Three Up, Three Down for Prospects - First Basemen

Power. Nothing else defines the position more than pure, raw power. If you have it, you better display it in abundance, or there will be concerns. If you are smaller in stature, there will be concerns. If your talent is just hit tool, there will be concerns. If your defense is lacking, there will be […]

NL-Only Deep League Draft Targets

Objectively, deep-league AL or NL-only fantasy baseball is the best format to play this summer. For one, NL-only leagues were the original formats of fantasy baseball. With both an expanded and limited player pool, the unique challenges of balancing depth with team need come to the fore. While this writer might be in the minority, I […]

Jed Lowrie Signing Pushes Mets Prospects Aside (For Now)

The New York Mets recently added Jed Lowrie to their already-packed infield. In his age 33 and 34 seasons, he impressed with slash lines of .277/.360/.448 and .267/.353/.448, respectively. He also added a career-high 23 home runs in 2018, his first career All-Star season. Lowrie did show some regression in the second half of 2018 […]

Merrill Kelly - The 30-Year-Old Rookie Sleeper

It’s almost becoming a trend for players to travel overseas to play baseball after struggling to make it in the MLB, only to end up back in the Majors better than before. In 2017 it was Eric Thames and last year it was Miles Mikolas. You can now add Merrill Kelly to the list. The […]

AL Rookies to Target in 2019 Mixed Redraft Leagues

As the New Year has finally come, and fantasy football is over, at last, fantasy baseball draft season is right around the corner. With that comes mock drafts, draft previews, ADP analysis, and of course, player recommendations. This article will help owners get ready by looking to the American League All-Star team of rookies to […]

NL Rookies to Target in 2019 Mixed Redraft Leagues

As the New Year has finally come, and fantasy football is over, at last, fantasy baseball draft season is right around the corner. With that comes mock drafts, draft previews, ADP analysis, and of course, player recommendations. This article will help owners get ready by looking to the National League All-Star team of rookies to […]

Yusei Kikuchi to the Mariners - Fantasy Outlook

The Mariners rang in the new year with yet another move, as news broke in the final hours of 2018 that Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher Yusei Kikuchi had signed a four-year deal with Seattle. Kikuchi will be joining the Mariners after a "down" season in which he only went 14-4 with a 3.08 ERA — […]

Top 10 Dynasty First Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Prospects

It might seem like I drew the short straw among the prospect analysts here at RotoBaller, but I actually picked this assignment! You won’t see many of these names on top 100 lists. Despite being one of the positions from which teams expect to get the most offensive production, first base gets the least amount […]

Top 10 Dynasty Second Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Prospects

Hey, RotoBallers. We have already started breaking down prospects in dynasty leagues, by position, beginning with catcher, outfield, and starting pitcher. Today I'm writing about my top-10 second basemen prospect rankings for 2019 dynasty baseball leagues. The second base position is a difficult spot to find natural players raised in the position. Most are positional migrants, kicked off their position to a […]

Top 10 Dynasty Outfielders - Fantasy Baseball Prospects

Outfield prospects are fascinating right now, as with the graduation of Ronald Acuna and Juan Soto, there are new names near the top of the rankings to learn. This does not mean a drop in talent though, as the current crop of players is easy to dream on for fantasy owners with a mix of […]

Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood Become Reds

Starting pitcher Alex Wood, catcher Kyle Farmer, and outfielders Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig are trading Dodger blue for the bright kit of the Cincinnati Reds. The trio was traded for Homer Bailey and prospects in what was essentially a salary dump for Los Angeles as they attempt to sign or trade for more superstars. […]

Andrew McCutchen to Phillies - Fantasy Impact

A former MVP outfielder has signed with the Phillies, but it isn't the one their fans have been dreaming of since the season ended. Andrew McCutchen is headed back to the Keystone State. The free agent outfielder signed a reported three-year, $50 million contract with Philadelphia on Tuesday. The deal marks the first high-profile free […]

Top 10 Dynasty Catchers - Fantasy Baseball Prospects

In 2018, the average catcher in fantasy baseball posted a WRC+ of 90. That means that, on average, a catcher in the Majors was ten percent worse than any other position. If this does not show the dearth of talent right now for fantasy owners at the position than nothing will. This, in fact, keeps […]

Mariners on the Rebuild - Fantasy Impact

Over the weekend, the New York Mets and the Seattle Mariners closed a long-gestating agreement to exchange money, pro talent, and young assets. The M’s continued their descent into “Tank City” by unloading slugger Robinson Cano and his $120 million contract along with cheap All-Star closer Edwin Diaz in exchange for less expensive but less […]

