Are You For Real? Surprising SP Starts from Week 6
Welcome back to "Are You For Real?" Each week, we look at lower-owned starting pitchers who have performed unexpectedly well in their last outing(s). We're looking at a trio of low-owned right-handers this week, as Dane Dunning, Zach Eflin, and Tyler Mahle all impressed over the weekend. Each is available in more than 80% of... Read More
Will Mike Clevinger's Strikeouts Return Soon?
This was supposed to be a wider look at the biggest decreases in starting pitcher strikeout rates. But lo and behold, the leader of that list - and someone who had been cooling his heels at Cleveland's alternate site, as of late - was traded to San Diego in a blockbuster deal. And even though... Read More
Hot Prospects To Watch: Hot Hitters and Hurlers
Perhaps there's nothing more tantalizing in fantasy baseball than drafting an up-and-coming prospect or rushing to the waiver wire to bid on a Triple-A call-up. With no minor leagues this year, our favorite prospects are now playing on taxi squads, making it difficult for us to fantasize about since we can't get eyes on their... Read More
H2H Points League Pickups, Waiver Adds: Week 7
Just when we thought we going go make it, Oakland and Anaheim get erased off of Sunday's schedule due to a COVID postive test by the A's. We'll we actually go a whole week without this happening? Stay tuned. We're over halfway through the season and it's getting down to the nitty-gritty. Bigger and bigger... Read More
The Baller Ranks: Top 101 Starting Pitchers Weekly Rankings
With September around the corner, the Week 7 Starting Pitcher Baller Ranks are here to help analyze where the top 101 SPs stand moving forward in this chaotic season. You can check out my weekly Top 101 Relief Pitcher Baller Ranks as well. David Emerick rolled out an introduction to our Baller Ranks here -- I suggest... Read More
The Cut List (Week 7) - Time to Let Go?
Welcome back to the Cut List. This article, for three weeks now, reviews several of ESPN's 25 most dropped players in the past week and, in order from most dropped to least (except most injured players), determines how reasonable that course of action has been. (Some players near the bottom of the ESPN and Cut... Read More
From to Farm to Roster: Potential Call-Ups for Week 6
Oh, boy, these call-ups are coming in bunches. Between last Thursday and today, seven of the eight priority pick-ups I mentioned last week are already in the Majors and one of the guys on the Watch List (Ryan Mountcastle) also got the call. With more teams vying for the expanded playoff spots, call-ups seem to... Read More
Closers and Saves Report - Week 6 Waiver Wire
We've only had about 30 games per team (or way less for some), but it's already almost the trade deadline! This season's trade deadline is on Monday, August 31st, and while there have already been a few trades made, there will certainly be a flurry before Monday afternoon. One thing we as baseball fans can... Read More
2020 Starting Pitcher K% Increases
We're somehow halfway through the 2020 season and judgments need to be passed. Every statistic has a point where it is said to begin to stabilize and become more useful than it is not. For pitcher's strikeout-rates, that point is after they've face 70 batters. Note that it's "begin to stabilize", not "stabilize". These statistics... Read More
The Baller Ranks: Top 200 Hitters Weekly Rankings (Week 6)
The Baller Ranks have a new player at number two, and his name is not Tatis, Yellich, or Acuna. While all three of those players have their claims to the second spot, the change is primarily based on volume. With that hint, can you guess which superstar has more remaining games than any other player... Read More
The Baller Ranks: Top 101 Relief Pitchers Weekly Rankings
With September on the horizon, it's time for the Week 6 Relief Pitcher Baller Ranks. Let's take our a weekly dive into where the top 101 RPs stand moving forward in this strange sprint season. You can check out my weekly Top 101 Starting Pitcher Baller Ranks as well. I've updated this piece through Aug. 25.... Read More
Top 50 Prospects for Fantasy Baseball Redraft: Week 6 Rankings
For the first time this year, we have a new player atop the rankings of the Top 50 Redraft Prospects for 2020. Young Phillies' third baseman Alec Bohm has wrestled the top spot away from Chicago White Sox's five-tool threat Luis Robert. If you’ve been following this ranking all season long, you’re probably the proud... Read More
Are You For Real? Surprising SP Starts from Week 5
Welcome back to "Are You For Real?" Each week, we look at lower-owned starting pitchers who have performed unexpectedly well in their last outing(s). The young guns were on display this week, and we are going to break down three right-handers all 25 or younger who put up surprising starts this week. We'll look at... Read More
Hot Prospects To Watch: Promising Debuts and Red-Hot Rookies
Perhaps there's nothing more tantalizing in fantasy baseball than drafting an up-and-coming prospect or rushing to the waiver wire to bid on a Triple-A call-up. With no minor leagues this year, our favorite prospects are now playing on taxi squads, making it difficult for us to fantasize about since we can't get eyes on their... Read More
Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - Exit Velocity (Week 6)
