Estevan Florial Among Yankees First Spring Cuts

New York Yankees outfield prospect Estevan Florial was optioned to Triple-A Scranton//Wilkes-Barre among the team's first roster moves in camp on Friday. Right-hander Luis Gil was optioned to Double-A Somerset. Right-hander Luis Medina, infielder Oswald Peraza and right-hander Alexander Vizcaino were optioned to High-A Hudson Valley, while right-hander Yoendrys Gomez was sent to Low-A Tampa. […]

Jay Bruce Making A Case For Bench Spot

New York Yankees veteran first baseman/outfielder Jay Bruce said that he feels the healthiest he has in years while he competes with Mike Tauchman and others for a bench spot this spring as a non-roster invitee. Bruce was 1-for-2 with a walk in Grapefruit League action on Friday, and the three-time All-Star is hitting .400 […]

Mitch Haniger Scratched Due To Wet Field

Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger was a late scratch from Friday's Cactus League matchup against the Cincinnati Reds. Haniger was set to lead off and play right field. Luis Liberato replaced Haniger in the lineup. This is reportedly a result of the wet field in Arizona, not an injury, as the Mariners are being cautious […]

Jackie Bradley Jr. Set For Cactus League Debut Saturday

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is on track to serve as the leadoff hitter for Saturday's Cactus League matchup versus the Rangers. Bradley made his unofficial team debut Friday during an intrasquad contest, logging four plate appearances. After being a late signee, Milwaukee is attempting to ramp Bradley up in time to be ready […]

Yordan Alvarez Set For Spring Debut Sunday

Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (knee) has been pegged to serve as the DH in Sunday's Grapefruit League outing against Washington, marking his spring debut. Alvarez has worked his way back from double arthroscopic knee surgery, which limited him to just two games during the 2020 year. When healthy, his power is unquestioned. Currently […]

Starling Marte Continues To Thrive In Camp

Miami Marlins outfielder Starling Marte went 1-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the New York Mets. Marte is hitting a strong .412 with a 1.092 OPS so far this spring, with reporters saying he's hitting the ball well and running even better. This could […]

Victor Robles Walking, Stealing Bases In Early Spring

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles is having a nice spring so far with four walks, four steals in four tries and a .250/.429/.438 triple-slash line in 21 plate appearances. Those walks and on-base percentage are key, with the Nationals hoping Robles can be their leadoff hitter in 2021. Robles' career to date (.250/.320/.407) doesn't justify […]

Trent Grisham Set To Miss One Week With Hamstring Strain

San Diego Padres outfielder Trent Grisham (hamstring) has been determined to have a Grade 1 left hamstring strain stemming from Thursday's Cactus League contest. The team hopes that Grisham will need to miss only a week of action due to the ailment, which gives him some leeway as it pertains to being ready for Opening […]

Max Kepler Exits Thursday With Thigh Bruise

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (thigh) departed Thursday's Grapefruit League contest versus Boston after he fouled a ball off of his left thigh. Manager Rocco Baldelli indicated that the outfielder figured to have a sizable bruise on the spot, but that there was little long-term concern. Kepler has gotten off to a slow start this […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Batting Order

You may be wondering why there aren't any advanced stats aimed at predicting a player's counting stats like runs and RBI. The answer is simple: modern sabermetrics reject the idea of a "clutch RBI guy" and therefore do not bother inventing predictive metrics for it. Runs and RBI are team-dependent stats and are unhelpful in ascertaining […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/12) - Severino Beginning Build Up

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're officially through the first week of spring training games […]

Stolen Base Draft Sleepers

Which players can you target later in fantasy baseball drafts to help with stolen bases? Pierre Camus shares his favorite SB draft targets for 2021. Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as well! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller […]

Jeff McNeil Struggling This Spring

New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil went 0-for-3 in Grapefruit League action on Thursday against the Astros, dropping his batting average to .071 this spring. McNeil is now just 1-for-14 with three strikeouts, with his lone spring hit a solo home run. McNeil is coming off a solid 2020 campaign in which he posted a […]

Bryce Harper Not Interested In Analytics

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper gave reporters a good laugh in a recent interview. He was asked about advanced stats and analytics and he replied by saying, "I don't really like stats. Exit velocity, I don't care about that. I'm more of, exit hits...I don't understand any of that. I am a GED guy." Despite […]

Mookie Betts Not In "Season Shape" Yet

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts will rightfully be one of the first players off the board in all fantasy drafts this spring. However, according to his teammate Edwin Rios, Betts isn't quite in mid-season form just yet. In a recent interview, Rios had this to say in regard to Betts: "I called him out […]

