Vlad Who? Meet Yordan Alvarez, A.L. Rookie of the Year Candidate

Yordan Alvarez is not Vladimir Gurrero Jr. and that's a good thing. While April 26, 2019 was National Vladito Day, we should also keep in mind that there are other young players in the MLB universe too. Fantasy baseball owners, in particular, should be careful not to get carried away, as only one person in […]

Prospect Debuts - Fantasy Stock Watch for Week 5

Well, the Major League season is already 15% of the way done. Some owners think that they are on their way to victory while others are patiently waiting for things to turn around. Still, while all the victory laps are being taken, the smart owner is looking forward to the rest of the year and […]

Hot Prospects To Watch - Mize, Urias, Franco

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s MLB debut came and went last Friday. So who is next? It figures to be Reds third baseman/outfielder Nick Senzel, the team's top prospect and No. 5 overall in baseball. It could happen as soon as this Friday, too, as the 22-year-old is now healthy after a sprained ankle in spring training. […]

Prospect Debuts - Fantasy Stock Watch for Week 4

Well, the Major League season is already 15% of the way done. Some owners think that they are on their way to victory while others are patiently waiting for things to turn around. Still, while all the victory laps are being taken, the smart owner is looking forward to the rest of the year and […]

Top 30 Impact Prospects for 2019 Redraft Leagues (Week 4)

The Top 30 list continues to evolve as prospects get closer to compiling meaningful amounts of at-bats. And we’re also gaining a better understanding of what big league performances are sustainable, and which ones were the result of small-sample noise. Jonathan Loaisiga and Jon Duplantier rejoin the list after demotions from their respective Major League […]

Hot Prospects To Watch - Tucker, Reynolds, Alvarez

We're into the third week of the minor league season and prospects are already finding their way onto big league rosters and making an impact at the next level. Elsewhere, some of the biggest prospect names of 2019 are fighting their way back from injury. Nick Senzel, the Reds top prospect, will join Triple-A Louisville […]

Top 20 Prospects for 2020 Dynasty Leagues (Week 3 Update)

Welcome back to our updated list of the Top 20 impact prospects for 2020. Most minor league teams have now completed a dozen games or so (depending on weather cancellations), so we're starting to see some trends with players off to hot or cold starts. I expect a lot of movement on this list as […]

Hot Prospects To Watch - Toussaint, Cease, Manning

All eyes continue to be on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the No. 1 overall prospect, as he works his way back from an oblique strain in spring training. The 20-year-old looks to be fully healthy and is now slashing .360/.448/.560 with a homer and six RBI in seven games for High-A Dunedin and Triple-A Buffalo. It […]

Prospect Stock Watch with Fantasy Implications - Week 2

Well, the Major League season is already 6% of the way done. Some owners think that they are on their way to victory while others are patiently waiting for things to turn around. Still, while all the victory laps are being taken, the smart owner is looking forward to the rest of the year and […]

Hot Prospects To Watch in Week 2 - Urias, Kieboom, Robert

Last week we discussed some injury updates on some of 2019's biggest prospect names. We'll continue to give you injury updates on notable names in the minors in this space as the season wears on. But this week we'll turn our attention towards actual minor league performances and those that have turned heads by sprinting […]

Top 20 Impact Prospects for 2020 Dynasty Leagues

Prospect ranking is similar to picking stocks to invest in. With both areas of focus, you have to consider a number of variables, including overall long-term value, as well as how quickly you want or need a return. Investment advisors will often analyze an investor’s risk appetite to help choose the right investments. If you have […]

Top Prospect News For Week 1

Baseball is back! Opening Day of the 2019 MLB slate came and went last week, but now we have the start of the minor league season to look forward to this week. Fantasy owners, especially those in dynasty/keeper leagues, are always looking for the next young stud prospect that might be a difference-maker at the […]

Prospects Stock Watch for Week 1 of Fantasy Baseball

The first week of baseball has seen disappointments and surprises abound, but none more than looking to early rookie performances. From players not expected to make the team playing key roles, to players not being held down due to service time, this is a great time to jump into the waiver wire to grab those […]

Top 30 Impact Rookies for Redraft Fantasy Leagues (Preseason)

It’s no secret that teams are relying more and more heavily on young hitters and pitchers to not only fill out the 25-man rosters but to be key, impactful members of the club. That, in turn, means that prospect watching and analysis plays an increasingly important part of fantasy baseball. Jumping on the promising, raw […]

What to Expect from the Marlins' Young Rotation

In the days leading up to the start of the 2019 season, the Miami Marlins made it clear that the youth movement has completely taken over. Veteran Dan Straily was released and Wei-Yin Chen was sent to the bullpen, paving the way for a pitching rotation that doesn't boast a player over the age of […]

Sleeper Prospects to Target Late in Deep Redrafts

As fantasy season approaches, and drafts are in full swing, owners are looking for any unturned rock that might add some late round value. As the Rotoballer team releases an updated prospect list, now is the time to see what players are on the cusp of making the majors, but would be worth the stash […]

Sophomores Who Have Fallen Between the Cracks?

