/.326/.282 in August, his worst month since 2011. Angels fans hope that this is simply the calm before the storm, and that he'll catch fire in September. The reigning MVP isn't prone to long droughts like this, and we expect him to heat up in a big way and provide a huge turnaround for the Angels and their postseason hopes.
Texas Rangers
18 of 30
Prediction: Cole Hamels will continue to struggle.
Hamels has been a great pitcher his entire career, and the Texas Rangers traded for him at the non-waiver deadline with the hopes that he'll anchor the team's rotation for the next few years as they build a playoff team.
Texas is still very much in the hunt in a muddled AL wild-card race, though Hamels has been ineffective so far since being traded. In three starts, he's posted a 5.23 ERA and allowed five home runs in 20.2 innings pitched.
Hamels' 3.52 FIP is the highest since the 2010 season, according to Fangraphs, as are his 1.02 home runs allowed per nine innings. Pitching in a hitter-friendly stadium like Global Life Park does not bode well for Hamels, and his poor pitching will continue and hinder the team's 2015 playoff chances.
Seattle Mariners
19 of 30
Prediction: Nelson Cruz will lead the American League in home runs and batting average.
The Seattle Mariners have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league this season. After having high hopes of making the postseason for the first time since 2001—back when Bret Boone and Edgar Martinez were still cornerstones of the franchise—the 2015 season has been a disaster.
So many players have been disappointments this season that it's hard to keep track. Robinson Cano, Fernando Rodney and Mark Trumbo have all underperformed, but the lone bright spot has been Nelson Cruz.
Cruz currently holds slim leads in the AL batting title and home run race over Jason Kipnis and Chris Davis, respectively. It'll come down to the wire, but Cruz will fend off his competitors and lead the league in both categories. He's mashed 10 home runs in August, and that hot streak will continue into September and give Mariners fans something to cheer about.
Oakland Athletics
20 of 30
Prediction: Sonny Gray will finish the season strong and establish himself as a top-five pitcher.
There are plenty of young aces around the league, and the list is so impressive that it's hard for one guy to separate himself from the pack. Despite playing on the team with the worst record in the AL, Gray has been sensational this season and deserves to be considered among the upper echelon of pitchers in the game.
Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale, Zack Greinke and Max Scherzer are among those bona fide aces, but youngsters such as Gray, Chris Archer and Jacob deGrom are making a case to join them in that top tier. Gray has separated himself by putting up huge numbers while pitching in largely meaningless games.
Gray leads the AL in ERA and is seventh in wins. With a strong finish, he'll be in the conversation for the Cy Young award, and our bet is that he will end the season on a high note.
Kansas City Royals
21 of 30
Prediction: Yordano Ventura will rediscover his form in time for the postseason.
Ventura looked prime for a breakout season after throwing up some impressive numbers as a rookie in 2014. He had a 3.20 ERA in 183 innings last year and pitched well in the playoffs as the Kansas City Royals made their run to the World Series.
Ventura had all kinds of struggles early on, and was optioned to the minors on July 21, but was recalled the next day after Jason Vargas got injured. He hasn't exactly been like his old self since then, but the results are encouraging enough to think that he'll figure things out by October.
He's 3-0 with a 3.94 ERA in his last five starts, and if he makes just incremental improvement in each start from now until the end of the season, he should be ready to make a difference as the Royals try to return to the World Series this October.
Minnesota Twins
22 of 30
Prediction: Miguel Sano will push Carlos Correa for the AL's best rookie season.
According to FanGraphs, Astros shortstop Carlos Correa has amassed 2.8 WAR this season, tops among AL rookie hitters. Currently in fifth place and charging hard is Minnesota Twins slugger Miguel Sano, and he will continue his stellar campaign and finish at or near Correa's final WAR in 2015.
Sano has a 1.5 WAR in 175 plate appearances, more than 100 fewer than Correa. At the very least, Sano will finish second on the list by the end of the season, setting himself up for a breakout 2016 in what will be his first full year in the big leagues.
Sano has blasted 10 home runs, fourth-most among AL rookies, in just 42 games. Correa will most likely get to play on the postseason stage this October, but Sano deserves just as much attention as one of the game's next big stars.
Detroit Tigers
23 of 30
Prediction: Justin Verlander will provide hope for a complete return to form for 2016.
Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers have had a nightmare season. After winning the AL Central four years in a row, Detroit is well behind the Royals and will miss the playoffs. The team traded away David Price and might be entering a transition phase for the near future.
Part of the problem has been Verlander's health woes. He's been limited to just 77 innings so far, and he hasn't looked like his old self.
Recently, though, he's been much better. In his last six starts, Verlander has pitched 43 innings and struck out 40 batters with just six walks. He has a 1.67 ERA over that span, and he'll continue to look like his old self and give fans hope for a better season in 2016.
Chicago White Sox
24 of 30
Prediction: Carlos Rodon will heat up down the stretch.
