Hunter Strickland On Track For Japan Series

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

Mallex Smith Ruled Out For Japan Series

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

Outfielder Breakouts Due for Regression in 2019

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

Kyle Seager Out Until May

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

Hunter Strickland Out With Minor Back Issue

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

Marco Gonzales Tabbed For Opening Day

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

2018 Outfielder Busts Who’ll Keep Junking It Up In 2019

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

Infielder Busts Who’ll Keep Junking It Up in 2019

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

Platoon Watch - Five Players On A Short Leash

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

Domingo Santana Raking In Spring Training

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

Best-Ball Targets and Sleepers For 2019

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

Platoon Watch - Five Players Who Could Earn Bigger Roles in 2019

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

Mitch Haniger Still Out With Back Tightness

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

Mallex Smith Resuming Baseball Activities

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

Travis Jankowski Out For Significant Time

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

Travis Jankowski Injures Arm In Spring Training Game

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

Platoon Watch - Part-Time Outfielders To Target

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

Platoon Watch - Part-Time Infielders Worth Drafting

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

ADP Debate - Jon Gray vs Kevin Gausman

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

Francisco Mejia (C, SD) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

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

Mike Soroka (SP, ATL) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

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

Max Kepler (OF, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

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

Nick Senzel - Breakout Season, Take Two

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

ADP Cost Analysis - Luke Voit vs Ryan Zimmerman

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

ADP Debate - Rick Porcello vs Shane Bieber

While participating in a fantasy baseball draft, you’ll undoubtedly face numerous hair-pulling decisions that could either make or break your season. Here at RotoBaller, we care about your luscious locks, so we divulge into these anxious situations before they happen to make it easier for you on draft day. Speaking of lack of hair, Rick... Read More

ADP Cost Analysis - Carlos Correa vs Xander Bogaerts

It’s hard to believe that you can almost consider Carlos Correa and Xander Bogaerts to be veterans. Both of these players made their major league debuts at age 20, and they have already accomplished so much in the bigs. Now at their respective ages of 24 and 26, they are in the midst of their... Read More

ADP Cost Analysis - Ozzie Albies vs Jonathan Villar

Second base has become a treasure chest full of talent in 2019. Seeing the position’s deepest player pool in recent memory, each tier of hitters is overflowing with draft day targets. With a mixture of established veterans and a new crop of young talent that is beginning to flourish in the big leagues, the keystone... Read More

Michael Pineda - The Dogma of Disappointment Returns

In fantasy baseball, there’s always that player who underperforms during a season and gets plenty of hype going into the following year. We all have the belief that good fortune will come at a low cost. For most of his career, Michael Pineda has been the epitome of this type of player. If you’ve ever... Read More

Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 315 CURRENT ADP: ~340 overall ANALYSIS: Orlando Arcia was pegged by numerous fantasy baseball experts a year ago as a sleeper for the 2018 season. After polishing off his first full year in the majors in 2017 where he batted .277 with 15 home runs, 56 R, 53 RBI, and 14... Read More

ADP Debate - Joey Votto vs Jesus Aguilar

The first base position in fantasy baseball has seen a transformation in recent years. Notorious for its power hitters, it's becoming more scarce to find a stable option once the first few elite names come off the board. Among the first basemen in the third-tier and beyond, there’s an assortment of question marks concerning the... Read More