Baseball prospects and rookies get covered extensively around baseball, whether we’re referring to just fantasy baseball or the sport in general. What we don’t do overly well, is cover the players that fall between the cracks. What I mean by that is the players that play long enough to lose their rookie eligibility but not […]

Top 10 Shortstop Prospects - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Rankings

We're back with another list of 2019 impact prospects. Today the focus is on shortstop. The crop of talent this year starts off very strong, and then does a few hops and jumps bouncing around the skill and potential spectrum. Few positions are completely stocked with premium talent in the top-10, but compared to others, […]

Dynasty Buy or Sell - Catchers, First Base, Second Base

As the season continues to drag closer, fantasy baseball owners are waiting, or willing, to make that first move of the year. For dynasty owners, this means trading talent for future assets or plugging those gaps that currently exist on teams hoping to compete. And yet, the other concern for owners is what players are […]

Under-the-Radar Pitching Prospects for 2019

We are thrilled to announce that Marc Hulet has recently joined the RotoBaller team! Marc is also the longest-serving, active writer at FanGraphs. For 10+ years he has been focused on MLB prospects and their fantasy baseball impacts. Follow along all season! This week I’ve kicked off my tenure at RotoBaller with a two-part series […]

Spring Training Notes from the Field - Early Reactions

Finally, baseball is back. There might be no better feeling than being able to turn on the television and see a live game, even if it does not count for anything in the win column. While some of the players are new to fans, and some players even lack names on their jerseys, the energy […]

Top 10 Dynasty Third Base Prospects

Taking a look at the top third base prospects in dynasty, you can split the list into two categories: Vladimir Guerrero Jr and everyone else. Clearly, Guerrero is the most exciting prospect in fantasy right now after his monster 2018 campaign where he hit .381 with 20 home runs and a 1.073 OPS over 408 […]

Top 10 Starting Pitching Prospects - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Rankings

"There is no such thing as a pitching prospect." For fantasy owners who have lived and died by this mantra, this article might be a bit of a jinx. Often when the fantasy community gets in on a player, they break, or roles change. Some of this is the odds with pitching, but otherwise, the […]

Top 10 Outfield Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings

We're back with another list of 2019 impact prospects. Today the focus is on the outfield. With a whole host of candidates ready to make the jump to regular roles, this might be the deepest prospect position heading into 2019. With the growth of five-outfielder leagues as well, the need to know who will be […]

Winning Strategies For Your Dynasty League Startup Draft

Some people enjoy playing fantasy baseball one season at a time, drafting a new roster every year. Others are fascinated with drafting a team and managing it year after year towards multiple championship trophies. The latter individuals are best suited to play in dynasty leagues. For rosters to be competitive annually, they have to possess […]

Top 10 First Base Prospects - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Rankings

We're back with another list of 2019 impact prospects. Today the focus is on first base. While it is never fully stocked with quality depth, this might be the weakest the position has ever been heading into the season. With such a shallow group of options, it is important to know who will be called […]

Top 10 Second Base Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings

Continuing our 2019 prospect preview series, the stop today is at the keystone - second base. As noted in the other pieces so far on the position, second base offers a ton of variety in terms of the player profiles, future roles, and proximity to the Majors. In general, though, the players on this list […]

Three Up, Three Down for Prospects - Outfielder

The outfield is one of the deepest spots right now in fantasy baseball with names like Ronald Acuna Jr., Victor Robles, and Juan Soto dominating early draft boards for 2019. The minors remain stocked with exciting players, and new talent is still on its way to the Major Leagues, just in time for dynasty and […]

Top 10 Catcher Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings

Catching as a position has gotten the brunt of fantasy angst over the past few seasons, with wRC+ rates well below league average. And yet, this is precisely the reason that owners should be looking to add the young talent that will be taking these spots in the Majors sooner rather than later. Owning talent […]