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About Riley Mrack - RotoBaller
@FantasyOnTheFli
Canadian-born and raised, I'm an avid sports fan and fantasy expert on baseball and football.
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Riley Mrack - RotoBaller has written 30 articles so far, you can find them below.
Seattle Mariners first baseman/outfielder Jay Bruce launched a three-run homer in Sunday's exhibition contest versus the Yomiuri Giants. This shot put an exclamation point on a strong spring training in which he hit .433 with two more bombs and four doubles. Bruce batted fifth in this tune-up and figures to remain in this spot routinely as the... Read More
San Diego Padres outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Franmil Reyes are battling more than just each other for the right field job in San Diego this season. The two combatants are dealing with "general tiredness," but manager Andy Green believes the pair will be ready to go "when the bell rings." This situation doesn't sound serious,... Read More
It’s a stocked junkyard full of veteran left-handers in this edition of starting pitcher busts. Highlighted in articles depicting their incredible value and abilities over the last few years, the players on this list have suffered a free fall from the upper ranks of talent since then. After seeing a rapid transformation in quality from... Read More
Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Hunter Strickland stated Saturday from Tokyo that his back is "100 percent." Strickland hasn't seen game action since March 3 but will throw in an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants on Sunday. The M's begin their season on March 20 against the Oakland Athletics, and all signs point to Strickland getting... Read More
After acquiring shortstop J.P. Crawford from the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason, the Seattle Mariners have decided to send him down to Triple-A to begin the year. It's a tough blow for the former top shortstop prospect, but a wise move by the M's as he's failed to develop his bat in the majors. Hitting... Read More
The top closing option for the Seattle Mariners, Hunter Strickland, threw a successful bullpen session on Tuesday and appears to be on track for the team’s two-game series in Japan on March 20. Strickland was experiencing tightness in his lower back last week and hasn't appeared in game action in ten days. The 30-year-old will... Read More
Seattle Mariners center fielder Mallex Smith has officially been ruled out for the team’s two-game trip overseas starting on March 20. He’ll stay back with the minor league club to get in more at-bats as he’s recovering from an elbow injury that he suffered early in the Spring. Smith still has time to get ready... Read More
It’s inevitable that we see players breakout in baseball every season. In these scenarios, certain athletes may have a total blindsided outburst that no one anticipated coming, or perhaps it’s a savvy veteran who finally took that next step in their professional development. In either circumstance, we pay up for it in the following season... Read More
Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager will undergo surgery on his left wrist after injuring it diving for a ball over the weekend. This marks the first time Seager has been put on the DL in his career. There is no official timetable for his return, but he has been ruled out for at least... Read More
Seattle Mariners reliever Hunter Strickland hasn’t pitched in a week due to tightness in his lower back. Manager Scott Servais doesn’t believe it to be serious, and he should return to action early this week. Strickland is the favorite for picking up saves in the M’s bullpen this season although Servais mentioned earlier this spring... Read More
Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais announced that Marco Gonzales will start Opening Day in Japan on March 20. This ends Felix Hernandez’ 10-year run as the M’s Opening Day starter. Gonzales had a fine season in 2018 going 13-9 with a 4.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 145 strikeouts in 166.2 IP. The southpaw is an... Read More
The term “bust” in fantasy baseball can have a few different definitions. The distinct meaning is a player who does nothing more than stink up the place. Whether it’s not stealing bases, failure to find the bleachers with home runs, or just flat out not being able to hit the ball anymore, they are a... Read More
Every year in fantasy baseball we do our best to try and avoid the players who are going to be a big-time disappointment on our rosters. It’s the purpose of most preseason articles to sift through the vast array of major-league talent and try and pick out who will repeat, rebound, or regress. The “sleeper”... Read More
One of the most commonly overlooked aspects when drafting a player in fantasy baseball is projecting how their season could play out. We sometimes don’t see the possible outcomes of playing time factors that a player can see during the course of a season. With our minds present in spring training battles and on players... Read More
