Justin Upton Stays Hot in Spring

Coming off a career-high 35 home runs and 109 RBI last season, Los Angeles Angels left fielder Justin Upton blasted three home runs this spring. Hitting in the heart of a very strong lineup in LA, Upton should be targeted very highly in fantasy drafts this season. He comes in 12th among outfielders in our […]

Tyler Austin Gets Opening Day Nod At First

The New York Yankees have released their starting lineup for Thursday’s season opener in Toronto against the Blue Jays. While the familiar faces will be atop the lineup, first baseman Greg Bird’s injury and subsequent surgery has led to Tyler Austin getting the start at first and batting ninth. The 26-year-old saw time at first last […]

Kole Calhoun Completes Strong Spring

Los Angeles Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun wrapped up a stellar spring, going 18-for-51 with three doubles, one home run and nine RBI. Calhoun's .353 average was nice, but he only drew two walks compared to 14 strikeouts. He has posted a walk rate over 10 percent the last two seasons, however, so this might […]

Albert Almora Has Rough Spring

Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora has struggled this spring and will be the team’s fourth outfielder. Almora was in a competition with outfielder Ian Happ for the the center field job, but Happ was on a tear this spring and ran away with the job, while Almora hit .164 in 55 at-bats. Almora will still […]

Brandon Morrow Has Mixed Results In Spring Training

Chicago Cubs closer Brandon Morrow offered mixed results this spring. The free-agent signee gave up three earned runs over four innings. Morrow is coming off of his most dominant season as a big leaguer, as he set up for Kenley Jansen in 2017. Morrow has very little closing experience, but fantasy owners shouldn’t overreact over […]

Brian Dozier Wraps Up Slow Spring

Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier wrapped up a slow spring on Tuesday. Dozier finished the spring batting .222 with two homers, four runs, three RBI and one steal. The slow spring shouldn't be a cause for concern, as the veteran infielder has established himself as one of the premiere fantasy options at second base […]

Buster Posey On Fire This Spring

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is ready to go for Opening Day on Thursday. Posey dealt with some ankle issues early in camp, but has bounced back strong with a .471 batting average with two home runs and 10 RBI over 34 at-bats. He remains one of the top-three options at catcher along with […]

Jonathan Lucroy Hitless In Spring Training

Oakland Athletics catcher Jonathan Lucroy was hitless in spring training, his first with the Athletics. He had 20 at-bats this spring and has zero hits and only one walk. Since 2014, the only offensively successful season Lucroy had was in 2016 (24 home runs, .292 average). In 2017, he managed only six home runs with […]

Matt Chapman Puts A Cap On A Terrible Spring

Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman must work to overcome an underperforming spring. He went 0-for-3 on Tuesday and finished with a .178 average and 10 strikeouts this spring. Chapman showed some offensive promise in 2017, hitting 14 home runs in 84 games. However, it came with a .234 average and 92 strikeouts. Currently, Chapman […]

Jon Lester Has Favorable Matchup On Opening Day

Chicago Cubs Opening Day starter Jon Lester has looked good this spring after a disappointing 2017 campaign. The left-hander had a 2.81 ERA and struck out 15 batters in 16 innings. Lester will square off versus the Marlins on Thursday and is a good bounce-back candidate heading into 2018.

Braves Option Rio Ruiz And Several Others To Minor Leagues

The Atlanta Braves sent infielder Rio Ruiz to Triple-A Gwinnett and they also sent outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, infielder Sean Kazmar and pitcher Anibal Sanchez to minor league camp. None of this really impacts people from a fantasy standpoint.

Yu Darvish Fares Well In First Spring Training With Cubs

Chicago Cubs prized free-agent signing Yu Darvish fared well over 19 1/3 innings this spring. The starting pitcher will be slotted behind Opening Day starter Jon Lester in the Cubs rotation this year and has a favorable matchup versus the Miami Marlins on Friday. Darvish remains one of the best starting pitchers for strikeouts and […]

Anthony Rizzo Has Strong Spring

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is coming off of a very nice spring. Rizzo hit .354 with three home runs and 10 RBI over 48 at-bats. Rizzo has been one of the more consistent fantasy players over the past few years and he should continue to be a safe pick. It also doesn’t hurt […]

Kris Bryant Headed For A Strong 2018 Campaign

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant had himself a very nice spring, hitting .366. Bryant only delivered one home run and three RBI in 41 at-bats, but fantasy owners should not be worried. Bryant had a "down" year in 2017 due to limited run production, but everything else was in line with his career numbers. […]

Noe Ramirez, Luke Bard Make Angels 25-Man Roster

The Los Angeles Angels have re-assigned reliever Felix Pena, allowing both Noe Ramirez and Rule 5 Draft selection Luke Bard to crack the roster. Optioning Pena was the only option that allowed the Angels to keep all three, as Bard would have to be returned to the Twins and Ramirez was out of options. Neither […]