We're cruising right along on our Statcast Hitter Studs/Duds series. Many fantasy baseball owners are starting to see the value of MLB's Statcast advanced stats in order to help identify potential risers and sleepers. We're approaching the midway point of this shortened season, and hot and cold streaks are beginning to expose their permanence--is a... Read More
Week 6 Starts & Sits - All Starting Pitcher Matchups
Make sure you have a firm grip on your pitching situation. As best as possible, fill every spot with pitchers that help you achieve your goal. Give every pitching decision equal respect. We are on the back half of the season; don't let up off the gas now. Welcome back to our starts/sits column for... Read More
H2H Points League Pickups, Waiver Adds: Week 6
Another week, another two teams sniped off of the schedule. By now, no one needs to be told how imperative is grab value off of the waiver wire. We're nearly halfway through the short season and while it's still a very small sample, we can at least start to separate the wheat from the chaff.... Read More
The Baller Ranks: Top 101 Starting Pitchers Weekly Rankings
It's time for the Week 6 Starting Pitcher Baller Ranks, where we analyze where the top 101 SPs stand moving forward in this chaotic season. You can check out my weekly Top 101 Relief Pitcher Baller Ranks as well. David Emerick rolled out an introduction to our Baller Ranks here -- I suggest you read for a... Read More
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Week 6
Most fantasy teams know where they stand entering week six of this condensed fantasy baseball season. Chances are that the teams floating around the bottom of the league do not have enough time to claw their way back. Never say never but, chances are it’s over for almost 50% of teams in any given league... Read More
Two-Start Pitcher Streamers for Fantasy Baseball - Week 6
Welcome to RotoBaller's weekly article of two-start pitcher streamers for 2020! Successfully streaming pitchers can literally be a game-changer when it comes to fantasy baseball. When it comes to daily leagues, two-start streams aren't that important, since you can stream every day. But when it comes to weekly leagues, two-start streams become exponentially more important.... Read More
Hitter Streamers for Fantasy Baseball Week 6
Welcome back to another installment of the hitting streamers column! This edition is for August 24 through August 30. As will be the case every week, I will offer a couple of worthy streamers for each position (catcher, corner infield, middle infield, outfield) based on the number of games the players have for the upcoming... Read More
The Cut List (Week 6) - Time to Let Go?
Welcome back to the Cut List. In case you missed last week, this article now reviews several of ESPN's 25 most dropped players in the past week and, in order from most dropped to least (except most injured players), determines how reasonable that course of action has been. (Some players near the bottom of the... Read More
Tigers Trio Ready to Make an Instant Impact?
This past week has been the most eventful period for the Detroit Tigers organization for quite some time. Ever since being swept out of the first round of the 2014 playoffs by a hobbled Baltimore Orioles team, there’s been a lingering cloud of dread over the franchise, with fans wondering when the team’s rebuild would... Read More
Greg Maddux Plate Discipline Standouts for 2020
In my previous article, I wrote about my new weighted index statistic for hitters – mPDI, which stems from a famous quote by Hall of Fame pitcher, Greg Maddux: “The key to pitching is to have the ability to throw a strike when they’re taking and throw a ball when the hitter is swinging.” The... Read More
Week 5 Starts & Sits - All Starting Pitcher Matchups
We continue to chug along and there's still time to make adjustments, if you make decisions soon. It is important to keep track of where your teams stand. Are you behind in your projected innings for your roto leagues? Do you need to target two-start pitchers to compete in your H2H leagues? Welcome back to... Read More
The Baller Ranks: Top 200 Hitters Weekly Rankings (Week 5)
When I started writing up the column for this week, it was going to focus on the esteemed gentlemen of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bo Bichette as well as the broader shortstop landscape. Then I started looking at first base and DH and got fixated on what was happening with Cody Bellinger and Shohei Ohtani,... Read More
The Baller Ranks: Top 101 Relief Pitchers Weekly Rankings
It's already time for the Week 5 Relief Pitcher Baller Ranks, where we take a weekly dive into where the top 101 RPs stand moving forward in this strange sprint season. You can check out my weekly Top 101 Starting Pitcher Baller Ranks as well. I've updated this piece through Aug. 18. David Emerick rolled out... Read More
Statcast Starting Pitcher Leaderboard - Pitch Movement
In this chaotic year, MLB starting pitching is just one of the many things that make our lives as fantasy managers difficult. As if we don't have enough to worry about in these days and times, keeping a healthy rotation intact or keeping your ratios from imploding on any given night is becoming harder by... Read More
Hot Prospects To Watch: Tigers Rookies and Low-Owned Youngsters
Perhaps there's nothing more tantalizing in fantasy baseball than drafting an up-and-coming prospect or rushing to the waiver wire to bid on a Triple-A call-up. With no minor leagues this year, our favorite prospects are now playing on taxi squads, making it difficult for us to fantasize about since we can't get eyes on their... Read More