Garrett Cooper (OF, MIA) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 400 CURRENT ADP: ~464 overall ANALYSIS: Cooper's 2021 season was cut short due to a sprained left elbow which required surgery. Before the injury, Cooper had hit nine home runs while hitting .284 over 71 games (250 plate appearances). Cooper also improved his walk rate to 12%, which is the […]

Jarren Duran (OF, BOS) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 350 CURRENT ADP: ~386 overall ANALYSIS: Duran torched Triple-A last year and wound up getting the call to make his MLB debut in mid-July. He went on to disappoint over 33 games in the majors, slashing .215/.241/.336 with two home runs. However, fantasy managers shouldn’t be discouraged by that small […]

Nathaniel Lowe (1B, TEX) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 190 CURRENT ADP: ~237 overall ANALYSIS: I promise this isn’t because Lowe went a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen-base attempts in 2021. It’s neat, but please don’t pencil those again! Anyhow, Lowe should be a beneficiary of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien hitting up top, with a chance at 100 RBI near the heart of […]

Willie Calhoun (OF, TEX) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 350 CURRENT ADP: ~383 overall ANALYSIS: Those of us who believe in Calhoun feel like we’re stuck in a Samuel Beckett play, but instead of waiting for Godot, we’re waiting for Willie to finally put everything together. In defense of the Calhoun believers, the raw hit skills are just so […]

Lucas Sims (RP, CIN) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 190 CURRENT ADP: ~244 overall ANALYSIS: Cincinnati doesn’t owe Sims the job, I know, but his stretch run last year should give him the upper hand. Despite logging zero saves following his August return from an elbow injury, Sims would post a 32/3 K/BB with seven earned runs in just […]

Ian Happ (OF, CHC) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 170 CURRENT ADP: ~190 overall ANALYSIS: Ian Happ finally got his opportunity once the Chicago Cubs traded most of their starting lineup prior to the trade deadline. He did not disappoint down the stretch. In the month of September, Happ produced a 167 wRC+ across 121 plate appearances with eight […]

Dylan Bundy (SP, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 375 CURRENT ADP: ~412 overall ANALYSIS: After Bundy was traded to the Angels, he flourished during the 2020 season. In 65.2 innings, he posted a 3.29 ERA and 2.95 FIP, posting career-bests in strikeout rate, walk rate, and home-run rate. Heading into 2021, the expectation was that he had finally […]

Frank Schwindel (1B, CHC) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 190 CURRENT ADP: ~226 overall ANALYSIS: During the month of September, Schwindel produced a 160 wRC+ and a 1.2 fWAR across 134 plate appearances. The plate appearances are just as noteworthy as the production. Schwindel, 29, had seen a total of 15 career plate appearances prior to 2021. However, he […]

Jesus Aguilar (1B, MIA) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 260 CURRENT ADP: ~285 overall ANALYSIS: Aguilar built off his success in the shortened season and enjoyed another strong campaign in his first full year with the Marlins. The slugger hit 23 doubles and 22 homers while posting a .788 OPS. He also recorded a .329 OBP and struck out […]

Shortstop: Fantasy Baseball Rankings and Sleepers

Anthony Aniano's 2022 fantasy baseball third base rankings and SS draft sleepers who can be sneaky later-round picks. He breaks down and compares the ADPs of six different MLB players at the shortstop position. Fantasy baseball players should consider drafting these players in the middle and later rounds of their drafts this MLB Season. Be […]

Starling Marte To Play Sunday

Updating a previous report, New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (oblique) will play in Sunday's Grapefruit League game, according to manager Buck Showalter. Marte has been dealing with a sore left oblique since the start of camp, but he hit off a tee earlier this week and got into a minor league game on Wednesday. […]

Jesus Sanchez (OF, MIA) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 205 CURRENT ADP: ~225 overall ANALYSIS: The Marlins' young slugger was absolutely tearing up Triple-A pitching when he received his second call-up to the big league level. Sanchez continued his success putting together a strong performance in the second half of the season. Over 40 games following the break, he hit […]

Tommy La Stella Continues To Make Progress

San Francisco Giants infielder Tommy La Stella (Achilles) is running the bases and taking part in full baseball workouts at camp. He will be re-evaluated next week for spring training game activity. La Stella underwent surgery on his Achilles last October, and he still has a chance to be ready for Opening Day if he […]

Evan Longoria Has Right Finger Tendinitis

San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria (finger) is dealing with right index finger tendinitis, but he is participating in all baseball workouts in camp and will be re-evaluated next week for spring training game activity. Longoria said the pain in his finger stems from when he was hit by a pitch late last season. […]

