Cody Allen Looking to Achieve Elite Closer Status in 2016

With the AL completely stacked with elite relief arms, Cody Allen has been quietly building up the resume of an top-flight closer. His 2015 ERA was up nearly a run from last year's 2.07 mark, but his FIP of 1.82 was tops in all of baseball. Allen has blossomed into a commanding presence in the back […]

New Team, Same Old Mike Leake

Mike Leake chose a new home after a late-season trade from the Reds to the Giants last year, signing with the St. Louis Cardinals for a five year, $80 million contract this off-season. He's projected to be their fourth starter. Mike Leake is one of those players who is better appreciated in the real world […]

Trevor Bauer Hoping For Happier Home Outings in 2016

Trevor Bauer's home-road splits were the most concerning aspect of the young right-hander's inconsistent 2015. Opponents had an OPS nearly 200 points higher when facing him at Progressive Field (.797 versus .608). There were some bright sides to Bauer's 2015. He continues to establish himself as a strikeout artist, with his 2015 K/9 rate of 8.69 sitting between Gerrit […]

What to Make of Stephen Vogt in 2016

Catchers are always a tricky draft selection, and one name that will come up a lot in this year’s draft preparation is Stephen Vogt. From the 2014 season to the 2015 season, nearly all of Vogt’s counting stats doubled. His RBI total increased from 35 to 71, his runs scored total went from 26 to 58, […]

Brandon Phillips Ain't (Totally) Dead Yet

While Brandon Phillips is a hometown hero in Cincinnati, his popularity hasn't matched his production at the plate. Unfortunately, the days of 20+ home runs in a season are over. He did hit 18 home runs in four straight seasons from 2010 to 2013, but the power has essentially disappeared since then. Thankfully, Phillips’ production in […]

Health Will Determine Jesse Hahn's 2016 Performance

Since Jesse Hahn's MLB debut, he has shown the ability to dominate even the most powerful lineups. However, he has never been able to stay healthy long enough to maximize his full potential. Hahn’s 2015 season came to a screeching halt when he was officially shut down towards the end of the summer with elbow […]

Joey Votto Will Keep Rolling in 2016

When Joey Votto blasted three home runs out of Great American Ballpark in June of 2015, we all knew he was back. After a dismal, injury-filled 2014 in which he only played 62 games, 2015 was a different story. With an incredible 1.000 OPS, Joey Votto was able to match his second-highest career total in […]

Expect Continued Improvement From Josh Reddick in 2016

Josh Reddick is an intriguing player from a fantasy perspective. When The Oakland Athletics brought in Reddick through a somewhat lopsided trade with the Boston Red Sox, Billy Beane and company were not too sure of what they had. After all, he had only played 143 games in three seasons with the Red Sox and […]

Jordan Zimmermann Is A Mid-Round Steal

Jordan Zimmermann will transition from the NL to the AL this season as he joins the Detroit Tiger rotation. If conventional wisdom holds true, that means that he will see a slight dip in productivity this season, with the most affected area being K/9 IP. But setting aside the adjustment period, Jordan Zimmermann should continue […]

Anthony DeSclafani Will Make the Leap in 2016

It is safe to say that the Cincinnati Reds’ rotation has some question marks, the biggest most likely being Homer Bailey. However another big question mark for the Reds is slated right behind Bailey in the rotation. Anthony DeSclafani, the sixth-round draft choice out of Florida back in 2011, has been somewhat frustrating when on […]

Victor Martinez Is A Bounce Back Candidate For 2016

There are plenty of reasons to balk at drafting Victor Martinez in 2016. The Tigers' slugger had a career year in 2014, putting up lifetime bests in HR, AVG, and OBP while striking out only 6.6% of the time. Heading into last season, he was a clear regression candidate, especially after having off-season knee surgery. […]

Dustin Pedroia Wants Laser Show To Last All of 2016

Like several of his teammates, Dustin Pedroia had a truncated 2015 season. Injuries limited him to 425 plate appearances, his lowest since '10. Predictably, Boston saw its season end way earlier than anticipated. Pedroia's determined not to let that happen. Don't bet on a 213-hit, 54-double season like '08, but if he's healthy, he's still […]

Will Hector Rondon Lose The Closer Role Again?

Last year, Hector Rondon had some struggles as closer of the Chicago Cubs. He led the team with 30 saves, but was shaky right from the start, eventually getting downgraded to setup man. Ultimately, six other pitchers recorded saves for the Cubs, as Joe Maddon implemented a closer by committee policy. Rondon did eventually get […]

J.D. Martinez Is A Premier Power Bat For 2016

Heading into the 2015 season, there were some skeptics around the league who thought J.D. Martinez's 2014 power surge was a fluke. After turning in a career-best 38 HR last season, Martinez has proven that his long-ball strength is for real. To go along with is 38 bombs, Martinez also turned in 102 RBI and […]

Justin Upton Will Thrive in Detroit

The Detroit Tigers once again made a splash in free agency, signing Justin Upton to a six-year deal worth over $130 million this winter. He will provide yet another power bat to an already potent lineup. Upton brings solid career numbers to a favorable situation in Detroit, and is poised for another solid season in […]