Jean Segura to Phillies - Fantasy Impact

The Mariners' teardown continued apace on Monday as the rumors were finally announced as fact: Jean Segura is on his way to Philadelphia. Joining him in the better half of the state of Pennsylvania will be relievers Juan Nicasio and James Pazos. Meanwhile, Carlos "Smooth" Santana and former top prospect J.P. Crawford have been sent […]

James Paxton to The Yankees - Fantasy Impact

The first major move of the 2018 MLB offseason was made on Monday night, as the Seattle Mariners sent James Paxton to the New York Yankees for Justus Sheffield, Erik Swanson, and Dom Thompson-Williams. By trading Paxton, the Mariners got a top-50 prospect in the lefty Sheffield, a controllable arm in the righty Swanson, and an […]

Passing the Buc - Former Pirates Prospects to Watch

The offseason hot stove is well underway, and major deals are already happening. Now, take “major” with a grain of salt, because if this is the best that baseball fans get, it will be a long winter. And yet, under the hood, the first few moves have fantasy implications that can affect early drafts, or […]

Arizona Fall League Preview - Prospects to Watch

As October baseball begins, fantasy fanatics shift their attention to the next season, which means diving into prospects and performances. Luckily for fantasy players, the Arizona Fall League (AFL) offers the perfect chance to check-out top prospects, and how they look against other high profile players. While many of these names are a year or […]

Hot Prospects to Watch - Season Recap

It's the final week of the regular season. It feels like it's gone by in a blur, doesn't it? At this point in the season, you're either already done or any prospects that will make an impact this week are already owned. So in this week's list we're going to do a quick-hit, season-in-review to […]

Rookie Report: Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups (Week 26)

It's our final Rookie Report of the 2018 season, and in it we'll take a look at a former first round pick who finally made his major league debut. After being the 31st overall pick in the 2014 draft, Justus Sheffield made his debut with a shutout ninth inning in the Yankees' 10-1 win over […]

Rookie Report: Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups (Week 25)

In this week's Rookie Report, we'll be taking a look at several catchers making an impact in fantasy this month. Francisco Mejia made a splash in his first start for the Padres, hitting his first and second career home runs while driving in four in the 6-2 win over the Reds. While Mejia may have […]

Hot Prospects to Watch Week 25: Mejia, Mullins, Tellez, Reid-Foley

Can you believe that the fantasy baseball season is almost over? It's well into the fantasy playoffs now, so this is the time for owners to start planning ahead for next season. Probably the hottest prospect this month who will maintain his prospect status heading into next season is Francisco Mejia. After homering twice in […]

Hot Prospects to Watch in Week 23 - Poncedeleon, Verdugo, Alcantara

It's September! Not only does that mean fantasy playoffs, it means prospects getting called up with the rosters expanding. For the last few weeks of the season, we'll be looking at players who can give your team a boost this year for a fantasy playoff run. Realistically most of the prospects who will help you […]

2018 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Columns (Archive)

Below is a list of RotoBaller's 2018 fantasy baseball rankings articles and analysis. Categories include tiered staff rankings for mixed leagues and points leagues. Also included are impact prospect rankings, dynasty prospect rankings, keeper value rankings, dynasty league rankings and team prospect rankings.   Updated Mixed League Rankings Analysis - May Updated Catcher Rankings (May) […]

Rookie Report: Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups (Week 22)

Same report, new management this week, as I will take over the Rookie Report for Max for the remainder of the season. I've been writing about the hot prospects dynasty owners should be keeping an eye on this year, and now I'll also be diving into the best rookies for fantasy owners to pay attention […]

2018 Prospects: Top 30 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Leagues (Week 22)

Hello everyone, and welcome to my weekly Top-30 Fantasy Rankings for Impact Rookies! In this series, I will be going over the top prospects in baseball and discussing which ones figure to have an impact for the rest of this fantasy baseball season. The San Diego Padres made the biggest prospect splash over the past […]

Hot Prospects to Watch Week 22: Franco, Ashby, Duran

Can you believe that the minor league season is almost over? Just one more week left before playoffs begin. We've taken a look at a lot of prospects this year — some who are nearly household names by now and others who are flying under the radar. This week's list doesn't feature a "big-name" prospect […]

Rookie Report: Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups (Week 21)

With the fantasy playoffs looming around the corner (or, in some instances, in full swing), rookie impact becomes less and less important due to the fact that there simply aren't any great stashes remaining. A top prospect being promoted for a cup of coffee can make a huge impact, but there does not profile to […]

2018 Prospects: Top 30 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Leagues (Week 21)

Hello everyone, and welcome to my weekly Top-30 Fantasy Rankings for Impact Rookies! In this series, I will be going over the top prospects in baseball and discussing which ones figure to have an impact for the rest of this fantasy baseball season. It just doesn’t seem right. The rain comes in and ends Michael […]