Breakout Candidates At 2B For 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Second base. Some say it’s the most unheralded position in baseball, the glue of the infield. There’s been no shortage of legends who called the position home: from Roger Hornsby to Joe Morgan to Dustin Pedroia. In fantasy baseball, second base has been one of the least productive roster spots over these past few years. […]

Josh VanMeter Scratched With Leg Tendinitis

Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Josh VanMeter (leg) was scratched from the Cactus League lineup on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants due to lower left leg tendinitis. In his place, Andruw Monasterio will start at the keystone and hit eighth against Giants right-hander Sean Hjelle. The 27-year-old VanMeter is in spring training with the Brew […]

Michael Massey Day-To-Day With Ankle Contusion

Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (ankle) is being listed as day-to-day after leaving Wednesday night's Cactus League game against the Chicago White Sox with an ankle contusion. Massey fouled a ball off his foot and was removed from the game as a precaution. The 24-year-old should be just fine for Opening Day later […]

Miguel Vargas Cleared To Swing

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) isn't in the team's Cactus League lineup on Wednesday, but he said his routine is "back to normal." Whenever Vargas returns to the spring lineup, he should be cleared to swing in the game. The Dodgers have kept Vargas in their Cactus League lineups to work on his […]

Luis Garcia (2B/SS, WAS) - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 300 CURRENT ADP: ~330 overall ANALYSIS: I’m sure many have already cursed the name of Washington Nationals second baseman Luis García as they haphazardly draft him instead of the Astros starting pitcher. I have sympathy, but don’t let any struggles with Fantrax’s search bar feature change your perception of this […]

Keep It Simple, Stupid - Finding Homers and Strikeouts Throughout the Draft

Rotisserie fantasy baseball is a complex game. The best players give equal attention to each category, build balanced teams, and then prune their teams effectively throughout the year. Not everybody has the time for that though - and it's a lot easier said than done. Sometimes we can do just fine focusing in on the […]

Mookie Betts To See Time At Second In World Baseball Classic

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said Tuesday that Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts will play some second base for Team USA during this year's World Baseball Classic. Team USA's only true second baseman on the roster is Mets Jeff McNeil, but Betts began his career as a second baseman and has sporadically played it […]

Terrin Vavra To Resume Swinging Tuesday

Baltimore Orioles infielder Terrin Vavra (shoulder) said he will swing a bat on Tuesday to test his injured left shoulder. He's been feeling much better and expects to play in Grapefruit League games soon. The 25-year-old has been dealing with left shoulder discomfort since late last week and has taken some time off as a […]

Whit Merrifield Back In Grapefruit League Lineup

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Whit Merrifield (quadriceps) is back in the starting lineup for the Grapefruit League game on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Mitch Keller. He's starting at second base and batting leadoff. Merrifield suffered a right quadriceps injury last Thursday and hasn't played in a spring game since as a […]

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 […]

Whit Merrifield Dealing With Quad Tightness

Toronto Blue Jays infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield (quadriceps) has been out of Grapefruit League games since Friday due to right quadriceps tightness. His injury is considered minor, but the Blue Jays are just being extra cautious with him. Merrifield went through a full workout on Saturday and has more than enough time left in camp to […]

Rockies Reach Agreement With Mike Moustakas

The Colorado Rockies reached a non-roster agreement with free-agent infielder Mike Moustakas on Sunday after he was released by the Cincinnati Reds in January. It's a minor-league deal for Moustakas. According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, Colorado's current plan is for Moustakas to play second base with Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) likely out 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 […]

Hitter Busts Who Will Keep Junking It Up - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Infielders

One bust of a season can be enough rationale for fantasy baseball owners to steer clear of a player going forward. For others, it can open the door for a buy-low opportunity with hopes of a bounce-back return to form. However, it’s realistic for us to understand that many players never come back the same. […]

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 […]

Ozzie Albies Playing Second Base Saturday

Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (shoulder) is starting at second base and is hitting fifth in the batting order on Saturday in the team's Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins. Albies had a clean-up procedure on his right shoulder last October and had been serving as the designated hitter in spring games up […]

