X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Greg Bird Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

As we move closer and closer to the start of the regular season, our writers are still vigorously debating each other's preseason rankings.

In this space, we'll hear from rankers with the biggest differences of opinion on a well-known player and have them defend their position against each other.

Today, the subject of discussion is Yankees first baseman Greg Bird. Nick Mariano loves the profile, the park, and the lineup, while Kyle Bishop has serious concerns about Bird's durability and batting average downside. Is Bird truly the word? Read on, and decide for yourself.

Be sure to check all of our preseason fantasy baseball rankings for Roto, Points, H2H, dynasty, best ball, prospects and more:

 

2018 Draft Rankings Debate - Greg Bird

Ranking Tier Player Position Kyle Nick Pierre Jeff Harris Bill
132 9 Greg Bird 1B 175  108 136 146 142 111

 

Nick Mariano's Ranking: #108 overall

Oh, Kyle. I thought you studied Bird Law? According to Erik Boland of Newsday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone sees Bird as an “impact middle of the order hitter." I realize the ankle-that-would-not-heal malady of 2017 really sucked the wind out of his sails, but once healthy, he posted a sturdy .253/.316/.575 slash line with eight homers and 25 RBI in 98 plate appearances down the stretch.

This came despite a horrid .230 BABIP that may not rise much due to defenses shifting into his ridiculous pull-happy nature, but Yankee Stadium was crafted for lefty swingers to beat any shift that isn’t legally allowed to place defenders in the stands. Now, I’m not expecting him essentially hit eight dingers a month and totally replicate the power or else I’d have his 40-plus homer butt well inside my top-100, so we’re not just blindly extrapolating the pop.

But we’re not ignoring it, either. Bird has shown a history of pulling the ball in the air throughout his professional career. He put up a fly-ball rate north of 55 percent between High- and Double-A in 2014 with a combined pull rate of nearly 50 percent. 2015 saw fly-ball rates around 45-50 percent and pull rates between 38-44 percent at Double-A, Triple-A and the Majors.

He was born to hit in Yankee Stadium, let alone in an era where the “fly-ball revolution” is being rewarded beyond comprehension. With ground-ball rates hovering a little north of 30 percent, I’m not going to weigh him down for the shift defense as much as I do for others. And I know he hits righties better, but that momentous homer off of Andrew Miller in the ALDS and hitting 5 HRs with a .257 average in 70 ABs vs. LHP during the regular season showed promise. The overall .938 OPS in 41 postseason ABs was lovely to see as well.

Is this about the injuries then? I know the torn labrum in ‘16 was awful and the ankle injury that ruined his ‘17 is worrisome, but right outside of my top-100 is where I’m happy to introduce some risk for upside. He also has a career 10.9% walk rate in 348 plate appearances, so he’ll get on base enough to get his counting stats up beyond his own homers. As of March 12, Fangraphs projects the 2018 Yankees to score 5.3 runs per game -- tied with the Astros for the best in the bigs. Hitting in the middle of this lineup all year practically provides one with a free voucher for 180 R+RBI. Starlin Castro had 129 in just 112 games last year. Didi Gregorius had 160 in 136 games.

And with Giancarlo Stanton in town, you can truly utilize “Stanton Like My Daddy” puns with Birdman on your roster. That’s why we draft guys, right?

 

Kyle's Ranking: #175 overall

Nick, you and I both know that bird law in this country - it’s not governed by reason. As such, I’m afraid I can’t take your advice into cooperation...Filibuster.

But seriously folks, nobody questions Bird’s pop. He’s gone deep 20 times in just 348 MLB plate appearances and posted an 18.4 HR/FB% after producing similar rates in the minor leagues. Projections all have him around 30 homers over a full season. Trouble is, yes, injuries. Bird hasn’t yet shown that he can stay healthy and productive for a full slate of games. This isn’t new, either - it’s always been a problem since he became a pro. Bird has only managed to eclipse 550 PA once, and that was way back in 2013 at A-ball. Nick would have you draft him as though this hardly mattered. Why take Bird just outside the top 100 when you can land the similarly-projected and super-durable Carlos Santana almost 70 picks later? You’re paying a premium for a buzzy player who carries fairly significant downside risk given his injury history and limited track record. That dog won't hunt, monsignor.

