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 […]

Colorado Rockies Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

  2014 Colorado Rockies - Pitching Staff Preview Jorge De La Rosa De La Rosa might have figured out a way to break the curse of Coors Field. He actually did better at home (10-1 2.76 ERA) than on the road (6-5 4.19 ERA). The lefty turned in a solid year even for fantasy owners […]

Kansas City Royals Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

There are many strengths on the Kansas City Royals, and one of those would be the pitching staff. It appears that the Royals have a young and solid bullpen to go along with a starting rotation that could be a surprise, depending on the efforts put forth by the team’s No. 4 and 5 starters. […]

St. Louis Cardinals Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Projections

2014 St. Louis Cardinals Pitching Outlook With the Cardinals likely done with their offseason moves, it is time to look at the fantasy possibilities for their 2014 roster. The biggest question marks remain in the rotation, where in my estimation, all but two rotation spots are up for grabs. Ace Adam Wainright and last year’s […]

Nate Jones: Setup Man Poised to Leap Forward in 2014 Fantasy Baseball

  Setup Men Poised to Leap Forward: Nate Jones With closer Addison Reed closing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Chicago White Sox will be searching for a new closer among the relievers they possess. Of the names on the White Sox roster, the player that could be considered first for the closer role is veteran Matt […]

Chicago White Sox Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

The 2013 season was one of disappointment for the Chicago White Sox. With the underachieving play of a majority of the roster, fantasy owners found diminutive value in most of the players. However, one area of the team that had value was the pitching staff due to the success of Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. […]

Atlanta Braves Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Projections

Sporting a 96-66 win-loss mark, the Atlanta Braves took home the N.L. East crown in 2013. Although they did indeed feature a solid lineup anchored by All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, the pitching staff largely led the way to the team’s third playoff appearance in the last four years. Even though 200-game winner Tim Hudson, […]

Cactus League Analysis 2014: NL Teams I’ll Be Watching in Spring Training

In my previous post, I covered something I’ll be watching from each of the American League teams training in Arizona this spring. Today I cover a little something from each of the National League teams. As the spring progresses, I’ll  revisit some of these questions and position battles and re-evaluate how they’ll affect the fantasy […]

Texas Rangers Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

And now for a sentence that may have never before appeared in print: The Texas Rangers finished last season near the top of the American League in several key pitching categories, including ERA (3.62-4th), shutouts (10-4th), opponent’s batting average (.248-2nd), strikeouts (1,309-2nd) and earned runs allowed (589-4th). However, even with all the good numbers, the Rangers […]

San Diego Padres Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

2014 San Diego Padres - Starting Rotation Preview The same negative impact PETCO Park has on hitters, it naturally has the opposite impact on pitching, which makes Padres starting pitchers worth a look.  You'll be hard-pressed to find a Padres pitcher you can project for more than 15 wins, but there is some value to […]

Cactus League Analysis 2014: AL Teams I’ll Be Watching in Spring Training

As the calendar turns to February and the NFL season is put to rest, it is time to focus on the upcoming season and begin preparations in earnest for another rotisserie fantasy baseball season. Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Arizona next week for the Dodgers and D-Backs, a week earlier this year because […]

2014 Dynasty Leagues: Outfield Keepers

If you are part of a dynasty keeper league you are probably hard at work on your roster and asking yourself: "Who should I keep now”?  Depending on the rules governing your league, you may need to carefully consider which players should remain on your roster. Remember, you will be looking for players with exceptional […]

Milwaukee Brewers Lineup Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

The Milwaukee Brewers are not one of those teams where fantasy owners will look at the roster and see a ton of players worth drafting. However, there are certainly some players that owners should not look past, and others who likely should not be rated as highly as others seem to be doing. Here is […]

Detroit Tigers Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

The Detroit Tigers starting rotation has a good shot at being the best in the majors. They have two of the last three Cy Young Award winners.  Add another starter that led the American League in ERA last year, and you have three top fantasy starting pitchers in one rotation. Sure, they lost Doug Fister […]

Philadelphia Phillies Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball

The Phillies starting rotation has long been the team's primary strength, boasting arguably three aces in Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay.  Halladay's retirement raises questions about the rotation and leaves a glaring hole.  While Halladay had been sidelined with injuries over the last couple of seasons, his strong leadership and veteran presence had […]

Five Under the Radar 2nd Basemen - Sleeper Keepers for 2014 Fantasy Baseball

Five Under the Radar Sleeper 2nd Basemen in 2014 In session 1 we talked about 5 under the radar 1st baseman. Welcome to Session 2. Grab a cup of coffee and make yourself comfortable. Yesterday, we applied some exposure therapy, mostly due to Ike Davis. I trust you’ve overcome your fear of Mr. Davis. If not, […]

Pittsburgh Pirates Pitching Analysis: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep

  2014 Pittsburgh Pirates Pitching Staff Preview The Pirates pitching last season carried the team to 94 wins, the most in over 20 seasons. The pitching staff accounted for the third-best ERA in the majors a year ago at 3.26. They also had the second-most saves with 55, which means they won a lot of […]

Five Under the Radar 1st Basemen - Sleeper Keepers for 2014 Fantasy Baseball

Five Under the Radar Sleeper 1st Basemen in 2014 Shall we start with Ike Davis?  Take a deep breath. That’s it, now exhale. Let’s keep breathing until your heartbeat is back to normal. I understand your fear. Keep breathing…in through the mouth, out through the nose. I said Ike Davis’s name early to get it […]