Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Could Resume Swinging This Weekend

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (knee) continues to get treatment on his right knee and is feeling better every day, according to manager John Schneider. Guerrero could get back in the batting cages by the weekend. Guerrero is dealing with a sore right knee and is taking things slowly in camp. It's […]

Christian Encarnacion-Strand Continues To Hit This Spring

Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand continued to make a strong impression this Spring in Monday's 6-1 Cactus League win over the Rockies. The 23-year-old went 2-for-3 with a single and a solo home run. He mashed in Double-A in 2022 and is now batting .647 with three HR in 17 spring at-bats. With Joey […]

Three Picks At Each Position - Expensive, Value and Cheap Players for Fantasy Baseball

If I had the time and approval, I could come here every single day and give you hard-hitting data analysis. We could learn all kinds of stuff and do all kinds of speculating and projecting, getting very into the granular data. I do that from time to time on here, but I'm not so egg-headed […]

Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (Pull%) - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball

After diving into the xBA and xSLG leaderboards last week, I'm continuing my look at Statcast metrics by turning our eye to the Pull% leaderboard. We'll go through some of the leaders in the hopes of not just giving you Statcast numbers but explaining how I believe those numbers impact the projections I have for […]

Statcast xStats: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Statcast is a valuable tool for fantasy baseball analysis, and it can be easy to look at a stat called "Expected Batting Average" and blindly use it as your projection moving forward. Of course, proper use of these metrics is a little bit more nuanced than that. First, a disclaimer: This article is about the […]

Nick Mariano's Early-Round Overvalued List for 2023 Fantasy Baseball (Premium Content)

This premium article is part of our 2023 Draft Kit. All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Fantasy baseball drafts (and their articles) are almost all about finding the next superstar and unearthing talent late, but we can't forget that surrendering value by over-drafting can be just as crucial. In order […]

Wil Myers (1B/OF, CIN) - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 225 CURRENT ADP: ~240 overall ANALYSIS: Myers’ ADP continues a modest climb following his signing in Cincinnati but there’s still plenty of room to profit. There’s some Myers fatigue as he debuted in 2013 at 22, but the man is only 32 and now gets hitter-friendly confines at Great American […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s Injury Isn't Serious

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (knee) will be evaluated on Saturday, depending on how he feels, according to manager John Schneider. Guerrero isn't scheduled for an MRI exam or any tests as of right now, and his removal from the Grapefruit League game on Friday was precautionary. Check back on Saturday for […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Departs Early With Sore Knee

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (knee) left Friday's Grapefruit League game early with right knee discomfort. Guerrero singled early in the game and took second base on a throw to home, but his final steps into second base looked awkward. The Blue Jays will likely have an update on Guerrero after the […]

Yandy Diaz Likely Sidelined Into Next Week

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (hip) is sidelined by a hip flexor injury and likely won't play in a Grapefruit League game until after next Wednesday's off day. Meanwhile, infielder Taylor Walls, who has been out with an oblique strain since before the start of spring training, is "progressing well," according to manager […]

Rhys Hoskins To Make Spring Debut As DH Friday

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins (knee), who has been on a slower progression than usual this spring after having a minor knee procedure in the offseason, will make his Grapefruit League debut as the designated hitter on Friday against the Detroit Tigers. Hoskins is then scheduled to make his spring debut at first base […]

Brandon Belt A Week Away From Spring Debut

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Brandon Belt (knee) is a week away from making his spring training debut. Belt underwent season-ending knee surgery last September and is hoping to put together a healthy 2023 season. The 34-year-old was one of the offseason additions for the Blue Jays and signed to a one-year, $9.3 million deal. […]

Triston Casas Homers In Tuesday's Game

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, a run scored and a strikeout in Tuesday's Grapefruit League win over the Miami Marlins. The most notable was the fact that all of his damage came against left-handed pitching in this spring game. The 23-year-old enters the 2023 season […]

Dominic Smith Fine After Being Hit By Pitch

Washington Nationals first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith (quadriceps) said he's fine after being hit by a pitch on the outside of his right quad just above his knee in a Grapefruit League game on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Smith said he would have fought to stay in the game if it was in the […]

Trey Mancini, Patrick Wisdom The Main Right Field Backups

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross said Monday that Trey Mancini and Patrick Wisdom (groin) are "the first guys that come to mind" as fill-ins for right field if Seiya Suzuki (oblique) ends up having to miss time with a left oblique injury. Mancini, who was signed this off-season, has played outfield throughout his career in […]

