Lorenzo Cain Feeling Right Physically

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain (ankle, knee) said he's finally feeling right again physically after it took until December for his knee and ankle injuries to subside. Cain might receiver another injection for his thumb before the season as a precaution, but he should be healthy entering the 2020 season. The 33-year-old (34 in April) […]

Marlins Sign Matt Joyce

The Miami Marlins signed outfielder Matt Joyce to an undisclosed deal on Sunday. Joyce hit a respectable .295/.408/.450 with seven home runs and 23 RBI, but in just 200 at-bats for the Braves last season. The 35-year-old isn't a bad left-handed bat for the rebuilding Fish, but there's no guarantee that he'll receive meaningful at-bats […]

Ryan Braun Could Consider Retirement After 2020 Season

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/first baseman Ryan Braun, who is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, acknowledged that the 2020 season could be the final season of his career. The 36-year-old continues to be an injury risk for fantasy owners, but he has remained productive when on the field, slashing .285/.343/.505 with 22 home runs, […]

Jeff McNeil Recovered From Broken Wrist

New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil (wrist) said his wrist is fully recovered after breaking it late last season. McNeil thinks that he will still play multiple positions like he did last year, but he imagines that he will play more third base than anything else in 2020. The 27-year-old (28 in April) hit a […]

Early Mock Draft Analysis: MLB Mixed Leagues

Don't tell us it's not draft season yet! Truth be told, the RotoBaller crew was already planning a mock draft days after the World Series ended. As it turns out, we decided to wait until some free agent moves were made and settled for a slow draft that began shortly after the Winter Meetings. We […]

Top 250 Prospects for 2020 Dynasty Leagues

It’s hard to believe it’s that time again. Major League Baseball’s spring training is just weeks away now, which means it's also fantasy baseball season. This year at RotoBaller, we’re rolling out even more in-depth prospect coverage — starting with a ranking of the Top 250 prospects for dynasty leagues. That’s right. Not 100. Not […]

Ronald Acuna Will Stay In Leadoff Spot

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said he will not move outfielder Ronald Acuna out of the leadoff spot in 2020. Snitker had Acuna in the cleanup spot to start the 2019 season but moved him back to leadoff. The 22-year-old superstar will be an elite fantasy asset no matter where he's hitting, but he really […]

Cubs Agree With Steven Souza Jr.

The Chicago Cubs agreed to a one-year deal with outfielder Steven Souza Jr. on Saturday, according to a source. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Souza missed all of the 2019 season with a knee injury and played in just 72 games for the Diamondbacks in 2018 due to injury. However, he […]

Marcell Ozuna to Braves - Fantasy Impact

When Josh Donaldson signed with the Minnesota Twins, it appeared the Atlanta Braves would be left with a giant hole in their batting order. We don't need to worry any longer, as they have fixed that problem by signing outfielder Marcell Ozuna. The 29-year-old Ozuna turned down the St. Louis Cardinals' $17.8 million qualifying offer to […]

Houston Astros Cheating Scandal: Fantasy Baseball Impact

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2020 fantasy baseball season and keeps you updated with all the latest news and analysis Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - Monday through Friday from 6-7 am ET and from 1-2 pm ET. You can also find new weekly shows on BlogTalkRadio live […]

Steven Souza Jr. Close To Deal With Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are close to a deal with outfielder Steven Souza Jr., according to a source. Souza tore multiple ligaments in his knee and missed all of the 2019 season and only played in 72 games in 2018 with the Diamondbacks because of injury. He's said to be healthy right now, however, and his […]

Starling Marte Trade Talks Intensifying

Trade talks surrounding Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte are intensifying, according to sources. The Mets and Padres have both been interested, and there's a chance that a deal gets done before spring training. Marte wouldn't mind a trade to a contender. The 31-year-old can contribute across the board from fantasy owners and would benefit from […]

Padres Discussing Mookie Betts Trade

The San Diego Padres have discussed a trade centered around Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts, according to sources. The Padres have significant prospect talent that they could send to Boston in exchange for the All-Star outfielder, and Boston would also receive outfielder Wil Myers in such a swap. Betts has been mentioned as a […]

Mitch Haniger Has Setback, Will Have Surgery

Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger had a setback and will have core surgery. As a result, he will likely miss most of spring training and start the season late. The injury stems from a surgery to fix a ruptured testicle last season, and a hernia or a core injury were possibilities if Haniger pushed his […]