Seattle Mariners outfielder Domingo Santana hit his fourth home run of the spring in Wednesday's game, and he’s now batting .444 in exhibition play. While spring stats need to be taken with a grain of salt, it’s encouraging to see this level of production from Santana following a disappointing 2018. After only clubbing five homers... Read More
One of the biggest challenges that fantasy baseball owners face is that they literally have to follow it every day. Unlike fantasy football, where you only need to check lineups once a week, baseball is on every single day and if you don’t pay attention your season will be in jeopardy. Most leagues are won... Read More
With spring training games officially underway, it’s that time of year to keep a close eye on some position battles. Every year we see fringe players carve out roles on their respective teams during the spring. In other instances, these players lay in the weeds during the regular season and pounce on their opportunity to... Read More
After the Seattle Mariners scratched outfielder Mitch Haniger (back) in Sunday's game, the team held him out again in Tuesday's contest. Haniger said he "tweaked" his back weight-lifting on the weekend and will play it safe over the next few days. It appears this is a precautionary measure, but the Mariners start their season on March 20... Read More
Seattle Mariners outfielder Mallex Smith was limited early in spring training with a strained elbow. After consulting a doctor, the speedster has been cleared for throwing and participating in other baseball activities. He was able to play "light" catch on Monday, and it's a good sign moving forward. Smith may not be ready in time... Read More
San Diego Padres outfielder Travis Jankowski (wrist) left Sunday’s game after diving for a ball in the outfield. He suffered a broken wrist on the play and will be out indefinitely. It appears this will be a lengthy absence, freeing up more playing time for the remaining players in the crowded Padres outfield. Jankowski was... Read More
Padres outfielder Travis Jankowski left Sunday's game after diving for a ball in right field. He appeared to be favoring his left wrist, and the team announced he'll undergo an MRI. Jankowski batted leadoff in this game, flying out in his only at-bat. In a crowded outfield this year in San Diego, it will take... Read More
The deepest position in fantasy baseball is undoubtedly the outfield spot. With such diverse talents ranging from elite speed to pure power, it seems like there’s always a handful of outfielders on the draft board that we’d take on any given pick. If you’re in shallow or three OF leagues, you may not need to... Read More
Platooning in major league baseball is becoming more common every year. With this mentality, teams play lefty/righty matchups to get the daily batter versus pitcher advantage. They also use this method to try to defend players against a potential injury and keep them fresh. While platooning may look smart on the surface, it’s not always... Read More
When your fantasy baseball draft begins to shift into the picks in the 200s, you might be looking to grab your SP 4/5 at this stage. A good return on investment at this point in the draft can substantially boost your odds of taking home the championship in your league. It’s that point in the... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 225 CURRENT ADP: ~240 overall ANALYSIS: In 2019, there is a new bat ready to make an impact at the catching position which breaks the mold of your prototypical backstop. Francisco Mejia of the San Diego Padres can hit. Not only can he hit, but he can flat out rake. The... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 275 CURRENT ADP: ~295 overall ANALYSIS: Although he only threw 25.2 big league innings last year, there’s a lot to love about Mike Soroka. The fact that he already received his Major League call-up in May this past season says enough in itself that he’s a top-tier talent. Soroka’s season... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 230 CURRENT ADP: ~250 overall ANALYSIS: After an obscure 2018 where he batted .224 with 20 HR, 80 R and 58 RBI, Max Kepler is still refining his overall game. Possessing good plate discipline skills is not something that's easily taught, but this is where Kepler makes a difference. The 24-year-old posted... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 200 CURRENT ADP: ~215 overall ANALYSIS: Entering his age-29 season, Ross Stripling will begin the year locked into a rotation spot for the first time in his career. Stripling showed us an excellent first half in 2018 that led to his first ever All-Star selection. An injury-riddled second half put... Read More
Nick Senzel’s breakout in the Major League setting seems inevitable, but the question is, when? You might think you’re experiencing deja vu because you were probably reading a similar article like this one a year ago, but it's not the case. Baseball experts predicted 2018 to be the year for the Cincinnati Reds' top prospect... Read More
In a heavyweight matchup of back-end first basemen, it's young versus old in this clash of right-handed bats. Although they are closer in age than you might initially suspect, 28-year old Luke Voit is the early favorite on the books over the veteran 34-year old Ryan Zimmerman. Chosen at an ADP of 329, Zimmerman is... Read More
