Boston Red Sox Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

In the aftermath of a disastrous 2012 campaign, the Red Sox pitching staff was characterized by fried chicken, beer, and a whole lot of question marks. Well one year  and one Duckboat parade later, can we now say the Sox staff is characterized by consistency and depth? Perhaps we can. After seasons of perpetual upheaval, […]

Five Burning Questions for the Kansas City Royals in Spring Training

The 2013 season was one that the Kansas City Royals would love to improve on after winning 86 games. This week saw the beginning of spring training for the team in Surprise, AZ as pitchers and catchers reported on Feb. 14 and position players followed on Feb. 19. There are five burning questions that must […]

LA Dodgers Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

  2014 Los Angeles Dodgers – Pitching Staff Preview   Clayton Kershaw Position Battle – None Current Average Draft Position (12 team league) – Mid-First Round Other SPs in that Range – No one 2013 Stats – 16-9, 1.83 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 232 K, 236 IP, 52 BB Outlook – 2011 Cy Young, 2012 2nd […]

NL Central Preview & Rankings: Who Rises, Who Falls

The offseason is winding down, which means it’s time to evaluate which teams made the right moves and which ones got caught sleeping. Although there are still some big names out there that could help some teams whose rosters are lacking, let’s take a look at which NL Central teams will improve upon their 2013 […]

Carlos Santana and Lonnie Chisenhall - Cactus League Dispatches 2/19

RotoBaller Scott Slezak will be out in Arizona covering the 2014 Cactus League, providing dispatches and observations. I went to see the Cleveland Indians practice in Goodyear on Tuesday and the one thing I wanted to see was Carlos Santana work out at third base. Santana, indeed, was fielding grounders there during infield practice and […]

New York Yankees Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

2014 New York Yankees - Pitching Staff Preview   CC Sabathia 2013 Stats: IP 211, Wins 14, ERA 4.78, WHIP 1.37, K 175 While I believe Sabathia will have a bounce back season, it’s hard to imagine this aging pitcher regaining his All Star form. He has stated that he’s been studying more film, and […]

Five Under the Radar Outfielders - Sleeper Keepers for 2014 Fantasy Baseball

Here we are: Session Six, the end of the line. After today, your anxiety and depression will instantly disappear, much like it did in Pittsburgh last season. We’re taking on a giant task by trying to decide on five not-so-obvious OF who are going to make leaps in 2014 and help your team for years […]

Los Angeles Angels Starting Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

The Angels entered the off season with huge holes in their starting five. After absolutely horrible seasons from Joe Blanton and Tommy Hanson, the Angels could not afford to keep either in their rotation for 2014.  Jason Vargas showed glimpses of being a solid number three starter, but his inability to prevent runners from scoring […]

Three Overvalued Catchers: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Now that ESPN has released some of their early rankings for the 2014 season, we can begin to take a look at which players are overrated or underrated going in to draft season.  This will tell you where you can find value, and where you should just back away slowly. Today, my focus will be […]

Milwaukee Brewers Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

It was difficult for fantasy baseball owners to find solid pieces on the Milwaukee Brewers last year.  The 2014 will be a little better with the acquisition of Matt Garza, but the Brewers rotation is still nothing to write home about. Here is a look at the probable pitchers in Milwaukee this season and their […]

Chicago Cubs Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

Many of you may be surprised to read that the 2013 Chicago Cubs starting rotation ranked 15th in baseball in ERA, 16th in strikeouts, and 9th in WHIP. It was a sneakily effective bunch, led by fantasy super-unknowns Travis Wood and Scott Feldman, while also receiving small contributions from Matt Garza and Jeff Samrdzija’s strikeouts. […]

AJ Burnett: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Impact of Phillies Signing

  AJ Burnett - 2014 Fantasy Baseball Impact After stating publicly that he would either re-sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates or retire, A.J. Burnett now finds himself moving east across the great state of Pennsylvania to join the Philadelphia Phillies rotation. News broke on Thursday that the 37-year-old signed for one year $16M. The signing […]

Chris Withrow: Sleeper for Holds in 2014 Fantasy Baseball

  Relief Pitchers Poised to Leap Forward: Chris Withrow While the Los Angeles Dodgers have personalities and brand names like Yasiel Puig and Clayton Kershaw, some players go under the radar. Though Brian Wilson's entrancing beard may help to make him one of the better setup men in the game, Chris Withrow is also a name […]

Seattle Mariners Starting Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

That other team in Seattle sure set a high bar for sports in the great Northwest this year.  Here’s to hoping this rotation filled with young arms can be more than just a filler for the city between Seahawks' seasons. Where the batters on Mariners’ squad might be underwhelming, the same simply cannot be said […]