Reds Still In Play For Nicholas Castellanos

The Cincinnati Reds remain in play for outfielder Nicholas Castellanos. The Rangers, among other teams, are also interested in Castellanos as the top available bat on the free-agent market after the Braves inked Marcell Ozuna on Tuesday. The 27-year-old (28 in March) hit a very nice .289/.337/.525 with 27 home runs, 100 runs scored and […]

Blue Jays Interested In Brock Holt

The Toronto Blue Jays have shown interest in infielder Brock Holt, according to sources. The Reds have been involved with Holt as well. It's unlikely that Holt will return to the Red Sox after they signed Jose Peraza for their infield. The 31-year-old can play second base, outfield and third base, and he hit .297/.369/.402 […]

Yoenis Cespedes To Be Ready Offensively In Spring Training

New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said that outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (ankle, heels) will be ready from an offensive standpoint for spring training. Cespedes continues to build his progression while running and catching fly balls. The 34-year-old missed all of the 2019 season and is an extreme injury risk, but things are looking […]

Luis Rojas To Be New Mets Manager

The New York Mets are finalizing a deal with Luis Rojas on Wednesday to be the next manager. He'll replace Carlos Beltran, who the team parted ways with last week in the wake of Beltran's role in the Astros sign-stealing scandal. The 38-year-old was the team's quality control coach in 2019 and interviewed for the […]

Alex Gordon Back With the Royals in 2020

The Kansas City Royals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with outfielder Alex Gordon, worth $4 million. Gordon was a free agent but must not have received too many enticing offers this offseason despite a good-enough .266/.345/.396 line to go with Gold Glove defense in left field. He'll turn 36 next month and will […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Barrels

Last time, we looked at how exit velocity (or EV) is only one piece of the fantasy analysis puzzle. Baseball broadcasts will commonly cite Launch Angle (LA) to complement their EV figures, but it is given in terms of degrees. Am I evaluating a baseball player or trying to find the hypotenuse of an isosceles […]

Braves Agree With Marcell Ozuna

The Atlanta Braves and outfielder Marcell Ozuna agreed to a one-year, $18 million deal on Tuesday, according to sources familiar with the deal. Ozuna will hit in the middle of Atlanta's order and help replace the power production of third baseman Josh Donaldson, who signed with the Twins. Ozuna, 29, slashed .241/.328/.472 with 29 home […]

Braves In Running For Marcell Ozuna, Nicholas Castellanos

The Atlanta Braves are still searching for a middle-of-the-order bat to replace third baseman Josh Donaldson, and outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Nicholas Castellanos are seen as the most likely options. Ozuna and Castellanos are both by far the two best available bats on the free-agent market. Both offer solid power profiles at the corner outfield […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: BABIP for Hitters

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. Many know […]

Yoenis Cespedes Sprinting In Rehab

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (heels) tweeted out a video of an offseason workout in Florida which showed him sprinting, swinging in the cage and catching fly balls in the outfield. Cespedes hasn't played in a major league game since July 20 of 2018. He suffered multiple right ankle fractures in a freak accident […]

Harrison Bader Confident He'll Be Starting Center Fielder

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader is confident that he'll be the starting center fielder in 2020. "I'm the starting center fielder," the 25-year-old Bader said. "It's my position. I'm going to take it. There's no sense in talking about it. I'm looking forward to showing up Day 1, guns blazing and ready to go." […]

Eric Samulski's Prospects Live Bestball 50 Draft Breakdown

This offseason, Prospects Live announced a new draft format that they were hoping would bring together the dynasty crowd with more redraft-heavy players. The format was simple and also completely complicated. Each league would be a five-year Best Ball Dynasty featuring 30 teams where each owner would draft a roster of 50 players, and the […]

Will There Be Fantasy Fallout for the Astros?

The Houston Astros have landed in hot water this offseason after receiving sign-stealing allegations against them dating back to their World Series championship season of 2017. A long and thorough investigation by MLB has confirmed that the elaborate scheme to notify batters of specific pitches was indeed true, and the organization is now facing the […]

Is Mike Trout Still the #1 Pick in Fantasy?

Pierre Camus and Nicklaus Gaut debate whether Angels outfielder Mike Trout should still be the consensus number one pick in 2020 fantasy baseball drafts or if Ronald Acuna Jr. or Christian Yelich should be taken higher. Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Exit Velocity

If you've watched a baseball broadcast in the so-called 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. […]

2019 Season in Review: Danny Santana

One of the first articles I ever published with RotoBaller was a warning. Specifically, this column dissuaded fantasy owners from buying into Danny Santana's breakout 2014 season. (Yes, I've been doing this for a long time/am old.) That year, Santana had emerged from obscurity as a 23-year-old rookie to hit .319/.353/.472 with 70 runs scored […]