Mauricio Dubon Could Spend Time In Outfield

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Monday that middle infielder Mauricio Dubon could see "quite a bit" of time at center field, per NBCSports.com's Alex Pavlovic. The 25-year-old has seen time at second base, shortstop, center field, and third base this preseason. The Giants view him as a flexible option who can fill playing […]

Breakout Relievers Who Will Keep Improving in 2020

The closer role is one of the most volatile positions in fantasy baseball. They can lose their fantasy value with a couple of blow-up performances. Teams are also electing to utilize a committee approach, often using their best reliever in high-leverage situations rather than cementing them to the ninth inning.  This makes it imperative to […]

Adam Eaton (OF, WAS) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~180s CURRENT ADP: ~204 overall ANALYSIS: In 2019, a healthy Adam Eaton hit .279/.365/.428 with 15 home runs, 15 steals, 103 runs scored and 49 driven in—nothing spectacular, but useful in four categories. He played in 151 games after combining for just 118 in his first two years in Washington. That […]

Felix Hernandez Shines Again On Monday

Atlanta Braves starter Felix Hernandez went five innings, allowing one run on six hits during Monday's 2-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He struck out six batters while walking two. The former Cy Young Award winner is trying to resurrect his career with the Braves, and so far through four Spring Training appearances, the […]

2019 Busts Who'll Keep Junking it Up - Infielders

Nothing grinds a fantasy owner's gears quite like a bust. Well, maybe unpaid league dues, but busts are a close second. It doesn't feel good to stare at your lineup all-season and watch a high draft pick torpedo your team's chances at glory. Spurned owners tend to avoid the players who've burned them, but a […]

Batters on a Diet: Sweet-Spot% Fallers

Last week, we talked about players who increased their proclivity to hit the ball between eight and 32 degrees in a stat known as sweet spot percentage. This week, we focus on some players whose sweet spot percentage decreased. But not all decreases in a stat are made equal. The players below all saw their […]

Eric Samulski's 10 Bold Predictions for 2020

I've read these columns for years, so it's kind of surreal to be putting out my own. As somebody who constantly over-analyzes, I tend to be less risky in my fantasy decisions because a part of my brain always walks me back from the ledge. With that in mind, I tried to mix up the […]

Sean Murphy Homers Against Texas

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy had another strong game Monday night in Cactus League action vs the Rangers. The A's backstop went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer as he continues his solid spring after missing the first couple of weeks recovering from offseason knee surgery. Fantasy drafters that wait on catcher may want to take […]

Franklin Barreto Having A Strong Spring

Oakland Athletics second baseman Franklin Barreto is off to a strong start this spring as he competes for the starting second base job. Barreto has 11 hits and nine RBI in 14 games this spring leading to a cool 1.075 OPS. Obviously the sample size is small, but Barreto has upside based on his 19 […]

Finding Over/Undervalued Second Basemen Using Expected Draft Values

A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at four "power" hitters, as identified by our site projections. Stay tuned over the […]

Jorge Mateo Making Case For Second Base Job

Oakland Athletics second baseman Jorge Mateo had another solid game Monday night in the competition for the starting second base job. Mateo led off the game with a walk before swiping second and moving to third on an error. He would later score on a shallow sacrifice fly as he flashed the speed that once […]

Late-Round Outfielders - Targets and Avoids in 2020

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have […]

Nick Senzel Hits First Spring Homer

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel went 1-for-4 with a leadoff solo homer in a 3-3 Cactus League tie with the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Senzel is off to a slow start this spring, with that homer going into the books as his first hit in 10 spring at-bats. The former top prospect's camp got […]

Jay Bruce Expected To Open Season In Left Field

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jay Bruce is expected to be the Opening Day left fielder, according to manager Joe Girardi. Bruce has been playing DH when he can this spring, but is expected to play the outfield later in the week. Bruce should hold down a starting outfield job until Andrew McCutchen (knee) is ready to […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - Injuries, Risers, and Fallers (3/10/20)

Welcome to the Spring Training Notebook for March 10, 2020, where we'll dive into a few of the bigger stories around Major League Baseball's Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. As we head through the thick of Spring Training 2020, players are starting to separate themselves in the eyes of their organizations with hopes of making the […]

Isiah Kiner-Falefa Hitting His Way Into More Opportunities

Texas Rangers infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa is having a spring training to remember. After permanently ditching the catcher's gear, Kiner-Falefa is hitting the cover off the ball in 13 games. The 24-year old is slashing .419/.455/.612 with 13 hits, 10 runs, 11 RBI, four home runs, and two walks to three strikeouts. With Willie Calhoun's injury, […]