Brandon Belt Dealing With Knee Inflammation

San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt (knee) has been dealing with right knee inflammation in camp, but he has been participating in full baseball workouts and will be re-evaluated next week for spring training game activity. Belt is also returning from a fractured thumb last year. The 33-year-old missed over a month with a […]

Yankees To Make Extension Offer To Aaron Judge

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed that the team will make an extension offer to outfielder Aaron Judge before Opening Day, and he would not say if it has already happened. MLB Network's Jon Heyman is reporting that the Yankees are expected to make their first big offer to Judge by this weekend. […]

Shohei Ohtani Won't Pitch Saturday

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani will not pitch on Saturday in spring training against the Chicago White Sox, but he is not injured. Instead, Ohtani will serve as the designated hitter. The two-way phenom and 2021 American League MVP will still pitch on Opening Day for the Halos against the Houston Astros, so […]

Finding Over/Undervalued Shortstops Using Expected Draft Values

We're back for another installment of the FSWA-award-nominated Expected Draft Values series, where we look at historical data to identify both overvalued and undervalued players of all types. Whether you're targeting power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, we've got you covered. Today, we'll look at three shortstops and compare their projected statline via […]

Brandon Belt (1B, SF) - 2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 195 CURRENT ADP: ~223 overall ANALYSIS: Over the last two seasons, Belt's barrel rate has spiked to near 17% in both seasons and his hard-hit rates are at career highs. That's part of the reason Belt hit 29 home runs in just 97 games last year and has 38 home […]

Michael Chavis (2B, PIT) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 450 CURRENT ADP: ~533 overall ANALYSIS: Chavis was traded to the Pirates last year, and the change of scenery may have done some good for Chavis. Over 42 plate appearances with the Pirates, he hit .357 with four extra-base hits, including a home run. The .452 BABIP is not sustainable, […]

Dylan Floro Behind Due To Arm Soreness

Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly said that relief pitcher Dylan Floro is "a little behind" in his throwing program while he deals with arm soreness. "We'll have some questions with his ramp ups. He's throwing, but we're not quite sure when he's going to be ready," Mattingly said. The 31-year-old right-hander had the first 15 […]

Charlie Morton To Start Sunday Against Rays

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton (leg) will make his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Morton fractured his fibula in November in Game 1 of the World Series when he was hit in the leg by a comebacker. The 38-year-old veteran right-hander had a nice 3.34 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and […]

Nationals Sign Tyler Clippard

The Washington Nationals signed free-agent relief pitcher Tyler Clippard on Saturday. The Washington Post's Jesse Dougherty later confirmed that it's a minor league deal with a non-roster invite to camp. Clippard pitched in D.C. from 2008-14, earning his only two All-Star nods with the team. The veteran right-hander operated as a workhorse setup man for […]

Jed Lowrie Heads Back To Oakland

Free-agent second baseman Jed Lowrie re-signed with the Oakland Athletics on an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday. Lowrie ranked in the top 25% in hard-hit rate last year and will return to a team that he's already spent six years with at the major league level. The 37-year-old veteran switch-hitter was an All-Star with the […]

Taijuan Walker Making Spring Debut Saturday

New York Mets starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (knee) is making his spring training debut on Saturday in a Grapefruit League game against the Washington Nationals. Walker had surgery on his right knee in mid-January, which caused him to enter camp behind the other starting pitchers. It's unclear if the 29-year-old will be ready for Opening […]

Starling Marte, James McCann Expected Back Tuesday

New York Mets manager Buck Showalter expects outfielder Starling Marte (oblique) and catcher James McCann (back) to get back in a Grapefruit League game by Tuesday or earlier. Marte has been dealing with a sore left oblique since early in camp, but he started hitting off a tee earlier this week and played in a […]

Dylan Carlson Could Hit Leadoff This Year

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson hit leadoff on Friday against the Washington Nationals in spring training for the first time and will continue to see starts atop the lineup in the coming week. It's potentially a new look for the Cardinals after relying on infielder Tommy Edman to take 76% of the team's 740 […]

Trevor Story Away From The Team

Boston Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story was set to make his spring training debut with the team on Saturday, but it will be pushed back a few days after he left camp to be with his wife for the birth of their child, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne. Story's six-year deal with the team […]

Ronald Acuna Jr. Targeting First Week Of May

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is targeting a return in the first week of May, and he will initially be used as both an outfielder and designated hitter to give him time to ease back into full-time duties. The 24-year-old is recovering from a torn right ACL he suffered on July 10 of […]