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Early Round SP Strategy, Targets and More! - Bases Loaded Podcast
Mike and Jorge get into early round starting pitchers and how to attack the position in the early rounds and more. Subscribe to the Bases Loaded podcast, part of RotoBaller Radio's Podcast Network. Like and Subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as well!... Read More
Nolan Jones Gets On Base Three Times
Cleveland Indians third base prospect Nolan Jones had two walks and a single on Thursday against the San Diego Padres. The 22-year-old prospect is now 3-for-8 with a BB-K of 4-5 this spring. Jones spent the 2020 season at the alternate training site after splitting 2019 between high-A and double-A when he combined to walk... Read More
2021 Outfielder Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues
We now move on to the outfielder position in our mixed-league rankings analysis series. If you missed them, here is our review of Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base and Shortstop. RotoBaller's rankers, JB Branson, Pierre Camus, Nick Mariano, and Ariel Cohen have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings once more based on early spring training action.... Read More
Shane Bieber Strikes Out Five In Second Outing
Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber had a strong bounce-back outing in his second spring training start on Thursday against the San Diego Padres. Facing a strong Padres lineup, Bieber allowed one run over three innings while striking out five. Bieber had a rough debut outing this spring against the Kansas City Royals last week.... Read More
MLB DFS Advice: Picking Pitchers on DraftKings and FanDuel
Welcome back to RotoBaller, where we are taking you through some advanced DFS strategy and advice to prepare you for a full-length MLB season in 2021. Last spring, while baseball was not being played and I did not know what to do with myself, I wrote a big old script to go back and collect... Read More
Amed Rosario To Try His Hand At Outfield
Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona said that he talked about the idea of shortstop Amed Rosario taking some fly balls in center field next week. Andres Gimenez, 22, entered Thursday with a .333 batting average and a 1.242 OPS in six Cactus League games, and he's also showcased his defense at shortstop. Gimenez made his... Read More
Billy Hamilton Won't Make Opening Day Roster For Cleveland
Cleveland Indians outfielder Billy Hamilton has been informed that he will not make Cleveland's opening day roster, the Associated Press reports. Manager Terry Francona said the club told Hamilton on Thursday that he wasn't part of their plans. The Indians will try to trade Hamilton, who signed a minor league contract last month. Hamilton has... Read More
High Stakes Heat Joins the Cionel and the Captain - Draft Champions Podcast
In today's episode, Dave McDonald (@RunDMcD) and Jake Halusker (@thedustmite) join @shrimpboatcpn and Zack (@zackroto) to his Draft Champions podcast (@draftchampagne). They discuss roster construction and pockets of value in DCs, Post 500 league winners, methodical approach to DCs. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - every weekday... Read More
Eddie Rosario Goes 1-For-3 Wednesday
Cleveland Indians outfielder Eddie Rosario went 1-for-3 in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Rosario is now 3-for-16 with four RBI across his first six spring games. Rosario joins the Indians in 2021 after slashing .257/.316/.476 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI in 2020. He will settle into the middle of the... Read More
Triston McKenzie Allows One Run in Three Innings
Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie allowed a solo home run but otherwise pitched well over three innings on Wednesday. The rookie right-hander walked just one batter after previously allowing two free passes in each of his last two appearances. McKenzie has been rusty so far this spring with seven hits and five walks allowed... Read More
Cesar Hernandez Doubles Wednesday
Cleveland Indians second baseman Cesar Hernandez went 1-for-3 with an RBI double in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. It has been a good start to the spring for Hernandez as he is now 4-for-13 with two RBI and a run scored through his first six spring games. Hernandez had a solid year... Read More
Top 10 Shortstops - Dynasty Prospects Rankings
The shortstop position is a bountiful one for fantasy players. In a 12-team league, most fantasy managers should have the opportunity to be happy with their starter at the position thanks to the depth and variety of skills available. In 2019, 16 shortstops that had at least 350 plate appearances produced a 100 wRC+ or... Read More
Daniel Johnson Homers Twice in Cleveland Win
Cleveland Indians outfield prospect Daniel Johnson hit two home runs in three at-bats on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers. He's now 4-for-11 (.364) this spring in five appearances and is a dark-horse candidate to win a spot on Cleveland's opening day roster in 2021. Johnson is battling Jordan Luplow and Bradley Zimmer for playing time.... Read More
Bobby Bradley Slugs Two Doubles
Cleveland Indians first base prospect Bobby Bradley went 2-for-3 with two doubles on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers. He's now 4-for-13 (.308) this spring and all four of his hits have gone for extra bases with two doubles and two home runs. He's also driven in eight runs. The rookie first baseman appeared in 15... Read More
Zach Plesac Solid Monday
Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Zach Plesac was solid in Monday's 10-0 rout of the Seattle Mariners as he pitched three innings of scoreless baseball while allowing two hits and two walks as well as striking out four. Plesac was roughed up a bit in his first spring start against Arizona on Wednesday, but seemed to... Read More
JB's Bullpen Method Redux - Building FrankenAces
Last year, I finally published an article breaking down my favorite fantasy baseball strategy I have been using for years. It's really less of a strategy and more a state of mind. No, the Bullpen Method is a lifestyle. I always speak about the importance of balance on a fantasy team. For your pitching staff, I... Read More
Top 10 Third Basemen - Dynasty Prospect Rankings
Third base is traditionally a place to find offense. It can be a goldmine for fantasy managers in need of some power. Third basemen are also known for providing strong on-base numbers and, in some cases, batting average. The 2019 season met the offensive expectations with 28 hitters managing a 100 wRC+ or better (350... Read More
MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/8) - Darvish Deals, Gallo Still Mashing
Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're officially through the first week of spring training games... Read More
Franmil Reyes (DH, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 125 CURRENT ADP: ~147 overall ANALYSIS: While Franmil Reyes AKA Franimal did not technically break out in the shortened 2020 season, he did find some success as he slashed .275/.344/.450 with nine HR, 35 RBI, and 27 R across 211 AB. The power with Franmil is very real as he smacked 37... Read More
Josh Naylor (OF, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 370 CURRENT ADP: ~391 overall ANALYSIS: The Indians were pretty high on Josh Naylor in 2020 as he was a key piece in the Mike Clevinger deal. Naylor will likely rotate between the outfield and first base, which means he will provide added flexibility on fantasy rosters. In 2020, he slashed .247/.291/.330... Read More
Emmanuel Clase (RP, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 410 CURRENT ADP: ~444 overall ANALYSIS: Emmanuel Clase came over to Cleveland in the trade which sent Corey Kluber to the Texas Rangers in 2019. Clase then got popped with an 80-game suspension in May of 2020 for using PEDs. Due to the shortened 2020 schedule, Clase’s suspension will bleed over into... Read More
Relievers Set to Break Out in 2021
As the calendar flips to February and more leagues start drafting, it's time to dive into everybody's favorite topic: breakouts. For now, we'll ignore the increasingly common facial breakouts from pandemic-related stress and focus on relief. Relief pitching, that is. When looking for draft targets at relief pitcher, almost everybody just turns their eyes to... Read More
Lineup Takeaways - Week 1 Spring Training Lineups
Well, after a recent article highlighting the idea of what I was wanting to do with this Spring Training series, here is a first look at my Lineup Takeaway series I will be bringing you the rest of the 2021 season. We are focusing 100% on lineups, news and quotes - strictly about lineups and... Read More
Jose Ramirez, Franmil Reyes Break COVID-19 Protocols
The Cleveland Indians sent Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes home for breaking Major League Baseball's COVID-19 protocols. The pair were at a restaurant without their masks and Reyes also reportedly had a haircut. He was caught breaking the rules last year, too. Pitchers Zach Plesac and Mike Clevinger also broke the rules in 2020 and... Read More
Jon Anderson's Outfield Tiered Rankings and Projections
I continue to press forward on my own personal rankings series. Today we tackle the beast that is the outfield. Check out the rest of the series at the links below if you haven't already! First Base Second Base Shortstop Third Base Starting at the top, here's that juicy tier one full of first-round talent.Be... Read More
Top 10 Second Basemen - Dynasty Prospect Rankings
Finding a quality second baseman in fantasy baseball is no easy task. In 2019, 16 second basemen posted a 100 wRC+ or better. However, only six managed at least a 120 wRC+ (one of whom got caught for illegal substances). The numbers were fairly similar in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The position has seen some... Read More
Kings of Candy: Sweet-Spot% Risers
While the 2020 season may not have given us much of a sample to evaluate outcomes (home runs, doubles, flyouts, etc.), the core events of exit velocity and launch angle stabilize more quickly and can be stickier than combination statistics like ISO or BB%. Two of our FSWA Writer-of-the-Year Finalists, Eric Samulski and Nicklaus Gaut,... Read More
2021 Relief Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues
We continue to move past the chaos of 2020 and onto a new baseball season full of promise. For fantasy baseball managers, draft season is already upon us. RotoBaller's rankers, Pierre Camus, Big Pick Nick Mariano, Ariel Cohen and I have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings as we now move on to evaluate the... Read More
Nick Mariano's 2021 Late-Round Fliers List (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Howdy, RotoBallers! I hope you're ready to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy. We’re here to dig a little deeper into the draft room and look for players that would be wise to take a flier on in the late rounds. 2021 might... Read More
Nick Mariano's 2021 Early-Round Overvalued List (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Fantasy baseball drafts (and their articles) are almost all about finding the next superstar and unearthing talent late, but we can't forget that surrendering value by over-drafting can be just as crucial. In order to evaluate overvalued players here, we're going to utilize Average... Read More