Alexander Guerrero - Dodgers 2B: Cactus League Analysis 2/15

I made it out to Dodgers camp today to check out their position players for the first time.  After training all week, the Dodger pitchers had an off-day, so all eyes were on Yasiel Puig and his shoulder injury, along with other big bats Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp. I want to write […]

Derek Jeter: The Last Yankee Hero

  Derek Jeter: The Last Yankee Hero Unlike many other current sportswriters, I’m not going to write like the Captain is dead. Don’t get me wrong—when I found out Derek Jeter was retiring, I legitimately could not focus for the rest of my work day. I will attend as many games as I can to […]

San Francisco Giants Starting Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

In a 2013 season that was chock full of injuries and surprising struggles, just one Giants starting pitcher was reliable-- Madison Bumgarner. Beyond that, the once-almost-unhittable rotation was unimpressive, and at times hard to watch. There’s no question that reaching two World Series in three years took a toll on many of the pitchers' arms, and […]

Tampa Bay Rays Starting Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

Tampa Bay entered the winter with several holes to fill and one giant question at the top of the rotation. To address these questions and stabilize the rotation, the Rays solidified their lineup this offseason and resigned staff ace David Price. While Tampa Bay made it known they would consider trade proposals for Price, the […]

Fantasy Impact Of Bronson Arroyo Signing With Arizona Diamondbacks

  Bronson Arroyo - 2014 Fantasy Baseball Impact After spending most of his offseason trying to find a home for 2014, 13-year veteran pitcher Bronson Arroyo finally signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks for two years and $23.5M. Though probably less than what he wanted as far as dollars and length of term, the 36-year-old workhorse […]

Top 5 Relief Pitcher (RP) Keepers: 2014 Dynasty Leagues

There's no position in baseball subject to more volatility from year to year than the closer role. It's rare for players not named Mariano Rivera to remain dominant in that position for more than a year or two. In fact, it's not uncommon at all for a top closer to lose his job just a […]

Diamondbacks Starting Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

It’s been no secret that success in baseball revolves around great starting pitching; there are other factors involved in team’s playing well, but it all starts with pitching. This makes sense when you think about it, because if you can prevent the opposition from scoring runs, it only increases your chances of winning games. Now, the […]

Houston Astros Pitching Analysis & Projections: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

In a continuation of my last piece on the Houston Astros offense, today I'm going to examine the current pitchers on the Astros roster for the upcoming fantasy season. In case you don't like reading, though, here's the readers' digest version of this one: none of them are draftable in 2014 fantasy baseball leagues, and I mean […]

NY Mets Pitching Analysis & Projections: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

Let's face facts-- for the past few seasons, it has not been easy to be a Mets fan. But each season brings hope, and the Mets path to success resides in its pitching staff, which is the team's core strength. The rotation took a serious blow last October when the Mets announced that Matt Harvey […]

Baltimore Orioles Lineup Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

Baltimore Orioles – Hitters Preview Despite the bitter cold and snow on the ground in many baseball cities, it is less than a month until pitchers and catchers report, so let’s preview the fantasy prospects of the Orioles’ hitters.  Before getting into details, note that some positions are still either completely undecided (DH), or undecided exactly how […]

Toronto Blue Jays Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

2014 Toronto Blue Jays - Pitching Staff Preview Casey Janssen leads a dominant cast of relievers that will provide plenty of support for fantasy teams in leagues with 'pitcher' slots. Clearly, you can't go wrong with the Blue Jays' pen. We know that they can bring it, but we don't know if their starters can […]

Draft Strategy for Dynasty & Keeper Leagues: Fantasy Baseball

Today, I'll be tackling the most difficult decision a fantasy owner will have to make in the preseason: whom to keep in a competitive keeper league. Having a sound keeper strategy is just as important to contending in your league as a first-round pick will ever be, and making a mistake at this part of […]

Oakland Athletics Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

The Oakland Athletics have won the AL West two years in a row, and the biggest part of their success during this time has been pitching. Ironically, fantasy owners searching for pitching studs this year should not look towards the A's rotation, though they have a few solid late-round value picks that could solidify the […]

Top 25 First Basemen (1B) - Rankings, Tiers and Projections

  Top 25 First Basemen (1B) - 2014 Fantasy Baseball Rankings It comes as no surprise that first base is once again one of the deepest positions in Fantasy Baseball for 2014.  The depth of the position extends into the middle and lower tiers, where you can find serviceable first basemen in the later rounds […]

Dispatches from the Cactus League 2/10: Addison Reed vs. J.J.Putz

Dispatches from the Cactus League: Addison Reed vs. J.J. Putz Because of their trip to Australia to play the Dodgers later this month, the Arizona Diamondbacks were the first team to report to Spring Training this year. The team held its annual Fan Fest at Chase Field Saturday where more than 20,000 fans showed up […]