Champ or Chump: Carter Jensen and Nolan McLean Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

We've reached September, and any reinforcements for real and fantasy teams have to come from the minors. There's still plenty of time for rookies to make an impact, so don't give up on your baseball teams just because football is starting. Carter Jensen is a 22-year-old catcher with an intriguing skill set. He's scheduled to […]

Champ or Chump: Jakob Marsee and Ryan Helsley Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

In baseball, opportunities are a zero-sum game. Events like the trade deadline don't create opportunities since there are still no more than 90 starting outfielders and 30 closing gigs. For every player who gains an opportunity, another loses it. Astute fantasy managers need to pounce on new opportunities while casting the losers aside. The Jesus […]

Champ or Chump: Jake Mangum and Kyle Stowers Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Fantasy managers care about prospect pedigree when evaluating young players, and many top prospects go on to have great careers. However, we have to remember that pedigree is not essential for fantasy production. Whit Merrifield was never a huge prospect and still put up quality fantasy seasons. Such players are even more undervalued if they […]

Champ or Chump: David Peterson and Jacob Misiorowski Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

All-Stars aren't a fantasy category, but it still feels great when your roster has more than your rivals. Granted, all All-Stars aren't equal for this purpose. If Aaron Judge didn't perform like an All-Star, his fantasy managers would likely be in trouble. Similarly, an All-Star first half doesn't necessarily translate to fantasy production in the […]

Champ or Chump: Cam Schlittler and Ronny Henriquez Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

You never have enough pitching. It's one of the greatest truisms of fantasy baseball, and the game has a habit of hitting you hardest when you least expect it. The Rays are already limiting Drew Rasmussen by using him as an opener a couple times through the rotation, with other names like Kris Bubic and […]

Champ or Chump: Colton Gordon and Jordan Beck Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Fantasy analysts try to guess who might be available on your waiver wire, but every league is different. One of your rivals might drop someone you view as a potential All-Star, and you'll miss out on a huge opportunity if you aren't vigilant about checking your league's transaction wire. We bring this up now because […]

Champ or Chump: Garrett Whitlock, Shelby Miller, Chase Burns Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Every fantasy manager wants quality pitching, but many overlook potential sources of it. The bidding for top prospect Chase Burns is likely to be intense now that the Reds have announced he's making his MLB debut tonight, and his upside is unreal. However, he lacks experience, and there's no guarantee he performs right away or […]

Champ or Chump: Roman Anthony and Rafael Devers Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

What is going on in Boston right now? Boston's front office wanted to see top prospect Roman Anthony in the Show, so they asked Rafael Devers to try to learn first base to accommodate him. Communication between Devers and the team had deteriorated after the Alex Bregman signing, and Devers refused to learn 1B midseason. […]

Champ or Chump: Kyle Teel and Noah Cameron Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

There are two rules all fantasy managers quickly learn. First, you're never completely happy with your catcher(s). Second, you never have enough pitching. You'll spend a lot of time staring at both positions regardless of how you approach them on draft day. Luckily, you might find decent options in both spots on your waiver wire. […]

Champ or Chump: Jacob Melton, Daniel Palencia, and Jac Caglianone Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

We've officially reached June, and that means your league's standings page starts to matter. No lead in any stat is "safe" with more than half the season to go, but you can identify areas of opportunity for improvement. How are you on steals? What about saves? Do you need power? The waiver wire might have […]

Champ or Chump: Drake Baldwin and Marcelo Mayer Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Just when you think the prospect pipeline might dry up for a week, the Red Sox bring up Marcelo Mayer to play third base. Mayer has a lot of hype surrounding him, but is he the savior that Boston and fantasy managers have been searching for? Drake Baldwin faced similar questions back on Opening Day, […]

Champ or Chump: Dalton Rushing and Logan Henderson Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Midway through May, the minors continue to supply fantasy managers with intriguing options. The Dodgers have summoned Dalton Rushing to serve as their backup catcher. The 24-year-old has an interesting skill set, but will he have the opportunity to show what he can do? Similarly, Logan Henderson has pitched like an ace over 11 IP […]

Champ or Chump: Jordan Lawlar Fantasy Baseball Outlook

MLB Pipeline updated its prospect rankings, and Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Jordan Lawlar sits fourth on the top-100 list. The Diamondbacks announced they were calling Lawlar up shortly thereafter, and it makes you wonder if the two events are related. Regardless, this is the first major in-season call-up for fantasy baseball managers. What should we expect […]

Champ or Chump: Edgar Quero and Jackson Jobe Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

It's easy for fantasy managers to fall in love with a prospect's scouting report. They seem authoritative, especially if multiple scouting reports say the same thing. We generally don't see minor leaguers play that often, so scouting grades are all we have. Except they aren't. Fantasy managers don't care about tools but production, and every […]