The Chicago White Sox have underperformed in 2015 after making big offseason acquisitions of David Robertson and Jeff Samardzija. Though they are likely out of contention for the postseason, one reason to keep tabs on them (aside from Chris Sale's dominance) is rookie starter Carlos Rodon.
Rodon was the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft and made a fast ascent to the big leagues. He's struggled with command this season, with 54 walks in 99.2 innings pitched entering Saturday's start against Seattle. His recent performance, though, show signs of a young pitcher starting to figure things out.
In his last five starts, Rodon has 32 strikeouts and 10 walks in 29.1 innings pitched. He's sure to have some more ups and downs, but he clearly has electric stuff and will start to show more consistency in the season's final month.
Cleveland Indians
25 of 30
Prediction: The Indians will have four starters finish with 200 strikeouts.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, Corey Kluber, has already reached that mark, and fellow starters Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer could all reach 200 punch-outs by the time the season ends.
No team has ever had four pitchers with 200 strikeouts in the same season, and only three times have teams had three 200-strikeout starters.
The Cleveland Indians have 40 games remaining, which leaves eight starts left per pitcher. To provide some margin for error, we'll assume each player will get seven more starts from now until the season ends.
Carrasco has 173 strikeouts this season and averages 9.85 strikeouts per nine innings. He's averaged about 6.1 innings per start, so if he makes seven more starts this season, he'll accumulate about 48 more strikeouts, giving him 221 for the season.
Salazar averages 10.05 Ks per nine innings, and he also averages about 6.1 innings per start. With seven more starts, he projects to have about 49 more strikeouts for the rest of the year, which would bring his total to 211.
The biggest stretch for this prediction is Bauer. He averages 8.73 Ks per nine innings, and with seven more starts at just under six innings pitched per start, he's on pace to fall short by about 20 strikeouts. It's not out of the realm of possibility for him to get hot and reach 200, though, so we'll say he'll hit that mark and help the Indians make history.
New York Yankees
26 of 30
Prediction: Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira will finish the season with 80 combined home runs.
If anyone made this prediction at the beginning of the season, they would have been laughed out of the room. Now, though, this doesn't even seem that far-fetched.
The two have a combined 57 home runs so far (31 for Teixeira, 26 for A-Rod). ESPN projects Teixeira to end up with 42 and Rodriguez to hit 35. That means they'll each need to pick up the pace a tad, and with the New York Yankees fighting for the AL East title with the Blue Jays, any added boost by either player will be much-needed.
Toronto Blue Jays
27 of 30
Prediction: Troy Tulowitzki will heat up down the stretch.
Toronto's surprising trade for Tulowitzki put them firmly in the hunt for the AL East title. Though the Blue Jays have gone 17-4 since Tulowitzki arrived, their success has largely been in spite of their new shortstop.
Tulowitzki has hit .221/.326/.390 in 20 games in Toronto, with 19 strikeouts and just three home runs. The Blue Jays lead the league in runs scored by a wide margin, so they will hit just fine even with him scuffling.
But Tulowitzki is a very competitive player, and after years of playing for a non-contender in Colorado, expect him to start getting locked in at the plate as he plays in meaningful September games for the first time in a while.
Baltimore Orioles
28 of 30
Prediction: Gerardo Parra will help kickstart the Orioles offense down the stretch.
Parra was acquired to help fill the void that has been Baltimore's left-field options this season. He's in the midst of a career year offensively, hitting .328/.369/.517 in 100 games with Milwaukee before being traded.
He's posted numbers more in line with his career averages so far with the Orioles, hitting .284/.326/.506 in 19 games, but even a returned-to-normal Parra would be an improvement over the team's other options in left field.
Tampa Bay Rays
29 of 30
Prediction: Logan Forsythe will continue to produce in his career season.
In baseball terms, breaking out at age 28 qualifies you as a late bloomer, but that's exactly what Forsythe has done in 2015.
The former 2008 first-round pick in 2008 failed to catch on with the Padres, and after hitting .223/.287/.329 last season, his first with the Tampa Bay Rays, Forsythe has hit .279/.360/.427 so far in 2015. His 3.5 WAR are fifth-most among all second basemen, according to FanGraphs, ahead of players such as Brian Dozier and Jose Altuve.
Forsythe will continue to play well down the stretch and help prove that this year was no fluke.
Boston Red Sox
30 of 30
Prediction: The Red Sox will finish with the worst record in the American League.
Boston is currently 56-67, three games ahead of Oakland, the current holder of the AL's worst record. Given the quality of teams on their schedule, the Red Sox will end up worse than the A's by season's end.
The Red Sox have 17 games remaining against the Royals, Mets, Yankees and Blue Jays. Their pitching staff is the worst in the majors, per FanGraphs, and with nothing to play for down the stretch, expect the team to trot out plenty of new, young faces from the minor leagues to get their feet wet.
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