Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Feels Quicker After Losing 42 Pounds

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. says he feels quicker this spring after losing 42 pounds in the offseason while transforming his body after arriving to camp last year out of shape. The 22-year-old says the changes have mostly improved his fielding. While he's expected to spend most of his time at […]

Brandon Lowe Will See Time At 3B

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that infielder Brandon Lowe will see time at third base during spring training, while Mike Brosseau will see work at shortstop. It will allow the Rays even more flexibility with in-game moves during the regular season. Tampa Bay likes most of their infielders to be flexible around the […]

Jose Abreu Tests Positive For COVID-19

Chicago White Sox first baseman and 2020 American League MVP Jose Abreu has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be away from the team for the next several days. General manager Rick Hahn said that Abreu is "completely asymptomatic" and "frustrated." The 34-year-old slugger is in his eighth season with the White Sox and is […]

Jose Abreu Delayed At Camp

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu's arrival to camp will be delayed due to additional COVID-19 antibody testing, but he's expected to be at spring training on Wednesday. Abreu won the 2020 American League MVP by posting career-highs in nearly every offensive category. But he's entering his age-34 season in 2021, and fantasy managers […]

Rhys Hoskins Medically Cleared For All Spring Training Activity

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins (elbow) has been medically cleared for all baseball activity following offseason elbow surgery. Hoskins was expected to be back for Opening Day, but it's good news he was able to participate in the team's first full-squad workout. Hoskins was one of the hottest hitters in baseball when the injury […]

Matt Olson Could Rebound In 2021

Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson hit 14 home runs while playing in all 60 games in 2020, but his wOBA fell to .311 while his batting average sat at .195. Olson struck out a career-high 31.4 percent of the time last year, compared to a career rate closer to 25.0 percent in his first […]

RotoBaller Mock Draft Review - Biggest Draft Value Picks

Welcome back RotoBallers! Today we're looking at some of the best value picks from our recent RotoBaller staff mock draft. You can also read about everyone's biggest draft reaches and regrets. As we steamroll into fantasy baseball draft season, the team here at RotoBaller continues to practice what we preach by partaking in mock drafts. […]

Joey Votto Expects To Have A Better Season In 2021

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto told reporters that he expects to be better this year than he was in 2020. The veteran first baseman stated, "I refined last year. I'll be better than the back little bit of the season just because I've worked on it and I'll dedicate myself to it. I can't […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - February 23rd

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We've at least made it through the first […]

Roster Construction Strategies from the Middle

Drafting a great roster is the vital base for a successful fantasy baseball season. In order to do that, you'll need to find an optimal draft position. All draft spots are not created equal. Finding the right spot for you is your first task. Everyone has their own preference on the best spot to start […]

Diamondbacks Finalize Deal With Asdrubal Cabrera

The Arizona Diamondbacks confirmed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with infielder Asdrubal Cabrera on Monday. The 35-year-old was in spring camp on Monday when the team went through their first full-squad workout. Cabrera made $925,926 in prorated pay from a $2.5 million salary last season in 52 games for the Washington Nationals during the shortened […]

Spencer Torkelson Impresses In Batting Practice

Detroit Tigers first baseman/third baseman Spencer Torkelson, the team's top prospect per MLB Pipeline, put on a show in batting practice at spring training on Monday during the team's first full-squad workout. Torkelson will get his first look at live pitching on Tuesday, and he could see quite a few at-bats when spring training games […]

Albert Pujols Unsure Of Plans Past 2021

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is undecided on whether he'll continue his career beyond the 2021 season, according to a source. The 41-year-old is entering the final year of his $10-year, $240 million deal with the Angels. The future Hall of Famer could open this season backing up Jared Walsh at first base […]

Carlos Carrasco, Dominic Smith Absent Monday

New York Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco and first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith were among four players that were absent from the team's first full-squad spring training workout due to a "non-injury-related issue," according to manager Luis Rojas. However, all four players should be at camp by the end of the week. This should be a […]

Trey Mancini Without Restrictions This Spring

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini went through his first full-squad spring workout on Monday for the first time since he was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer last March. Mancini has been in Florida since Feb. 1 and started taking live batting practice on the field after a week. The 29-year-old has been cleared to […]