Miguel Vargas Won't Swing Monday

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) will play in the Cactus League game on Monday against the San Diego Padres, but he won't be hitting. Manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend that Vargas has regained his grip strength and that he's been doing more work in the batting cages, but he's not ready […]

Rhys Hoskins Underwent Minor Procedure

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in December, according to manager Rob Thompson. This was a clean-up procedure to take care of the wear-and-tear on his knee from the 2022 season. The 29-year-old has not appeared in any Spring Training contests, but reportedly has been a full participant in camp. The […]

First Base Dynasty Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

After years of mostly just top-tier production, first base is making a comeback in fantasy output. There are some intriguing names in re-draft leagues, but we will look at dynasty fantasy baseball rankings here. Most leagues are starting to decide who will be part of their future; some will be looking to draft some of […]

RotoBaller Staff Mock Draft Analysis: 12-Team Roto League Draft

Mock drafts remain an integral piece of fantasy baseball prep in 2023. Some of RotoBaller’s top minds joined up for a 12-team 5x5 Roto mock draft over on Fantrax. I’ll be delivering a round-by-round breakdown of the draft and highlighting some noteworthy picks along the way. Then I'll point out some trends, including how third […]

Brandon Belt To Be Eased In At Spring Training

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Brandon Belt (knee) has played in seven spring training games in the last two years while managing a knee issue. The Blue Jays and the 34-year-old agreed to a plan to ease him into camp this year as a precautionary measure after he had knee surgery last September. Belt said […]

Barrels and Brls/BBE: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Previously, we looked at how the exit velocity is only one piece of the fantasy baseball analysis puzzle. Baseball broadcasts will commonly cite Launch Angle (LA) to complement their EV figures, but it is given in terms of degrees. LA is basically a fancy way of saying things that the fantasy community has used for […]

Vinnie Pasquantino Blasts Homer On Friday

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino came into Spring Training ready to play as he put together a strong performance in Friday's opener. The 25-year-old went 2-for-2 with a huge two-run home run in the victory over the Texas Rangers. Pasquantino was a reliable bat for the Royals last season and it doesn't appear […]

First Base Draft Values for Fantasy Baseball - EDV Finds Undervalued, Overvalued Picks

Baseball is coming, so it is time for another year of the FSWA-award-nominated Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify both 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. We'll start at first base and […]

Miguel Vargas To Play Some Defense Thursday

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) will play defense in camp on Thursday, but he's not cleared yet to hit. Vargas is still recovering after suffering a hairline fracture to his right pinkie last week while fielding ground balls. When healthy, the 23-year-old should see most of his playing time for the Dodgers at […]

Daniel Vogelbach Slims Down

New York Mets first baseman/designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach estimated that he lost 20 to 25 pounds this offseason after he was listed at 270 pounds in 2022. "Obviously watching what I eat, but just working out and doing my routine," Vogelbach said. "I wasn't really that focused on one particular thing. Just coming in and […]

ADP Fallers to Buy for Fantasy Baseball - 2023 ADP Comparisons

"Buy low, sell high." The age-old advice. Simple but powerful. It is perfectly applicable in the fantasy baseball world as well, so that is what we're talking about today. I am going to explore the players that have seen the biggest drops in their ADP when comparing 2022 to 2023. Now, there are plenty of […]

Anthony Rizzo Still Managing Back Injury

The stiffness that plagued New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (back) in 2022 and caused him to miss more than 20 games is expected to be a problem at some points in 2023. "I think I'd be crazy to sit here and say I won't have any back issues here," Rizzo said. "Every year, […]

Luke Voit Signs Minor-League Deal With Brewers

Free-agent first baseman Luke Voit signed a minor-league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Voit will join the Brew Crew after spending the 2022 season with the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals, where he hit a combined .226/.308/.402 with a career-low .710 OPS, 22 home […]

Statcast Exit Velocity: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

If you've watched a baseball broadcast in the Statcast Era, you have undoubtedly noticed the broadcasters commenting on a batted ball's exit velocity, or EV. Many have taken to using stats like Hard% and Soft% to forecast how a player should be performing, expecting larger Hard% rates to produce larger BABIP and HR/FB figures. There […]

LaMonte Wade Jr. Ready To Claim First Base Role With Giants

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Monday that first baseman/outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. has had a "very focused offseason." The 29-year-old had a breakout 2021 season but had a disappointing 2022 season, slashing just .207/.305/.359 with eight home runs and 26 RBI in 251 plate appearances while dealing with left knee inflammation. Now that […]