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About Eric Samulski - RotoBaller
NYC-based teacher, writer and filmmaker. Former collegiate and professional baseball player. Lifelong Bills fan.
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Eric Samulski - RotoBaller has written 405 articles so far, you can find them below.
Finding MLB Starting Pitcher Breakouts - Pitch Mix Analysis and Mid-Season Changes (Part 2)
Welcome back to another edition of my series on pitchers with mid-season changes to their pitch mix. I seem to have found a niche covering pitch mixes and using it to evaluate where pitchers have avenues for growth or warning signs for regression. As a former catcher, I'm used to thinking about pitch sequencing and... Read More
Starting Pitching Breakouts for End of Season: Catcher's Corner, Episode 41
Eric (@SamskiNYC) welcomes John Laghezza (@MLBMovingAvg) to talk about starting pitchers that interest them for the end of the season. They also talk about the philosophy of baseball and how to “create fishermen” in fantasy baseball by having people think about process and not just results. They discuss Reid Detmers, Braxton Garrett, Janson Junk, Brady... Read More
Under-the-Radar Fantasy Baseball Pickups After the MLB Trade Deadline
We all know that Juan Soto is getting a fantasy boost from being a part of a strong Padres lineup and that Tyler Mahle should see increased production now that he's out of Cincinnati. Those are the takeaways from the MLB trade deadline that we've heard about all day. But what about those other guys?... Read More
Relief Pitcher Trade Deadline Special: Catcher's Corner, Episode 40
Eric (@SamskiNYC) and Sami (@Believe_Sami) welcome Nate Marcum (@natemarcum) of Reliever Recon to discuss what the trade deadline could mean for fantasy relievers. They discuss pitchers most likely to be traded away and who to stash in their place. Then they end with some players they’re fading in the second half and others they’re actively... Read More
Is Oneil Cruz a Breakout Player or Over-Hyped Rookie?
Sometimes when your anticipation for something is so great, it's hard to evaluate that particular thing fairly and accurately. Sometimes we want a movie or a show or a person we're dating to be good, so we only see the positives (like people who claimed to like "Obi-Wan"). Other times, the waiting makes our expectations... Read More
Finding MLB Starting Pitcher Breakouts - Pitch Mix Analysis and Mid-Season Changes
I seem to have found a niche covering pitch mixes and using it to evaluate where pitchers have avenues for growth or warning signs for regression. As a former catcher, I'm used to thinking about pitch sequencing and how pitches work in tandem to attack hitters at different parts of the strike zone. My goal... Read More
Mining the Minors for Hot Prospect Hitters and Call-Ups - Francisco Alvarez, Vinnie Pasquantino, Mark Vientos, and more
When we ran the first installment of this piece back in April, we were hoping to identify some hot-hitting minor leagues who may not be on our radars. Yes, we had some big names like Nolan Gorman and former trendy prospects like Luis Garcia, but the first installment also pointed us to Jack Suwinski and... Read More
Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part Five
Welcome to another episode in this FSWA-award-winning series Pitchers with New Pitches. We take the simple premise that not every new pitch should be greeted with praise. The new pitch, like the shiny new toy, might be exciting on its own, but it also needs to be a complement to what a pitcher already has.... Read More
Father's Day Waiver Wire Special: Catcher's Corner, Episode 38
Eric (@SamskiNYC) and Sami (@Believe_Sami) welcome Chris Torrest (@TorresTakes) to discuss whether or not Sami is being replaced on the podcast and what to do about current breaking news, like injuries to Ozzie Albies, Kendall Graveman, and Liam Hendriks. Then they discuss the catcher waiver wire landscape and look ahead for which fringe starting hitters... Read More
Claim or Lame: Catcher's Corner, Episode 37
Eric (@SamskiNYC) and Sami (@Believe_Sami) welcome Justin Mason (@JustinMasonFWFB) to discuss recent pieces of news and then play a game of Cut or Keep followed by a game of Claim or Lame. This episode has tons of quick-hitting analysis on as many players as we could possibly fit. They discuss Juan Yepez, Josh Naylor, Javier... Read More
Starting Pitcher Breakouts and Sell Highs for Fantasy Baseball: K-BB% Risers
Now that we're a couple of months into the season, we have the ability to track month-to-month changes to see if any players are making adjustments. Sometimes these changes can manifest in a clear difference in results, while other times we can start to see some changes under the surface that have not yet shown... Read More
Catcher Waiver Wire Targets for Fantasy Baseball: ROS Strategy and Landscape
Every year we hear about how awful the catcher landscape is in fantasy baseball. People bemoan having to roster one and laugh at those who play in leagues where they have to carry two. However, catchers are people too. OK, we're actually not going to go down that road this time. Instead, we're going to... Read More
Trevor Rogers: Hunting For Fantasy Value - Catcher's Corner Pitch Mix Exam Room
Eric Samulski of RotoBaller does a deep dive on Trevor Rogers analyzing the Miami starting pitcher and explaining why fantasy baseball managers should be looking to try and buy low if they can. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel 87) - every weekday morning between 6-7 AM ET, Saturdays from 3-5... Read More
Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part Four
Welcome to another episode in this FSWA award-winning series Pitchers with New Pitches. We take the simple premise that not every new pitch should be greeted with praise. The new pitch, like the shiny new toy, might be exciting on its own, but it also needs to be a complement to what a pitcher already... Read More
Catcher's Corner, Episode 35: Boom Scores and How We Can Predict Hot Streaks
Eric (@SamskiNYC) and Sami (@Believe_Sami) welcome Jon Anderon (@JonPGH) to talk about some of the hitters who are popping on the metrics he's created for his daily substack. Then they continue their Twitter debate on whether or not hot streaks are real and if there's anything that can tell us when one is coming. They... Read More