Drafting for Safety or Potential: The Corey Seager Dilemma

What Corey Seager lacks in experience he certainly makes up for in potential. The Los Angeles Dodgers #1 overall prospect and opening day shortstop is looking to build upon a magnificent showing during his September call up in 2015. In just 27 games Seager batted an astounding .337 with four HR, eight Doubles, a Triple, […]

Rolling the Dice on Yasiel Puig

After being limited to just 79 games in 2015 due to a nagging hamstring injury, Yasiel Puig is looking to stay healthy and showcase why he was praised just a few short years ago for his big league potential. As the table setter at the top of the Los Angeles Dodgers order, Puig has managed […]

Retiring Chase Utley From Fantasy Rosters

While Chase Utley opted to lace up his cleats once again on a one-year deal with the Dodgers, his ability to stay healthy and produce for the duration of an entire baseball season is still up in the air. Utley rode a wave of mediocre seasons throughout his 30's, ultimately leading up to a dismal […]

Kinsler's Consistency Makes Him A Safe 2B Pick

Here are some numbers on Ian Kinsler from 2012-2015. Home runs: 19, 13, 17, 11. Runs batted in: 72, 72, 92, 73. Runs scored: 105, 85, 100, 94. When it comes to second basemen these days, its hard to find one who is more reliable than Kinsler. He has averaged 152 G per year over […]

Like His Home Runs, How Far Will Kyle Schwarber Go?

After an impressive stint in the majors last year, Kyle Schwarber enters the 2016 MLB season as one of the more exciting young sluggers in the league.  At 22 years old, he played 69 games, smashing 16 HR and recording 43 RBI. He’s not a great hitter, however, as he finished with a .246 BA. That […]

Kenley Jansen Pitching for Payday

After hearing about the potential Aroldis Chapman trade to the Dodgers, Kenley Jansen was reportedly upset about ultimately losing his role as closer. Fortunately for Jansen, and those drafting him, that deal fell through, and he will indeed be the Dodgers closer once again. Jansen managed only 52.1 IP last season due to a minor […]

A-Gon Shouldn't Be Gone Too Early

In any fantasy baseball draft the pool of players at first base is always the deepest. This provides ample time to fill other needs before settling on a lesser player when unable to draft Paul Goldschmidt or Miguel Cabrera. There are a surplus of first basemen that are capable of hitting over 25 homeruns and […]

Michael Wacha's Poor End to 2015 May Indicate Problems to Come

Taken as a whole, Michael Wacha's 2015 was a huge success. Unfortunately, there are several factors that indicate the good times about to go off the rails again, not unlike a certain train of crazy. If you saw him pitch in September and October, his ranking as our 31st-overall starting pitcher might seem a little high. In […]

Yan Gomes Looking For Redemption After Rough 2016

Following the 2014 season, Yan Gomes seemed primed to become one of the game's top offensive catchers after hitting .278 with 21 home runs and 74 RBI. Instead, he stumbled out of the gate in 2015 and finished with a disappointing 12 home runs and .231 batting average. Gomes had as rough a first half […]

Carlos Carrasco Justifies Last Spring's Big Extension, Looks to Repeat in 2016

On April 7th of last year, the Cleveland Indians and Carlos Carrasco agreed on a 4-year, $22 million extension. He wasted little time justifying the Indians' faith as he rewarded them, and fantasy owners, with 14 wins and 216 strikeouts. It was a long time coming for the centerpiece of the 2009 trade that sent Cliff […]

Matt Shoemaker Looks to Reestablish Relevancy

Fantasy owners were excited about Matt Shoemaker's potential over a full season after he posted a 3.04 ERA in 27 games (20 starts) in 2014, but the 29-year-old wilted under the bright lights, notching just a 4.46 ERA in 135.1 innings. Shoemaker's home run rate exploded in his bid to build on the excellent campaign, […]

Can Lucas Duda Find Consistency in 2016?

Lucas Duda was easily one of the most maddening players to own in fantasy in 2015. He could win you a week single-handedly sometimes, or he could go ice cold for weeks and months at a time. Then naturally just when you cut him, someone else would pick him up right before he exploded again. […]

Is Jacob deGrom a Top Five Pitcher in 2016?

Jacob deGrom was the bomb dot com in 2015. After coming out of nowhere in 2014, he was absolutely electric in his second year. deGrom's coming out party was made official in the All Star Game with a 10 pitch, three strikeout effort. It's hard not to get excited about just how high his ceiling […]

Miguel Montero, Backup Extraordinaire?

After his first season with the Chicago Cubs, 32-year-old catcher Miguel Montero enters the 2016 campaign as the hitter with arguably the least fantasy value in the lineup. That’s certainly not a knock on the Venezuelan veteran, it’s simply a matter of this lineup's strength, which will relegate him to the bottom third of the order. One […]

Will Jean Segura's Change of Scenery Yield Positive Results in 2016?

This just in! Jean Segura has been traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a five player deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. His fantasy value was low with the Brewers, as it seemed likely that Orlando Arcia would take over at some point in the season. However, he could now have a chance to return to […]