Justin Dunn Strikes Out Five Batters On Monday Night

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Justin Dunn needed only three innings to strike out five batters on Monday evening in the Cactus League loss to the Brewers. The 24-year-old has been solid this spring and currently has 10 strikeouts in just 6 2/3 innings of work while allowing only four hits, two walks and two earned […]

Taijuan Walker Strikes Out Four On Monday

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Taijuan Walker logged three innings of work in the loss to the Brewers on Monday evening, giving up four hits and one run, while striking out four batters. This was a positive showing for the 27-year-old, who signed a one-year deal to return to Seattle after undergoing Tommy John surgery in […]

Kyle Lewis Goes Yard Again On Monday

Seattle Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis went 1-for-3 in the loss to Milwaukee, smashing a shot to left center off of Corbin Burnes in the top of the fourth. Monday marked the third homer of spring training for the 24-year-old, good for first on the team. His batting average of .192 is concerning, but with seven […]

Daniel Vogelbach Still Without A Home Run

Seattle Mariners designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk during the loss to the Brewers on Monday. Despite failing to go yard during Cactus League play thus far, the 27-year-old is currently batting .308, while walking six times. He will likely strike out more often than fantasy managers would like […]

Evan White Continues To Improve At The Plate

Seattle Mariners first baseman Evan White went 1-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk during the loss to Milwaukee on Monday night. Despite having a lackluster reputation at the plate, the 23-year-old is having a noticeable spring and is batting .350 to go along with three doubles, second on the team behind Tim Lopes (five). […]

Shed Long Hitless In Loss On Monday

Seattle Mariners second baseman Shed Long went 0-for-4 with a strikeout during the Cactus League loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday. It was another disappointing outing for the 24-year-old, who is now batting just .167 this spring to go along with seven strikeouts. He has stolen two bases; however, he will need to do […]

Byron Buxton To Take Batting Practice Tuesday

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (shoulder) will take live batting practice on Tuesday. The team will evaluate him on a day-to-day basis as they determine if he'll be ready for Opening Day. Buxton had surgery last September to fix a torn labrum in his non-throwing (left) shoulder. If he can avoid setbacks, he still has […]

Willie Calhoun Has Surgery For Broken Jaw

Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun (jaw) had surgery on Monday to fix a broken jaw after being hit in the face by a pitch on Sunday. Surgeons installed a plate to steady the fracture, which should make for a quicker recovery than if his jaw had to be wired shut. General manager Jon Daniels said […]

Javier Guerra's Stock Up In Crowded Bullpen

San Diego Padres reliever Javier Guerra continues making his case for a roster spot. Through 5 1/3 spring frames, the 24-year-old has fanned five and not allowed a run. Out of options, the team’s No. 24 prospect is hoping his 99 MPH heater and potential to throw multiple innings are key differentiators to cracking the […]

Francisco Lindor, Indians Suspend Contract Talks

The Cleveland Indians and star shortstop Francisco Lindor have suspended contract extension talks, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reports. Lindor could still sign a deal with the Indians following the season but will focus on his on-field performance for the time being. "We had good conversations. We couldn't come up with an agreement," Lindor told […]

Ryan Weber Continues Strong Start To Spring

Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Weber struck out four batters, allowed just one hit and threw four scoreless innings in Monday's 2-1 victory against the Braves. Weber has continued to build on his productive start to the spring, as the 29-year-old has totaled an ERA of 0.00, along with six hits allowed and a K/BB […]

Adrian Morejon Thrashed By Blue Crew

San Diego Padres pitching prospect Adrian Morejon was crushed for four earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 21-year-old yielded three walks and two hits, including a two-run homer in a doomed sixth-inning appearance. Through 2 1/3 frames this spring, Morejon possesses a ghastly 38.57 ERA. The […]

Asdrubal Cabrera Could Start At Third Base

Washington Nationals infielder Asdrubal Cabrera has "embraced" a role as a mentor to fellow infielder Carter Kieboom. Cabrera is likely also the backup plan to start at third if Kieboom isn't ready at the beginning of the season. Certainly Cabrera would be more valuable as a primary starter than mostly coming off the bench. He […]

Nick Madrigal Exits Early On Monday

Chicago White Sox second baseman Nick Madrigal (head) exited Monday’s contest early with a head injury. Madrigal was playing defense and dove for a grounder that hit off of his head. Madrigal was diagnosed with a bruise above his left eyebrow, but the good news is that he didn’t show any signs of a concussion. […]