Freddie Freeman Won't Report Tuesday

Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman will not report with the rest of the team's position players to spring training on Tuesday following the birth of his twin sons. Manager Brian Snitker said he expects the 2020 National League MVP to arrive later in the week. Freeman will have to spend "a couple days" away […]

Top 250 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Part 3)

Welcome back RotoBallers to Part 3 of my dynasty prospects list, breaking down the 1-50 ranked prospects. You can also read Part 1 and Part 2 from a few days ago, looking at the 51-150 and 151-250 ranked prospects. RotoBaller's Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects list is back and refreshed for the 2021 season. Baseball has […]

Jon Anderson's First Base Tiered Rankings and Projections

One way to improve at drafting a fantasy baseball team is to shift your focus away from straight-ordered rankings and into tiered rankings. This helps you identify spots in the draft where you need to prioritize a certain position and times when you can wait. The difference between the #2 and #3 first baseman is […]

Jake Lamb Agrees With Braves

The Atlanta Braves agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal with free-agent corner infielder Jake Lamb on Sunday. The 30-year-old left-handed slugger had 59 home runs and an .843 OPS for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2016 and 2017, but he has battled multiple injuries in the last three seasons. After he hit 30 long balls in […]

RotoBaller Mock Draft Review - Biggest Reaches and Regrets

As we steamroll into fantasy baseball draft season, the team here at RotoBaller continues to practice what we preach by partaking in mock drafts. It's the best way to test out plans, gather information to have a better idea of what to expect for the real thing and try out new ideas you've been working […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Hitter Batted Ball Distribution

Fly balls can turn into home runs. Ground balls never do. It would seem as though fantasy owners want their batters to hit nothing but flies, yet this is not always the case. Why would this be? The answer, of course, comes down to batted ball distribution and how batters make contact. The league average […]

First Base Preview: Fantasy Baseball 2021 ADP Analysis

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller discusses 2021 fantasy baseball first base rankings and 1B draft sleepers who can be sneaky later-round picks. He breaks down and compares the ADPs of three different MLB players at the first base position. Fantasy players should consider picking up these players for their drafts this MLB Season. Be sure to […]

Ryan McMahon Could Return To 2019 Prominence

Colorado Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon took a step back in 2020 (.215/.295/.419 in 52 games) after hitting 24 home runs in 141 games in 2019, but he has the tools to return to prominence from a power perspective this season. He has a 46.2 percent hard-hit rate since 2018, including a 43 percent mark in […]

Change Of Scenery Could Be Great For Nate Lowe

Texas Rangers first baseman Nate Lowe slashed .282/.401/.497 with 20 home runs in 121 games for Triple-A Durham in the Rays organization from 2018-19, but he had just 245 plate appearances in 71 games at the major league level in 2019 and 2020 for Tampa. But the left-handed slugger with an 11.9 percent career barrel […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Has Yet To Unlock His Potential

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be just 22 years old on Opening Day, and his 12 batted balls with at least a 115 mph exit velocity since he debuted in 2019 are five more than any other player has since the start of that season. Last year, Guerrero had a […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. In Much Better Shape

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman/first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. spent the offseason working on his fitness, something that he has improved significantly heading into the 2021 season. While Guerrero is trying to earn back some playing time at third base, the Blue Jays expect his improved fitness to upgrade his production at the plate. His […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: HR/FB

Using BABIP to predict a player's batting average is great. Batting average is a category in many league formats, and every hit is an opportunity to steal a base or score a run. But most fantasy managers find the long ball sexier. Every HR comes with a guaranteed run scored and at least one RBI. […]

Top 250 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Part 2)

Welcome back RotoBallers to Part 2 of my dynasty prospects list, breaking down the 51-150 ranked prospects. You can also read Part 1 and Part 3 from a few days ago, looking at the 1-50 and 151-250 ranked prospects. RotoBaller's Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects list is back and refreshed for the 2021 season. Baseball has […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - February 19th

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, things are at least a little more […]

Playing For Keeps: Making Keeper Decisions for 2021

Spring training is officially underway, and with that comes the start of fantasy baseball draft season. While the majority of people participate in redraft leagues, keeper formats are also popular, and fantasy managers in those leagues are already weighing their decisions on which players to retain and which to toss back into the pool for […]