Spin Rate Kings Who May Be Toppled

The talk of the town is spin rate. If you spend any time following MLB discussion, you have certainly heard all about the league's crackdown on pitchers using foreign substances to help their grip and spin on the baseball. Like most other topics, there are lots of people on both sides of the argument. No […]

The Bigger Picture - Substance Ban Makes Things Worse (For Now)

It only took 118 years, but Major League Baseball is finally taking a hard stance on the illegal use of foreign substances by pitchers. Better late than never! The ethical issues surrounding both sides of the debate will be left for another space. The intention here is to get into the logistics of the on-field […]

Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - Slider Profiles for Week 12

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. For the past two weeks I have looked at pitchers' various movement profiles for curveballs and changeups using Statcast's […]

Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - xSLG Analysis for Week 12

Slugging is a fairly simple metric by baseball standards but once Statcast gets into the mix, it's a bit more complicated. According to MLB.com, "Expected Slugging Percentage (xSLG) is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed." Base hits are still weighted with home runs being four times […]

The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Week 12

Welcome back to the Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers could consider cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer look. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, players who are worth monitoring for replacing, and someone on the hot seat who is […]

The Bigger Picture - Sizing Up 60 Games

We did it. We got through 60 games of the Major League season and yet, it isn't nearly over. Of all the trials and tribulations the abbreviated 2020 season brought, one of the greatest difficulties is having to invoke the caveat of the shortened season when conducting statistical analysis. Although we could take the current […]

Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - Changeup Profiles for Week 11

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. Last week I started taking a look into pitchers' relative success of certain pitches using Statcast's pitch movement […]

Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - Barrel Rate Analysis for Week 11

Believe it or not, this will be our first foray into barrels this season. Certain statistics take longer to become significant, so it made sense to accumulate more data before digging into barrels. Those familiar with this series already know that the obvious names like Aaron Judge, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Nelson Cruz won't be […]

The Cut List: Week 11 - Time to Let Go? Injury Special

Welcome back to the Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers should consider cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer look. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, players who are worth monitoring for replacing, and someone on the hot seat who is […]

The Bigger Picture - Glittery Prospects Aren't Always Fantasy Gold

Jarred Kelenic, welcome to The Show. The next über-prospect that had fantasy managers chomping at the bit for a call-up got his first taste of the majors at age 21. It was fantastic... for about two days. Now, he is on the bench and/or chopping block in redraft leagues while many GMs wish they would […]

Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - xBA Analysis for Week 10

Death, taxes, regression. These are inevitable. Eschewing the first two topics, fantasy baseball managers may be interested in identifying batters who are experiencing regerssion, both positive and negative. Once summer hits, we have enough data that season-long stats can be deceptive on the surface. That said, let's dive back into expected statistics with a look […]

Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - Curveball Profiles for Week 10

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. As I mentioned last week, I am going to start taking a look into pitchers' relative success of […]

The Cut List: Week 10 - Time to Let Go?

Welcome back to the Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers should consider cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer peek. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, players who are worth monitoring for replacing, and someone on the hot seat who is […]

Just the Worst: Starting Pitchers

After living through the bouncy-ball, home run-a-palooza for the last few seasons, 2021 has brought with it pitching dominance not seen since guys named Noodle Hahn and Snake Wiltse were pitching dead balls for 300+ innings. However, not every pitcher has seen great results with the new baseball that 2021 has wrought, and you don't […]

Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - Sweet Spot Analysis for Week 9

Barrel rate is one of the best measures of a hitter's power. In order to earn a barrel, a player needs to have enough exit velocity, which we measured last week, and the proper launch angle. Specifically, a ball can travel anywhere between 8-50 degrees depending on how high an exit velocity was produced. Although […]

Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - Swinging-Strike Rate Analysis for Week 9

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. Some metrics may seem simpler than others, but that does not mean that they are less informative. One […]

The Cut List: Week 9 - Time to Let Go?

Welcome back to the Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers should consider cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer peek. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, players who are worth monitoring for replacing, and someone on the hot seat who is […]

Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - HR/FB% Analysis for Week 8

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. The past several weeks I have looked at metrics that are more predictive. This week I will focus on […]

Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - Exit Velocity Analysis for Week 8

Exit velocity is all the rage these days, but how meaningful is it really? It depends. A high exit velocity is worthless if it's smashed into the ground right at a defender. Increasing the miles per hour rate on line drives and fly balls typically result in better outcomes and are more predictive of power. […]

The Cut List: Week 8 - Time to Let Go? Pitching Special

Welcome back to the Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers should consider cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer peek. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, worth monitoring for replacing and those on the hot seat who are worth holding on […]

Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - xwOBA Analysis for Week 7

With many hitters finally passing the 100-plate appearance threshold for 2021, we can begin to dig into expected statistics to see who is underperforming or overachieving. A good place to start is xwOBA, or expected weighted on-base average. For those unfamiliar with the term, BaseballSavant describes it thusly: "xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch […]

Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - xSLG Analysis for Week 7

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. This week I will dive into a metric that utilizes exit velocity and launch angle (two metrics we have […]

The Cut List: Week 7 - Time to Let Go?

Welcome back to the Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers should consider cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer peek. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, worth monitoring for replacing and someone on the hot seat who is worth holding on […]

Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - Hard-Hit Rate Analysis for Week 6

We're officially one month into the season so more statistics will begin to become "sticky." One of the chief contact quality metrics that can be predictive of power is hard-hit rate. As always, we'll skip the obvious names like Mike Trout and Aaron Judge in order to look at unexpected leaders, as well as players […]

Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - SIERA Analysis for Week 6

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. Now roughly a month into the season, we are starting to gather a decent sample of data for […]

The Cut List: Week 6 - Time to Let Go?

Welcome back to the Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers should consider cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer peek. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, worth monitoring for replacing and someone on the hot seat who is worth holding on […]

Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - Contact Rate Analysis for Week 5

Last week, we examined whiff rate risers and fallers so it's time to investigate the opposite side of the coin with contact rate. Many metrics are yet to warrant deep examination for 2021 since teams are approximately 20 games into the season. Contact rate takes about 100 plate appearances to begin stabilizing. While it is […]

Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - Launch Angle Analysis for Week 5

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. Last week I took a look at exit velocity, and this week I will look into a stat […]

The Cut List: Week 5 - Time to Let Go?

Welcome back to the Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers should consider cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer peek. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, worth monitoring for replacing and someone on the hot seat but worth holding on to... […]