Angels Cut Chris Carter

The Los Angeles Angels have informed first baseman/designated hitter Chris Carter that he will not break camp on the 25-man roster. There's no word on if he will accept an assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake or if he will try and catch on with another club. Regardless, his current fantasy value is non-existent. If he catches […]

Shohei Ohtani to Start Sunday

Los Angeles Angels starter Shohei Ohtani is set to start the fourth game of the season for the Angels on Sunday against the A's. The rotation will go Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs, Matt Shoemaker, Ohtani and JC Ramirez. They likely won't use their sixth starter until April 12. By that time it could be Andrew […]

Ian Kinsler Questionable for Opening Day

Los Angeles Angels second baseman Ian Kinsler is dealing with a groin issue and is questionable for Opening Day. If Kinsler is unable to go, the Angels would likely slide Zack Cozart over to second base and play Luis Valbuena and/or Jefry Marte at third base. Kinsler is not expected to miss much time, but […]

Eduardo Nunez Starts The Season With No Knee Concerns

Boston Red Sox utility player Eduardo Nunez feels more confident in his knee than he has all spring, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI. Nunez finished the spring with a .259 average, one stolen base attempt and zero extra-base hits. In the field, he had very few opportunities to test his injured knee. He does […]

J.D. Martinez's Success Is Dependent Upon Mental Preparation

Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Martinez says that his success at the plate is attributable more to the mental side than anything else, according to Logan Mullen of NESN.com. Martinez works on his craft daily and not just leading up to the game. He studies his at-bats after the game, as well as what opposing […]

A.J. Puk Needs Tommy John Surgery

Updating a previous report, Oakland Athletics pitching prospect A.J. Puk (elbow) was recommended to have Tommy John surgery, according to Jane Lee of MLB.com. Puk sought a second opinion from well-known orthopedic surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, after receiving news Tuesday that he had ligament issues in his pitching elbow. He would be the second young pitcher […]

Steven Duggar To Begin 2018 In Triple-A

San Francisco Giants outfielder Steven Duggar has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. Duggar remains a bright spot in the Giants future outfield, but without everyday at-bats, it made sense for him to start the season in the minor leagues. Duggar should be up at some point in 2018 and could be looked at in NL-only […]

Matt Duffy Bats Third In Final Spring Game

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Matt Duffy batted third in the batting order for the last spring warmup game Tuesday. In his last healthy season in 2015, he batted .295 with 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases. Duffy will be 27 years old when the 2018 season starts, and he hopes the multiple surgeries […]

Denard Span Will Share Leadoff Spot In Batting Order

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Denard Span will share the leadoff spot in the batting order with Carlos Gomez. He also may serve some games batting lower in the order. For example, in the final warm-up game Tuesday, Span batted in the sixth spot. Span is coming off a 2017 season where he batted .272 with […]

Jake Faria Looks Great In Final Spring Training Tuneup

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Jake Faria threw six hitless innings Tuesday in his final warm-up outing of the spring. Just as exciting, he reversed the troubling trend of not throwing enough strikes. In his 86 2/3 innings in the majors during 2017, Faria struck out 84 batters while issuing only 31 walks. Perhaps the […]

Wilson Ramos Bats Fourth In Final Spring Training Game

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Wilson Ramos batted in the cleanup spot Tuesday, just two days before the regular season starts. Ramos spent much of the 2017 season fighting injuries. He only managed to play 64 games but still provided some flashes of his 2016 ability. He would hit 11 home runs while keeping the strikeouts […]

Carlos Gomez Will Play Regularly

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Carlos Gomez looks to be the everyday right fielder for the team. He and Kevin Kiermaier will anchor the outfield while Mallex Smith and Denard Span contend for the other starting spot or occasional designated hitter outing. Gomez was a superstar back in 2013 and 2014. In those two seasons, he […]

Kevin Kiermaier Has A New Batting Stance

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier has a new batting stance that has folks excited around the ball club. This is the main noteworthy tidbit for him during the spring outside of him staying healthy, as he was locked into his starting position the whole time. He has missed a lot of games the past […]

Alex Colome Will Be Primarily A Three-Out Closer For Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Rays closer Alex Colome will be used for three-out or fewer saves more often in 2018. He was asked to record multiple-inning saves in 2017, where he led the American League with six of those saves. Colome recorded an MLB-leading 47 saves in 2017, but his overall numbers elsewhere weren't as impressive as […]

Tom Murphy Returns To The Farm

The Colorado Rockies officially optioned catcher Tom Murphy back to Triple-A on Tuesday. The move was expected, and Murphy will now continue the long road back to where he was last March. Murphy was once the hot prospect to own in Colorado, but a freak injury in spring training in 2017 caused him to suffer […]