Ryan Mountcastle Breaks Out Of Mini-Slump

Baltimore Orioles prospect Ryan Mountcastle went 1-for-3 with a double on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The hit broke a mini-slump that had seen the rookie go 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Mountcastle is hoping to make the opening day roster either in left field or at first base in place of injured veteran Chris Davis. […]

Bryce Harper Goes 0-For-3 Thursday

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper went 0-for-3 in Thursday's 6-1 loss to the New York Yankees. Harper has struggled so far in spring camp as he is now just 2-for-11 with one home run and two RBI across his first four games. Harper had a solid 2020 campaign in which he slashed .268/.420/.542 with 13 […]

Nick Markakis Announces Retirement

Outfielder Nick Markakis has announced his retirement from the MLB after 15 seasons. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Baltimore Orioles and the last six years with the Atlanta Braves. He finishes his career with a career batting average of .288 as well as 189 home runs and 1,046 RBI. […]

Alex Kirilloff Hits First Spring Homer

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff broke out of a slump with a 1-for-2 day that saw him clear the outfield fences in the second inning. The blast came against a very good pitcher in Eduardo Rodriguez of the Boston Red Sox. Kirilloff is just 3-for-16 with five strikeouts this spring as he chases a […]

2021 Outfielder Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

We now move on to the outfielder position in our mixed-league rankings analysis series. If you missed them, here is our review of Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base and Shortstop. RotoBaller's rankers, JB Branson, Pierre Camus, Nick Mariano, and Ariel Cohen have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings once more based on early spring training action. […]

Jake Fraley Records First Two Hits Of Spring

Seattle Mariners outfielder Jake Fraley had recorded zero hits in 15 spring at-bats entering Thursday, when he broke out with a double and a home run, both off reigning Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer. The three-run home run traveled 446 feet to right-center field. Fraley entered camp as the favorite to be the Opening Day […]

Jorge Mateo Leading The Competition For Last Bench Spot?

San Diego Padres outfielder Jorge Mateo might be in the slight lead over outfielders Jorge Ona and Brian O'Grady and catcher Luis Campusano in the battle for the last spot on the bench to open the season. Mateo is hitting the ball hard and reaching base. He has elite speed, but he's also struck out […]

Wil Myers Posting Gaudy Spring Numbers Again

San Diego Padres outfielder Wil Myers has posted some big Cactus League numbers in springs past, and he's doing it again in 2021. Myers went 2-for-2 with a walk on Thursday against Cleveland and hit his second home run in as many games. He's hitting .389 with a 1.310 OPS in spring training action. We […]

Trent Grisham Injures His Hamstring Thursday

San Diego Padres outfielder Trent Grisham (hamstring) left the Cactus League game against Cleveland on Thursday with "a slight strain in his hamstring," according to manager Jayce Tingler. Grisham will be re-evaluated on Friday to determine the extent of the injury. Tingler said Grisham has dealt with minor hamstring issues in the past and that […]

Juan Soto Still Battling Sinus Discomfort

Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto (illness) remained out of the spring lineup on Thursday due to sinus discomfort. Soto has tested negative for COVID-19, according to manager Dave Martinez. "He's been sick for a couple days," Martinez said. "I just want to make sure he's OK. … It was just me being cautious. It's still […]

Scott Kingery Shows Some Life This Spring

Philadelphia Phillies infielder/outfielder Scott Kingery, who entered Thursday's Grapefruit League game 2-for-14 following a three-strikeout performance on Tuesday, went 1-for-2 with a double on Thursday against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. "I think he needed it for his psyche," manager Joe Girardi said. Fantasy managers shouldn't glean a whole lot from spring slumps, but it's worth […]

Joe Girardi Likes What He Sees From Andrew McCutchen

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 2-for-2 with an RBI against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole on Thursday, while also helping the defense with an outfield assist in the third inning. "That's a really good day for Cutch," manager Joe Girardi said. "Cutch is moving so much better this year than he was last year, and […]

Avisail Garcia Off To Strong Start This Spring

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Avisail Garcia has been swinging a hot bat this spring. He's gone 8-for-17 with two home runs. Garcia entered camp this spring weighing 235 pounds, nearly 40 pounds less than his average weight. He believes the weight loss has helped both his speed and energy. With the Brewers' acquisition of Jackie Bradley […]

Cody Bellinger To Play The Field Next Week

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that outfielder Cody Bellinger (shoulder) will play center field in a major league spring training game next Tuesday. Bellinger had offseason surgery on his shoulder and has missed the first half of spring games so far. The Dodgers are mostly being cautious with the 25-year-old former MVP, though, […]

Anthony Alford Has Big Day On Offense And Defense On Thursday

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Anthony Alford hit his second home run of the spring on Thursday, as he finished 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, two RBI and two runs scored against the Orioles. Alford also turned heads with a diving catch in the third inning to rob Cedric Mullins of a base hit. He's slashing […]