Bird’s profile certainly meshes well with Yankee Stadium, but his pull-happy, >60% airball approach and lack of foot speed means you’re almost definitely looking at a .250 average as the best case scenario. And for all the rosy thoughts about Bird potentially hitting cleanup in that fearsome Bombers lineup, any sort of extended slump - the kind that low-contact sluggers like Bird are particularly prone to - will see him bumped down in the order just like last season.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just regress, because I feel I’ve made myself perfectly redundant.

 

More 2018 MLB Ranking Debate Articles




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Max Scherzer1 hour ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw1 hour ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler1 hour ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager1 hour ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz2 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Alex Caruso2 hours ago

Ayo Dosunmu Probable Friday
Darius Garland2 hours ago

Probable Against 76ers
Donovan Mitchell2 hours ago

Upgraded To Questionable
Duncan Robinson3 hours ago

Heat Rule Out Duncan Robinson Friday
Bryan Reynolds4 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jimmy Butler4 hours ago

Probable Against Portland
Onyeka Okongwu4 hours ago

Remains Out Thursday
Dejounte Murray4 hours ago

Questionable With Back Soreness
Jordan Romano5 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Gerrit Cole5 hours ago

Yankees Put Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
Elly De La Cruz5 hours ago

Batting In Six-Hole On Opening Day
Anthony Rendon6 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff On Opening Day
Wander Franco6 hours ago

Placed On Administrative Leave
Aaron Ekblad6 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov6 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto6 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin7 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard7 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins7 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist7 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear7 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Keita Bates-Diop7 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season
Dyson Daniels7 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday But Nearing Return
LaMelo Ball7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of 2023-24
Jose Alvarado8 hours ago

Questionable To Face Milwaukee
Jaden Springer8 hours ago

Considered Questionable
Xavier Tillman8 hours ago

Sr. Questionable Thursday
Gabe Vincent8 hours ago

Expected To Return To Action On Sunday
Jrue Holiday9 hours ago

NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (3/28/24)
NBA10 hours ago

One X Factor for Each Remaining Team - NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
Alabama Crimson Tide11 hours ago

CBB DFS: NCAA Tournament DraftKings Daily Fantasy College Basketball Picks - Today's Top Lineups (3/28/24)
Brady Skjei11 hours ago

DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks (3/28/24): Today's Top NHL DFS Lineups
Adama Sanogo13 hours ago

NCAA Second Chance Tournament Challenge - 2024 March Madness Brackets
Al Horford19 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
TJ Friedl20 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Juuse Saros20 hours ago

Premium: NHL DFS Picks, Stacks, Goalies Analysis for March 28, 2024 (Premium Content)
Jackson Chourio20 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Hayden Buckley21 hours ago

RotoBaller PGA: One And Done Staff Picks - The Texas Children's Houston Open
NHL21 hours ago

NHL DFS Picks and Heat Map (Premium Content) - March 28, 2024
Jordan Spieth21 hours ago

Spencer Aguiar's Top One And Done Picks To Consider - The Texas Children's Houston Open (Premium Content)
Eduardo Rodriguez22 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Garrett Mitchell22 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Chad Green22 hours ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Erik Swanson22 hours ago

Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson Officially Heading To Injured List
Rafael Campos22 hours ago

DraftKings PGA DFS Value Plays - 2024 Texas Children's Houston Open (Premium Content)
Kevin Gausman22 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Sunday Or Monday
Joel Dahmen23 hours ago

DraftKings Core Four: PGA DFS - 2024 Houston Open (Premium Content)
Gleyber Torres24 hours ago

Will Bat Leadoff On Opening Day
Mark Hubbard24 hours ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson1 day ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Max Scherzer1 day ago

Making Solid Progress
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen1 day ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers1 day ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Billy Horschel1 day ago

Breaking $100 - Free PGA Betting Picks - Golf Best Bets for the 2024 Texas Children's Houston Open
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Jordan Lawlar1 day ago

To Have Thumb Surgery, Out A Couple Months
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
Joseph Bramlett1 day ago

Flag Hunting: PGA Betting Picks - 2024 Texas Children's Houston Open
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

PGA Stat Buffet - Betting, DFS Picks - Golf Bets Research - 2024 Texas Children's Houston Open (Premium)
San Francisco 49ers1 day ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby1 day ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Joseph Bramlett1 day ago

PGA Expert DFS Roundtable - 2024 Houston Open (Premium Content)
Josh Reynolds1 day ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

TeeOffSports' PGA DFS Rankings Wizard In-Tournament Model (Wednesday Update) - The Texas Children's Houston Open (Premium Content)
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley3 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF