22 hours agoThe Chicago White Sox have hired
Will Venable as their new manager. Grady Sizemore had served 45 games as interim manager, finishing out the 2024 season after Pedro Grifol had been let go amid a campaign of futility. The 42-year-old Venable played nine seasons in the majors and was with the Rangers as associate manager under Bruce Bochy prior to joining Chicago. The Sox are coming off a record-setting 121-loss season in 2024, so Venable has an uphill challenge in front of him to get the team winning consistently again.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Passan
5 days agoNew York Yankees designated hitter
Giancarlo Stanton went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in Game 2 of the World Series. Stanton would tally his lone hit in the final inning which scored outfielder
Juan Soto. This hit began to spark a late rally for the Bronx Bombers but they were unable to finish the job. Stanton has now tallied 14 RBI throughout October and is carrying a five-game RBI streak. During the postseason, the 34-year-old has been one of the most important bats in the Yankee lineup as he posted an excellent .279/.354/.744 line with six home runs and a 5:9 BB:K ratio. Stanton remains a top pick in DFS formats given his elite power and RBI potential.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon stumbled in Game 2 of the World Series and was handed his second loss of the postseason. Rodon held the Dodgers scoreless in the opening frame but ran into trouble early in the second as
Tommy Edman hit a lead-off solo shot. Then, in the third inning with two outs, outfielder
Teoscar Hernandez would hit a two-run blast. The next batter,
Freddie Freeman would also go on to take Rodon deep to extended the Dodger lead. The southpaw was able to log only three 1/3 innings of work with six total hits allowed and three runs. He struck out three and did not allow a free pass. During October, Rodon now sits with an underwhelming 5.60 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. DFS players should select Rodon with caution if he is able to make another start in the World Series.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Juan Soto went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Game 2 of the World Series. Soto was able to tie the game in the third inning as he took Dodger right-hander
Yoshinobu Yamamoto deep. The star outfielder has now tallied at least one hit in each of the past four games and has gone deep three times in this span. Throughout October, the 26-year-old has held an impressive .350/.460/.700 with four home runs, nine RBI, and a 9:7 BB:K ratio. Soto will remain a top pick in DFS for the remainder of the series in any matchup.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Teoscar Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Game 2 of the World Series. Hernandez went deep for the third time this postseason off Yankee left-hander
Carlos Rodon in the third frame. Since going hitless for five straight games, Hernandez is now carrying a three-game hitting streak. In this span, he has tallied multiple hits in two games. Overall, during October, the 32-year-old and posted a .229/.345/.417 line with 10 RBI, three home runs, and a 9:13 BB:K ratio. Hernandez will continue to be a popular target in DFS given his upside for power and potential for scoring opportunities batting in the top half of the lineup.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers utility man
Tommy Edman went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in Game 2 of the World Series. Edman has now tallied at least one hit in each of the past eight games and tallied at least two hits in each of the past five. Throughout October, Edman has been one of the most consistent bats in the Dodger lineup as he currently holds a stellar .365/.358/.577 slash line with two home runs, 13 RBI, and four stolen bases. His impressive 11 RBI during the NLDS earned him MVP honors in that series. The veteran utility man will continue to be a popular pick in DFS contests given his incredible stretch on Monday evening when he faces Yankee right-hander
Clarke Schmidt.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman went 1-for-4 with a solo shot in Game 2 of the World Series. After hitting the game-winning grand slam in Game 1, Freeman continued to showcase his power, and now holds a two-game home run streak. The 35-year-old did not go deep earlier in the playoffs and only tallied one RBI and no extra-base hits. However, in the first two games of the World Series, the infielder has brought in five runs with three extra-base hits. Freeman will be a popular pick in DFS on Monday evening when he is expected to face
Clarke Schmidt who holds a 3.86 ERA during October.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossed six 1/3 frames of one run ball en route to earning the victory in Game 2 of the World Series. He allowed just one hit, two walks, and struck out four. His lone blemish came off a solo shot from
Juan Soto in the third inning. Since allowing five earned runs in his postseason debut, the right-hander has been exceptional and has allowed just three runs across his most recent 15 2/3 frames. DFS players should expect the 26-year-old to get another opportunity to start if the series returns to Los Angeles in Games 6 or 7.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago White Sox shortstop prospect
Colson Montgomery has gotten out to a hot start through his first taste of the Arizona Fall League. Through his first 11 games, the 22-year-old has gone deep three times and held an impressive .313/.511/.656 slash line with a 10:6 BB:K ratio. The former first-round selection had struggled at times through his first look at Triple-A last season. In his first 130 games at the top level of the minor leagues, Montgomery carried an underwhelming .214/.329/.381 line with 18 home runs and a rough 69:164 BB:K ratio. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression during the offseason as he could contend for a spot on the Opening Day Roster.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago Cubs first base/catching prospect
Moises Ballesteros has launched four home runs in his first ten games in the Arizona Fall League. During the stretch, he has held a .391/.431/.717 line with 11 RBI, and a 4:7 BB:K ratio. This is a great sign for the 20-year-old has he enjoyed a fantastic 2024 campaign. The infielder opened the campaign in Double-A but quickly moved up to Triple-A after he posted a .299/.372/.495 line through 56 games. In his first 68 games at the top level of the minor leagues, the No.4 ranked prospect in the Northside carried a strong .281/.340/.454 line with ten long balls. Ballesteros remains a name to keep a close eye on as he could push for a big league debut in 2025.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will get the starting nod in Game 2 of the World Series in hopes to extend their series lead. After struggling in his postseason debut, the right-hander has performed exceptionally well as he has tossed nine 1/3 frames in two outings and allowed only two runs and six hits in this span. In addition, he has only walked two batters while striking out ten in this stretch. When Yamamoto faced this Yankee lineup in June, he allowed just two hits across seven shutout frames. Given his past performance against them and his previous two postseason outings, Yamamoto will be a popular pick this evening in DFS as he looks to put the Dodgers two games ahead in the series.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon has a tough matchup in Game 2 of the World Series. In his previous outing, Rodon lasted only four 2/3 innings and surrendered five hits, two earned runs, and one walk, while striking out six. During three starts this October, the southpaw sits with a modest 4.40 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. This evening, he will face the Los Angeles Dodgers who have hit left-handed pitching exceptionally well this season at a stellar .826 OPS mark. In addition, the Dodgers have only struck out 18.0% of the time facing southpaws which could limit Rodon's upside. Given his shaky performances during the postseason and tough matchup, it may be best to fade Rodon in DFS formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers utility man
Kike Hernandez is expected to remain in the starting lineup during the World Series according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Hernandez was given the starting nod in the series opener in center field. During October, the 33-year-old has been one of the best bats in the lineup as he has carried an impressive .306/.375/.528 slash line with two home runs, five RBI, and a 3:9 BB:K ratio. On Friday, Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a triple. DFS players should always consider adding Hernandez to their lineup given his hot stretch and the ample scoring opportunities he has batting in the heart of the lineup. On Saturday evening, he will face southpaw
Carlos Rodon who has posted a 4.40 ERA and 1.12 WHIP during the postseason.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Fabian Ardaya
5 days agoNew York Yankees infielder
Jon Berti (hip) was left off the World Series roster with a hip flexor injury according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN. Berti suffered this injury during Game 4 of the ALCS when he was running the bases. This allowed pitcher
Nestor Cortes to return to the roster. During October, Berti went 2-for-11 with a 1:3 BB:K ratio. In the regular season, the 34-year-old utility man held a solid .273 AVG and .342 OBP with five steals through 25 games in the Bronx. Berti should remain deep league option for his speed in 2025 as he has shown little power upside throughout his big league career.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jorge Castillo
6 days agoNew York Yankees third baseman
Jazz Chisholm Jr. made his presence known in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, swiping three bags and scoring an important run late in the game. Jazz stole third base in the top of the 10th and scored on a fielder's choice right after, giving the Yanks a 3-2 lead. Unfortunately for them,
Freddie Freeman had other ideas about how the game would end. As for Chisholm, he has been a bit of a letdown this postseason, hitting .179 with a .520 OPS. A good World Series would make his shaky playoffs a moot point, though, and he is off to a good start in Game 1.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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