Valuing Injured Fantasy Baseball Players Returning in 2023

The 2022 season had its fair share of devastating injuries. Especially those who make a significant impact on the field. If we were to compose a list of every notable injury, things would get ugly. Now that we've mentioned injuries, which is quite a broad term, here are the most valuable players returning in 2023.... Read More

5 Mispriced Hitters for Deeper Fantasy Baseball Leagues

It's January! We are barreling towards the draft season, and for some of the more ornery folk, the draft season has already begun. Typically, at this time of year, most of the drafts being completed are on The NFBC. A lot of these drafts are deep leagues, 50-round drafts with no trading or free agents.... Read More

Plate Discipline: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

No matter how high a particular player's BABIP may be, his average will be mediocre at best if he strikes out too much. This is why fantasy managers have known for years that players like Mike Zunino are potential drains on a fantasy team's batting average. Furthermore, players who whiff a lot tend to continue... Read More

Tigers, Cesar Hernandez Agree To Minor-League Deal

Per a tweet from The New York Post's Jon Heyman on Wednesday, veteran infielder Cesar Hernandez has reportedly agreed to a minor-league deal with the Detroit Tigers. Heyman tweeted the following on Wednesday: "Cesar Hernandez agrees to minors deal with Tigers. Invited to MLB camp." Hernandez hit .248 in 617 plate appearances for the Washington... Read More

Luis Arraez and Pablo Lopez: Buying and Selling the Latest Offseason News for Fantasy Baseball

Even though the Winter Meetings are now behind us, there’s still plenty of offseason left when it comes to baseball news and rumors – especially with a number of the offseason’s top free agents still without a team. And that’s all without mentioning potential trades as there hasn’t been an overabundance of deals made so... Read More

Batted Ball Distribution: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Fly balls can turn into home runs. Ground balls never do. It would seem as though fantasy baseball 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... Read More

Eloy Jimenez Wants Larger Outfield Role In 2023

Chicago White Sox outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jimenez said on a Monday Zoom call that he does not want to serve as the team's primary DH in 2023. Jimenez did serve that role in 2022, as he was recovering from surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon behind his right knee. The good news is that... Read More

Yankees Will Likely Start Aaron Hicks In Left Field

MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reported Monday that New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks will likely be the team's starting left fielder for the 2023 season. General manager Brian Cashman said of Hicks, "I suspect he will be the guy that emerges, because he's still really talented and everything's there." The 33-year-old has spent much of his... Read More

Twins Acquire Michael Taylor From Royals

The Minnesota Twins acquired center fielder Michael Taylor from the Kansas City Royals on Monday, according to sources. It's unknown what the Royals received in return for Taylor. The 31-year-old veteran spent the last two years with the Royals, slashing .249/.304/.357 with a .661 OPS, 21 home runs, 97 RBI, 107 runs scored and 18... Read More

Oscar Colas Will Be Given Shot In Right Field

Chicago White Sox outfield prospect Oscar Colas will have every opportunity to win the starting right field job in 2023 in spring training, according to manager Pedro Grifol. The 24-year-old is the second-ranked prospect in the team's farm system, and he hit .314 with 23 home runs, 79 RBI and an .895 OPS in 117... Read More

HR/FB: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

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. Most fantasy managers find the long ball sexier, though. Every HR comes with a guaranteed run scored and at least one RBI.... Read More

Hitter BABIP: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

The most accessible of the fantasy-relevant advanced stats is BABIP, or Batting Average on Balls In Play. It simply measures a player's batting average on balls in play, with outcomes such as strikeouts and home runs removed from consideration. In general, the league average hovers around .300, a nice round number to remember. However, it... Read More

Astros Unsure If Michael Brantley Will Be Ready

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said that he isn't sure if outfielder Michael Brantley (shoulder) is hitting yet or if he'll be ready for Opening Day. Baker said he plans on treating Brantley like NBA star Kawhi Leonard, welcoming him back when he is ready so he can "carry" the team. Brantley missed the final... Read More

Rogers Centre Moving The Fences In

The Toronto Blue Jays are making their already hitter-friendly stadium (Rogers Centre) even more hitter-friendly going forward. Per sources, the right center field alley is moving in from 375 feet to 357 feet. The left center alley will move in from 375 feet to 366 feet, while center field will move in from 400 feet... Read More

The Toughest Players to Rank for 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Part 2

Welcome to part two of my mini-series on the toughest players to rank. I have been in the numbers for months now, and there are plenty of players I really don't know what to think about for next year. These post series help me get a little bit of clarity on how to view them,... Read More

Enrique Hernandez Could Be Starting Shortstop

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has sounded poised to make outfielder Enrique Hernandez the starting shortstop to begin the 2023 season with Trevor Story (elbow) injured. At the very minimum, Hernandez will enter this season as a starting middle infielder for Boston after spending most of last season in center field. But the 31-year-old... Read More

Mike Trout Says His Back Is A "Non-Issue"

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (back) said his back has been a "non-issue" for the last four months and it hasn't factored into his offseason much at all. That's excellent news for the Angels and fantasy managers as we approach the start of spring training. The 31-year-old played in only 119 games last season... Read More

Pirates Designate Miguel Andujar For Assignment

The Pittsburgh Pirates designated infielder Miguel Andujar for assignment on Friday to make room on the 40-man roster for the recently signed Andrew McCutchen. The former New York Yankee, Andujar appeared in only 36 games in 2022 (27 with the Yankees) and slashed .235/.257/.311 with a .568 OPS, one home runs, 17 RBI, 13 runs... Read More

Jazz Chisholm Jr. Moving To Center Field

The Miami Marlins will move second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to center field this year, according to general manager Kim Ng. Chisholm has played exclusively as a second baseman and shortstop during his major-league career, but All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez will now take over after being acquired from the Minnesota Twins on Friday, with... Read More

Yankees Have Discussed Jurickson Profar

The New York Yankees have discussed signing free-agent infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar, but the Yankees are also adamant about staying under the "Steve Cohen tax" threshold of $293 million. They are currently at around $290 million. In addition to Profar, the Yankees have also checked in on Josh Harrison. The 29-year-old Profar reached free agency after... Read More

2022 Fantasy Baseball Year-In-Review: Mookie Betts

Mookie Betts put forth a habitual Betts-type season in 2022, delivering exceptional results across the board as one of the top cross-category producers baseball had to offer. Betts rebounded from a 2021 season that saw him fall below expectations -- partially due to injury -- with a career-high 35 home runs while finishing in a... Read More

Trey Mancini and Brian Anderson: Buying and Selling the Latest Offseason News for Fantasy Baseball

Even though the Winter Meetings are now behind us, there’s still plenty of offseason left when it comes to baseball news and rumors – especially with a number of the offseason’s top free agents still without a team. And that’s all without mentioning potential trades as there hasn’t been an overabundance of deals made so... Read More

Pedro Leon Out 6-8 Weeks After Hernia Surgery

Houston Astros prospect Pedro Leon (hernia), the team's No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, had sports-hernia surgery on Tuesday and will not be in attendance at major-league spring training. He is expected to be out for roughly six to eight weeks. It's a tough break for the 24-year-old heading into the 2023 campaign, ensuring that... Read More

Bryce Harper To Start Swinging Around End Of March

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski said that outfielder Bryce Harper's (elbow) rehab has been going well and that Harper should start swinging a bat around the end of March. Dombrowski also said that Harper should be back in the lineup right around the All-Star game, which fits with the original timeline that the Phillies... Read More

Raimel Tapia Signs Minor-League Deal With Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox signed free-agent outfielder Raimel Tapia to a minor-league deal on Thursday. The 28-year-old will be invited to major-league spring training. In 128 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022, Tapia slashed .265/.292/.380 with a .672 OPS, seven home runs, 52 RBI, 47 runs scored and eight stolen bases in 433... Read More

Alex Kirilloff Taking Swings

Minnesota Twins first baseman/outfielder Alex Kirilloff (wrist) has been taking full swings while working out this offseason and is expected to be ready to go for the start of spring training after needing season-ending surgery in 2022 to fix a ligament tear in his right wrist. The 25-year-old former first-round pick has only been able... Read More

Enrique Hernandez Moving To Middle-Infield Role

Boston Red Sox infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez has started in center field for the team for the last two seasons, but he will be moving to a middle infield spot to begin the 2023 season with Xander Bogaerts now in San Diego and Trevor Story (elbow) injured. Boston signed outfielder Adam Duvall on Wednesday, and he... Read More

Kevin Pillar Agrees To Minor-League Deal With Braves

The Atlanta Braves agreed to a minor-league deal with veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar on Wednesday, according to a source. Pillar will earn $3 million if he makes the big-league roster. The deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Pillar only played four games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season and eventually had left... Read More

Mets Agree To Terms With Tommy Pham

The New York Mets have reportedly agreed to terms with free-agent outfielder Tommy Pham on a one-year deal worth $6 million, per a tweet from the New York Post's Jon Heyman on Wednesday morning. Pham split the 2022 season with the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox, hitting a cumulative .236 with a .312 on-base... Read More

Adam Duvall In Agreement With Red Sox

Per a tweet from the Miami Herald's Craig Mish on Wednesday, free-agent outfielder Adam Duvall is reportedly in agreement with the Boston Red Sox on a one-year deal worth $7 million. Performance bonuses could get the deal up to $10 million. Duvall hit .213 with a .276 on-base percentage in 315 plate appearances for Atlanta... Read More