Champ or Chump: Nick Kurtz and Sandy Alcantara Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Fantasy managers need diverse skill sets to succeed in today's game. Top prospects can make a huge fantasy impact, but even mediocre names are frequently hyped up, and prospect lists don't emphasize the same need for immediate gratification that fantasy managers do. Is Nick Kurtz worthy of a roster spot? Figuring out when to cut […]

Champ or Chump: Agustin Ramirez and Chandler Simpson Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Prospect callups are frequently among the most exciting events in fantasy baseball, and MLB clubs have started bringing up exciting names. Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez went 20/20 with an advanced plate approach on the farm in 2024, and he's a catcher. Sort of. His defense is atrocious, and that could be a good thing for […]

Champ or Chump: Jonathan Aranda and Kyren Paris Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Second base felt like a weak position during draft season, but the waiver wire seems full of intriguing options. In Week 1, we looked at Kristian Campbell. In Week 2, we profiled Jonathan India. This week, two more interesting names are Jonathan Aranda and Kyren Paris. Neither is a household name, but both are off […]

Champ or Chump: Dennis Santana, Jonathan India, Clay Holmes Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

We've reached the second week of the 2025 MLB season, and as expected, Rafael Devers is not the worst player in the league. Players have twice as many games played (or more) than they did this time last week, but we're still working with tiny samples. You shouldn't blindly overreact to this season's stat lines. […]

Champ or Chump: Seth Halvorsen, Otto Lopez, Kristian Campbell Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

The 2025 fantasy baseball season is officially underway, and that means another season of Champ or Chump. This column is a deep dive into one to three players per week, looking at prospect pedigree, MiLB performance, Statcast data, role, peripherals, team context, and more. At the end of our analysis, we determine whether each player […]

Interpreting Foreign League Statistics: Sabermetrics Glossary for Fantasy Baseball (2025)

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our primer on interpreting foreign league statistics. This article is a deeper dive into how to interpret foreign statistics and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll focus on statistics from the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Imports from […]

What Is Statcast Pitch Tracking? Sabermetrics Glossary for Fantasy Baseball (2025)

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our overview of Statcast Pitch Tracking. This article is a deeper dive into Statcast Pitch Tracking and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll explore how to interpret the Statcast Pitch Tracking table and how it can help place Pitch Info in context. Of […]

What Is Statcast Contact Quality for Pitchers? Fantasy Baseball Sabermetrics Glossary (2025)

Welcome RotoBallers to our overview of Statcast contact quality metrics for pitchers. This article is a deeper dive into the predictive value of metrics such as Brls/BBE and average airborne exit velocity (EV) for pitchers, and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll discover which pitchers led […]

What Are Statcast xStats? Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball (2025)

Welcome RotoBallers to our overview of Statcast Expected Statistics (xStats). This article is a deeper dive into xStats and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll explain what Statcast's xStats are and how they work in layman's terms anyone can understand. We'll also look at how well […]

What Is Spin Rate? Fantasy Baseball Sabermetrics Glossary and Definitions

Welcome RotoBallers to our overview of Spin Rate. This article is a deeper dive into spin rate and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll explore the benefits of high and low-spin fastballs and identify which secondaries are more effective with more or less spin using everyday […]

What Is Barrel Rate and Brls/BBE? Fantasy Baseball Sabermetrics Glossary and Definitions

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our overview of Barrels for fantasy baseball. This article is a deeper dive into MLB advanced stat called "Barrels" and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll define Barrels in layman's terms and discover how great they are for hitters. We'll also explore how […]

What Are Pitching+, Stuff+, Location+? Sabermetrics Glossary for Fantasy Baseball (2025)

Welcome RotoBallers to our overview of Pitching+. This article is a deeper dive into Pitching+ and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll explore what Pitching+ is and how to use it for fantasy analysis. We'll also look at its underlying components, Stuff+ and Location+, in plain […]

What Is Exit Velocity (EV)? Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball (2025)

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our overview of exit velocity (EV) for hitters. This article is a deeper dive into EV, and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll explore how EV can be used to predict BABIP and HR/FB using simple terminology anyone can understand. We'll also look […]

Interpreting Minor League Stats (MiLB) for Fantasy Baseball Analysis (2025)

Welcome RotoBallers to our overview of minor league (MiLB) statistics. This article is a deeper dive into MiLB stats and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll explore the predictive power of numbers on the farm, including how to deal with small MiLB sample sizes and when […]

10 Fantasy Baseball Bold Predictions - Rick Lucks' 2025 Picks

Welcome back RotoBallers to another edition from our yearly Bold Predictions series from the MLB team. It's one of the most exciting times of the fantasy baseball calendar: bold prediction season! As a reminder, bold predictions aren't supposed to be likely outcomes but long shots with a purpose. These predictions, in particular, all do one […]

Ballpark Factors: Sabermetrics Glossary for Fantasy Baseball (2025)

Welcome RotoBallers to our overview of ballpark factors. This article is a deeper dive into ballpark factors and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll explore how unique MLB parks influence a player's performance for fantasy purposes. Most people associate ballpark factors with home runs, but we'll […]