Second Base Dynasty Rankings For Fantasy Baseball

Second base was once a position for speed and a little batting average, but that has changed over the years, and it’s now a full-fledged fantasy production machine. It may not boast the power that third base or first base does, and the names may not be as sexy as the shortstop position, but it […]

Nick Gordon Suffers Ankle Sprain

Minnesota Twins utility man Nick Gordon (ankle) suffered a mild to moderate left ankle sprain in the team's Grapefruit League game on Friday against the Boston Red Sox. X-rays ruled out a fracture, but he was in a walking boot and was using crutches after the game. The Twins will continue to evaluate him, and […]

Ryan McMahon Likely To Move To 2B This Year

Colorado Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said that the team will likely move infielder Ryan McMahon to second base with Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) potentially missing the entire 2023 season. Colorado will also look at Nolan Jones and Elehuris Montero at third base while keeping Kris Bryant in the outfield. Schmidt also didn't completely rule out […]

Nick Gordon Leaves Game Early With Injury

Minnesota Twins outfielder Nick Gordon (undisclosed) was slow to get up after tumbling to the ground during a throw to first base in the Grapefruit League game on Friday against the Boston Red Sox. He walked off the field gingerly with head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta. It's unclear exactly what Gordon's injury is, so check […]

Ryan McMahon Playing Second Base Friday

Colorado Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon is starting at second base and batting fifth in the Cactus League game on Friday against the San Francisco Giants, with Elehuris Montero at the hot corner. This could be the plan if Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) is forced to have season-ending surgery after dislocating his shoulder in a game earlier […]

Nico Hoerner Named Leadoff Hitter

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner has been named the leadoff hitter for the team, according to manager David Ross on Thursday. Ross believes Hoerner is exactly what the team needs to set the right tone. The 25-year-old is better known for his defensive abilities, but did a quality job with the bat last season. […]

Brendan Rodgers Going For Second Opinion

Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) will get a second opinion after the first opinion on his dislocated left shoulder called for season-ending surgery. The Rockies will consider internal candidates first and don't seem to have any interest in bringing infielder Jose Iglesias back. Already a player that fantasy managers in most leagues are […]

Brendan Rodgers Could Require Surgery

Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers (shoulder), who suffered a dislocated left shoulder in a Cactus League game earlier this week, has more damage than expected to his shoulder capsule. Doctors are still looking at him, but surgery is a possibility, which could threaten his entire 2023 season. If Rodgers misses the entire season, Ryan […]

Cavan Biggio Expected To Play Infield And Outfield

Toronto Blue Jays utility man Cavan Biggio is expected to split his playing time in the infield and outfield this coming season. The 27-year-old spent the bulk of 2022 at second and first base, and the Blue Jays were pleased by his performance in the outfield. While he made just nine appearances in the outfield, […]

Vaughn Grissom (2B, ATL) - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 150 CURRENT ADP: ~165 overall ANALYSIS: ATC is projecting Vaughn Grissom as a top 10 2B, which already speaks to the optimism but should rise even more when you consider it's coming in with under 500 PA. It's no surprise to see that ATC is the most bullish of the major projections, […]

Miguel Vargas Could Hit This Weekend

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) could be "green-lighted" to swing in Cactus League games "hopefully" by this weekend. Vargas has been playing in spring games but hasn't been allowed to hit, but he said he has started hitting in the batting cages. The 23-year-old youngster is recovering from a […]

Padres Agree To Deal With Rougned Odor

The San Diego Padres agreed to a minor-league deal with free-agent second baseman Rougned Odor on Wednesday. Odor has already reported to major-league spring training and will try to make the Padres' stacked roster for Opening Day. The 29-year-old left-handed slugger had three 30-homer seasons for the Texas Rangers in 2016, 2017 and 2019, but […]

Brendan Rodgers Injures His Shoulder Tuesday

Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) left the team's Cactus League game early on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers due to a shoulder injury. Manager Bud Black said they had to pop Rodgers' shoulder back into place. It sounds like a dislocated shoulder for the 26-year-old, but we should know more in the coming […]