Eric Lauer: Hunting For Fantasy Breakouts - Catcher's Corner Pitch Mix Exam Room
Eric Samulski of RotoBaller does a deep dive on Eric Lauer, analyzing the Milwaukee starting pitcher and explaining why fantasy baseball managers should be cautious about his recent run of success. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel 87) - every weekday morning between 6-7 AM ET, Saturdays from 3-5 PM, and... Read More
May Hot and Cold Streaks: Catcher's Corner, Episode 34
Eric (@SamskiNYC) and Sami (@Believe_Sami) welcome Chris Torres (@TorresTakes) to talk through this week's intriguing waiver wire adds and then discuss some notable players on recent hot and cold streaks. They discuss Alek Thomas, Ian Kennedy, Chase Silseth, Jeffrey Springs, Harrison Bader, Cody Bellinger, Tyler O'Neill, Kolten Wong, and many more. Be sure to also... Read More
Mining the Minors for Hot Prospect Pitchers - Max Meyer, Grayson Rodriguez, Ryan Pepiot and more
If you've played even one year of fantasy baseball, you know that predicting minor league call-ups can be a frustrating endeavor. We have to weigh not only the talent of the player and the potential lineup opening in his major league organization, but also the relative competitiveness of that organization and any financial or service... Read More
Catcher's Corner, Episode 33: Waiver Wire Starting Pitchers
Eric (@SamskiNYC) and Sami (@Believe_Sami) watched a bunch of starts from a crop of potential waiver wire starting pitchers and then break down their long-term outlooks on the pitchers and whether you should be targeting them on waivers this week. They discuss George Kirby, Kyle Bradish, Yusei Kikuchi, Bruce Zimmermann, Alex Faedo, Dane Dunning, Drew... Read More
The (L)Earning Curve Sports Betting Podcast - May 13th
Thunder Dan Palyo (@ThunderDanDFS) and Eric Samulski (@SamskiNYC) welcome fantasy, betting, and DFS whiz John Laghezza (@MLBMovingAverages) on the pod to talk about the current MLB betting climate and why he thinks the F5 bets (runline and O/U are advantageous for bettors. Then they give you their best picks and player props for the MLB... Read More
Victory Laps and Honey Traps: Catcher's Corner, Episode 32
Eric (@SamskiNYC) and Sami (@Believe_Sami) chat with Toby Guevin (@BatFlipCrazy) about the hot/cold starts of some of the preseason's most polarizing players. Plus, they cover the potential value of a victory lap and also discuss how much attention you should be paying to your standings at this point in the season. They discuss Marcus Semien,... Read More
Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part Three
Welcome to another episode in this FSWA-award-winning series Pitchers with New Pitches. We take the simple premise that not every new pitch should be greeted with praise. The new pitch, like the shiny new toy, might be exciting on its own, but it also needs to be a complement to what a pitcher already has.... Read More
Catcher's Corner, Episode 31: Are You Stable?
Eric (@SamskiNYC) and Sami (@Believe_Sami) chat with Rotoballer's Nicklaus Gaut (@nt_BurtReynolds) about hitting stats that have begun to stabilize and whether some league leaders - both good and bad - could be potential breakouts or guys that need to be dropped. They discuss Jeremy Pena, Rowdy Tellez, Christian Walker, Bobby Witt Jr., Steven Kwan, Eugenio... Read More
Finding Breakout Hitters for Fantasy Baseball: Chase Rate Early-Season Metrics
In an earlier article on Blast Rate, I mentioned that this was the time of year that some hitting metrics start to stabilize. While many of us want to focus on exit velocity and hard-hit rate because they lead to more exciting outcomes, I think focusing on plate discipline metrics can be just as important.... Read More
The (L)Earning Curve Sports Betting Podcast - May 2nd
Thunder Dan Palyo (@ThunderDanDFS) and Eric Samulski (@SamskiNYC) discuss the importance of keeping in mind your betting process and not solely focusing on your results. Then they give you their best picks and player props for the MLB slate on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2022 Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel 87)... Read More
Finding Breakout Hitters for Fantasy Baseball: Blast Rate Early-Season Metrics
It's about that time in the season when we start getting antsy about slow starters, or wondering if players off to hot starts on the fantasy baseball waiver wire might be for real. While it's still important to keep in mind that we're dealing with small sample sizes, there are some stats that have begun... Read More
Mining the Minors for Hot Prospect Hitters and Call-Ups - Nolan Gorman, Triston Casas, Luis Garcia, and more
If you've played even one year of fantasy baseball, you know that predicting minor league call-ups can be a frustrating endeavor. We have to weigh not only the talent of the player and the potential lineup opening in his major league organization but also the relative competitiveness of that organization and any financial or service... Read More
Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part Two
The new pitch, like the shiny new toy, might be exciting on its own, but it also needs to be a complement to what a pitcher already has. Much like a toy that's the exact same as a toy we already have makes us forget the older toy. So instead of just celebrating that some... Read More
Catcher's Corner, Episode 30: Hot or Not With Chris Clegg
Eric (@SamskiNYC) and Sami (@Believe_Sami) chat with Fantrax's' Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) about some of the starting pitchers and hitters who are off to hot starts and whether or not they're buying in. They discuss Matt Brash, Kyle Wright, Paul Blackburn, Owen Miller, Jesus Sanchez, Taylor Ward, and many many more. Be sure to also tune... Read More
Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part One
I'm excited to start year number two of this column. Last year, I began the column in spring training with the simple premise that pitchers throwing new pitches is cool but that not all new pitches should be treated equally. Some can be missing pieces to an arsenal, while others can just be an unnecessary... Read More
