Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor Could See Time In Middle Infield

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said outfielder Mookie Betts playing more second base this season is being discussed. Roberts also said that outfielder Chris Taylor will start a throwing program in order to play more shortstop this year after the news that Gavin Lux (knee) will miss the entire 2023 season due to a […]

Gavin Lux Diagnosed With Torn ACL

Los Angeles Dodgers promising young shortstop Gavin Lux (knee) suffered a torn ACL in the Cactus League game against the San Diego Padres on Monday, according to manager Dave Roberts. The unfortunate injury is expected to sideline Lux for the entire 2023 season. Reports had been circulating Tuesday morning that Lux was expected to miss […]

Second Basemen to Target or Avoid at ADP - Fantasy Baseball Draft Analysis

Over the years, the second base position has usually been one of the more shallow positions for fantasy purposes. And low and behold, the 2023 season will be no different. But we'll get more into that in just a second. At the top, we have four players being taken inside the top 50 of most […]

Gavin Lux Carted Off The Field Monday

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux (leg) had to be carted off the field on Monday during the team's Cactus League game against the San Diego Padres, and he wasn't putting any weight on his right leg. Lux went down near third base after hitting the base awkwardly as the Padres third baseman turned a […]

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 […]

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 […]

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

And we're back to the Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify both over 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 started with first base and now head to second base as we make […]

Miguel Vargas To Be In Saturday's Lineup

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) will be in the team's lineup for the Cactus League opener on Saturday, but "you can tell the Brewers he won't be swinging." Vargas still isn't cleared due to a finger injury, but the Dodgers want him to continue playing on defense. The […]

Tommy La Stella Likely Out 5-6 Days

Seattle Mariners infielder Tommy La Stella (arm) is dealing with a sore right arm in camp and will likely be out for five to six days. He was originally set to serve as the team's designated hitter in their Cactus League opener on Friday. The Mariners will take it easy on La Stella early in […]

Ozzie Albies Had Offseason Shoulder Surgery

Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (shoulder) revealed that he underwent offseason surgery on his right shoulder in the middle of October, which he called "just a regular clean-up" to address some pain he had experienced for a couple of years. Albies said he had a shoulder impingement, so "they had to go through and […]

Dylan Moore Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day

Seattle Mariners outfielder Dylan Moore (core) picked up more baseball activities after the team's first full-squad workout on Feb. 21. He was expected to be slow played to begin spring training, but there are no current concerns about his status for Opening Day. Moore recently signed a three-year, $8.875 million contract extension with the team. […]

Gavin Lux Has More Bat Speed

Los Angeles Dodgers middle infielder Gavin Lux has shown more bat speed after working on his swing mechanics at Driveline during the offseason. Lux hit fewer fly balls in 2022 and finished terribly due to neck and back issues, but overall it was a solid season, as he finished with a .276/.346/.399 slash line, career-high […]

Enmanuel Valdez To Play All Over Infield

Boston Red Sox infield prospect Enmanuel Valdez will start at second base in the team's first spring training game on Friday against Northeastern. The Red Sox like what they have in Valdez, whom they acquired from the Houston Astros for catcher Christian Vazquez last August. The 24-year-old hit .296 with a .376 on-base percentage, .542 […]

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 […]

Orioles Impressed With Jackson Holliday At Spring Camp

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Tuesday that he has "been so impressed watching" second base/shortstop prospect Jackson Holliday at the start of spring training. Despite being just 19 years old, the O's No. 1 overall pick in 2022 received a non-roster invite to camp. He is several years away from joining the O's, but […]

Twins Agree With Donovan Solano On One-Year Deal

The Minnesota Twins agreed with free-agent infielder Donovan Solano on an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday, according to a source. Solano comes to Minnesota after spending the 2022 campaign with the Cincinnati Reds. The 35-year-old veteran hit .284/.339/.385 with a .724 OPS, four home runs, 24 RBI and 304 plate appearances in 80 games played […]

Jazz Chisholm Jr. To Make Center Field Debut Sunday

Miami Marlins outfielder/second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said he will most likely make his first start in center field in a Grapefruit League game on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. After adding Jean Segura and Luis Arraez this offseason, Chisholm is expected to shift to center field in 2023 after previously serving as the […]

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 […]

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 […]

DJ LeMahieu "100 Percent With No Limitations"

According to a tweet from Newsday's Erik Boland on Monday morning, New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (toe) said he enters camp "100 percent with no limitations." Boland also noted in his tweet that the infielder was "limited much of last year by a toe injury." LeMahieu hit .261 with a .357 on-base percentage, 12 […]

Miguel Vargas Has Hairline Fracture In Right Pinky

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) reportedly has a hairline fracture in his right pinky finger, according to a tweet from The Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett on Monday. Per Plunkett's tweet, the infielder "took a ground ball off the pinkie on his right hand." Plunkett also noted in his tweet that "Activity will […]

Elvis Andrus Stays With White Sox

Infielder Elvis Andrus and the Chicago White Sox agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal earlier on Sunday. Andrus split his 2022 campaign with the Oakland A's and was picked up by the White Sox midway through the season. When he transitioned to Chicago, he reverted to his secondary position at shortstop to fill the […]

MiLB Stats: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Once you've grown accustomed to having advanced tools to help make fantasy decisions, it can feel disorientating to be without them. Prospects are increasingly becoming a focal point in both real and fantasy baseball, but the minors simply don't have all of the data available for MLB players. For example, advanced plate discipline stats, Pitch […]

Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (xSLG) - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball

After diving into the xBA leaderboard last week, I'm continuing my look at Statcast metrics by turning our eye to the xSLG 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 the given […]

Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (xBA) - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball

While the fantasy baseball prep work has been ongoing for months for some, many fantasy managers are turning their attention over in more earnest as the calendar flips to February and the NFL season winds down. While there will be many prep strategy articles, the most basic starting place is to familiarize yourself with the […]

Analyzing the MLB Rookies - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Prospects

One great way to win your fantasy league is to get your hands on the MLB rookie of the year. Julio Rodriguez and Michael Harris II were two of the biggest keys to success last year, as they went on to return first-round value after being very cheap to acquire on your fantasy team. There […]

Hitter Busts at Every Position - Comparing ATC Projections vs. ADP for Fantasy Baseball

With the big football game officially behind us, the official "official" start of fantasy baseball season has nearly dawned. It's easy to start obsessing over finding this year's biggest hidden jewels, dreaming at night that your fantasy groundhog will see its shadow and bring you six more weeks of sleepers. But don't forget about their […]

Indefensible: Bad MLB Defenders Who Could Lose Playing Time And Fantasy Baseball Value In 2023

The Super Bowl is over and it's time for everybody to turn their attention over to the joys of fantasy baseball. At this point in the preseason, fantasy baseball managers should be working through their projections, whether it's making their own or going through the projections given by their favorite system, like the ATC projections […]

Luis Rengifo Wins Arbitration Case Thursday

Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Rengifo won his salary arbitration case against the team on Thursday, according to a source. Rengifo will earn $2.3 million in 2023 instead of the $2 million that the Angels filed for. The Angels failed to upgrade at the shortstop position in the offseason, so Rengifo is expected to enter […]

Diamondbacks Win Arbitration Case Over Josh Rojas

The Arizona Diamondbacks won their salary arbitration case against infielder Josh Rojas on Thursday, according to a source. Rojas will earn $2.575 million in 2023 instead of the $2.9 million that he filed for. In his fourth MLB season with the D-backs in 2022, Rojas hit .269/.349/.391 with a .739 OPS, nine home runs, 56 […]