Spencer Strider Turns In Dominant Spring Outing

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider was in midseason form on Monday. The ace struck out nine over five scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and a walk. For the spring, Strider has 20 K's while giving up nine hits and four walks over 14 scoreless innings. Arguably the top pitcher in fantasy circles, […]

Sonny Gray Completes Bullpen Session

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (hamstring) was able to throw a 20-pitch, light bullpen Monday. He is expected to throw a longer session on Wednesday or Thursday. After topping out at 92 mph on Monday, it sounds like Gray is trending in the right direction. The 34-year-old shouldn't have to build his arm […]

Braves Option AJ Smith-Shawver To Triple-A

The Atlanta Braves optioned right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday and reassigned catcher Sebastian Rivero to minor-league camp as well. The Braves now have 39 players in camp. Smith-Shawver isn't going to open the 2024 regular season in Atlanta's bullpen, but there's a good chance he'll be needed at some point this year. […]

Ronald Acuna Jr. Takes BP Again, Says Knee Is Fine

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) took live batting practice again in camp on Monday and said his knee is fine. Manager Brian Snitker said that he's just waiting on the team's medical staff to clear the reigning National League MVP to resume playing in spring training. The Braves are understandably being cautious with […]

Sal Frelick - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values and Sleepers (2024)

BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 260 CURRENT ADP: ~294 overall ANALYSIS: Sal Frelick made his major league debut last July and remained on the major league roster throughout the entire second half and lived up to his prospect pedigree. Frelick showcased his excellent contact and on-base skills in his rookie season. The 23-year-old posted […]

Michael King - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values and Sleepers (2024)

BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 121 CURRENT ADP: ~147 overall ANALYSIS:  A headliner in the Juan Soto trade that sent the 2019 World Series champion to the Bronx, Michael King is on track to finally become a full-time starter out west. After performing very well out of the bullpen in a setup role for the […]

Gerrit Cole To Have MRI On Pitching Elbow

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (elbow) is set to have an MRI on his pitching elbow. This is a concerning release for both the Yankees and fantasy managers. Cole is arguably the top pitcher in baseball and fantasy alike. According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, Cole is having trouble recovering between starts. Per Cole, it […]

Matt McLain Makes Spring Debut On Sunday

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (oblique) made his spring debut on Sunday in a 5-3 Cactus League win over the Guardians. The 24-year-old had been battling an oblique injury this spring but made the start and batted third in the Reds lineup, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. He's looking to build off a solid […]

Jason Foley Dealing With Arm Fatigue

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch stated that reliever Jason Foley, who was scheduled to pitch in Sunday's Grapefruit League matchup with the Mets, did not pitch due to "mid-camp pitching fatigue." At least it doesn't sound serious, but on the other hand, fatigue this early in the season doesn't seem to bode well for the […]

Frankie Montas Named Opening Day Starter

Manager David Bell announced on Sunday that Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas will be the team's Opening Day starter. This is a bit of a surprise with young 2017 first-round draft pick Hunter Greene in the mix, but Greene hasn't made a statement this spring that he's ready to be the guy, continuing to […]

Colton Cowser Goes Yard Again On Sunday

Baltimore Orioles top outfield prospect Colton Cowser continued his torrid spring, belting his fourth home run in a 6-6 Grapefruit League tie with the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. He's now in a five-way tie for the spring home run lead and is 9-for-20 (.450) overall in Grapefruit League play. The powerful lefty has shown […]

Expensive Catcher ADPs To Be Cautious Of For Fantasy Baseball Drafts

Identifying fantasy baseball busts is never fun, but avoiding certain landmines on draft day is essential to building a top-tier squad. What constitutes a bust is relative, but at the heart of the matter, a bust is someone who underperforms relative to draft-day cost. The tricky thing regarding busts, however, is labeling a player a […]

2024 Spring Training Standout Prospects - The Toolshed Fantasy Baseball Podcast (Ep. 284)

Welcome to our 2024 Spring Training Standout Prospects - episode 284 of The Toolshed Podcast with Clegg and Cross brought to you by RotoBaller. The Toolshed is a dynasty and prospects-focused podcast. Each week, hosts Eric Cross (@EricCross04) and Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) dive into the world of dynasty leagues and cover all levels of prospects […]

Key Early-Round Draft Targets - Expert Fantasy Baseball Picks Using EDV

Spring Training is underway, which means we're back with another year of the FSWA-award-nominated Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify 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. Let's start at the beginning with […]

5 Mid-To-Late Round Sleepers: NL West - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

Welcome to the final draft sleeper series, where I go through every MLB team to find one sleeper you should be drafting in fantasy baseball this year. The NL West is the last one on our list. The NL West features plenty of superstars who are going early in drafts. Mookie Betts, Corbin Carroll, Freddie […]

Notable Starting Pitcher Improvements in K%, BB% and GB% for Fantasy Baseball

We constantly try to find the right statistics to examine when evaluating pitchers' performances. And while there are many rabbit holes you can head down with spin rates, Stuff +, and any number of ERA indicators, it all usually comes back to strikeouts, walks, and the quality of contact that hitters are making off a […]

September Power Surgers - Home Run Risers for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

Whether their team is in the playoff hunt or not, it's always essential for MLB players to finish the season on a solid note. Often, we see breakout performances in September that can lead to growth in spring training and carry out into the regular season.  A strong September at the MLB level can lead […]

4 Breakout Starting Pitchers For Fantasy Baseball Drafts - NL Edition (2024)

The term "breakout" drives much of the stress in a fantasy baseball player's life during draft season. Everyone's looking for the next breakout, but very few will ever find one. Luckily, I've got four enticing National League starting pitchers who have a great shot at breaking out in 2024 and returning well on their ADPs. […]

Closers and Saves Bullpen Report for Fantasy Baseball - NL Edition

With a little more spring training behind us, we're back with the National League version of Closers and Saves Bullpen Report! Make sure to look over the American League edition that was published last week. There's still plenty of time until Opening Day, so as usual we can expect changes to come, but for now? Looks […]

4 Impact Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

As fantasy players, we love to use the term "breakout" to define players who will outperform their projections. Finding these values that others miss can be the key to a successful season for our teams. One such place where we need not only acumen but also luck finding helpful players is in the bullpen. Bullpens […]

Mid-Round Closers and Relievers - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values And Targets (2024)

Spring training is underway, March has arrived, and the fantasy baseball draft season is upon us. Wrestling with the thought of when to select a closer is a shared struggle among fantasy managers. A common misstep in drafts is to reach for the elite closers in a misguided effort to “lock down” the saves category. […]

5 Mid-To-Late Round Sleepers and Values for Fantasy Baseball Drafts - AL West Edition

Sometimes the hardest part of fantasy baseball drafts is who to select in the later rounds. Those are the picks that wind up being the most important because if you can hit on a player going in the 14th or 15th round, that will make your fantasy team even stronger.  With the fantasy baseball season […]

Hitter Sleepers at Each Position for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

A sleeper in fantasy can mean a lot of different things. It can mean a player who is undervalued in drafts, or it can mean a player who is going super late in drafts that you take a flier on. Either way, though, it's a player you take a chance on later in your draft. […]

Relief Pitchers To Target For Holds in Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

Holds is a fun alternative stat category to saves. Chasing saves can be difficult, as most teams go with a traditional approach and have just one player serving as their closer. That makes finding them in fantasy baseball leagues potentially difficult, especially for managers who don’t want to spend early draft capital on a closer. […]

Our Guys for 2024, Part 1 - The Toolshed Fantasy Baseball Podcast (Ep. 285)

Welcome to episode 285 of The Toolshed Podcast with Clegg and Cross brought to you by RotoBaller. The Toolshed is a dynasty and prospects-focused podcast. Each week, hosts Eric Cross (@EricCross04) and Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) dive into the world of dynasty leagues and cover all levels of prospects from the MLB Draft up to the […]

Early Spring Training Thoughts - The Toolshed Fantasy Baseball Podcast (Ep. 283)

Welcome to episode 283 of The Toolshed Podcast with Clegg and Cross brought to you by RotoBaller. The Toolshed is a dynasty and prospects-focused podcast. Each week, hosts Eric Cross (@EricCross04) and Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) dive into the world of dynasty leagues and cover all levels of prospects from the MLB Draft up to the […]

2024 Prospect Mock Draft with Geoff Pontes - The Toolshed Fantasy Baseball Podcast (Ep. 282)

Welcome to episode 282 of The Toolshed Podcast with Clegg and Cross brought to you by RotoBaller. The Toolshed is a dynasty and prospects-focused podcast. Each week, hosts Eric Cross (@EricCross04) and Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) dive into the world of dynasty leagues and cover all levels of prospects from the MLB Draft up to the […]

2025 Prospect Crystal Ball - The Toolshed Fantasy Baseball Podcast (Ep. 281)

Welcome to episode 281 of The Toolshed Podcast with Clegg and Cross brought to you by RotoBaller. The Toolshed is a dynasty and prospects-focused podcast. Each week, hosts Eric Cross (@EricCross04) and Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) dive into the world of dynasty leagues and cover all levels of prospects from the MLB Draft up to the […]

Dynasty Pitcher Buys and Sells - The Toolshed Fantasy Baseball Podcast (Ep. 280)

Welcome to episode 280 of The Toolshed Podcast with Clegg and Cross brought to you by RotoBaller. The Toolshed is a dynasty and prospects-focused podcast. Each week, hosts Eric Cross (@EricCross04) and Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) dive into the world of dynasty leagues and cover all levels of prospects from the MLB Draft up to the […]

Devin Williams Headed For Second Opinion On Back

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Devin Williams is headed for a second opinion on his ailing back. The club's closer will see a spine specialist this week but the club isn't overly concerned about the issue as they are being cautious with the issue. The 29-year-old took over full-time closing duties in the 2023 season, working to […]