David Bednar Looks Sharp Again Sunday Against Orioles

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar recorded his third straight scoreless appearance on Sunday afternoon, allowing one walk while striking out two in one inning of work. A two-out walk marked the first baserunner Bednar has allowed all spring, as he has now struck out seven over three innings of work. Bednar was one of […]

Richard Rodriguez Strikes Out Two in Spring Debut

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Richard Rodriguez made his spring debut on Sunday afternoon, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two in the Pirates' 13-1 victory. After surrendering a leadoff single followed by a wild pitch that advanced the runner to second, Rodriguez got back-to-back swinging strikeouts before a single to left drove […]

Duane Underwood Jr. Acquired by Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates picked up hurler Duane Underwood Jr. from the Chicago Cubs on Sunday in exchange for minor league first baseman Shendrik Apostel. The pitcher had recently been designated for assignment by the Cubs. A former second-round pick out of high school, Underwood Jr. never realized his full potential with the Cubs and spent […]

Third Base Preview: Fantasy Baseball 2021 ADP Analysis

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller discusses 2021 fantasy baseball third base rankings and 3B draft sleepers who can be sneaky later-round picks. He breaks down and compares the ADPs of five different MLB players at the third base position. Fantasy players should consider picking up these players for their drafts this MLB Season. Be sure to […]

2021 Relief Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

We continue to move past the chaos of 2020 and onto a new baseball season full of promise. For fantasy baseball managers, draft season is already upon us. RotoBaller's rankers, Pierre Camus, Big Pick Nick Mariano, Ariel Cohen and I have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings as we now move on to evaluate the […]

Carson Fulmer Looks Sharp, Earns Win Saturday

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Carson Fulmer allowed only one hit over two scoreless innings while striking out three on Saturday to earn the win over the Yankees. After surrendering two runs in one inning during his first spring appearance, Fulmer has now allowed only one baserunner and no runs while striking out four in his last […]

Daniel Bard Works Scoreless Inning On Friday

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless inning on Friday vs. the Milwaukee Brewers. He had one strikeout and one walk over his inning of work. Bard won the NL Comeback Player of the year award in 2020 after returning to the majors after a seven-year absence. He finished the season with a […]

Jose Alvarez Joins Giants Bullpen Mix

Left-handed reliever Jose Alvarez and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2022 campaign. Alvarez has combined to produce a 3.32 ERA over the past six seasons, which he has spent with the Angels and Phillies. Utilized primarily as a left-handed specialist, he has held same-side […]

Jose De Leon Strikes Out Four

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Jose De Leon allowed two runs over three innings in a 5-3 Cactus League loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. De Leon struck out four and walked one in the outing, his second of the spring. The former top prospect for the Los Angeles Dodgers impressively forced seven swinging strikes in […]

Randy Dobnak Looks Good In Spring Debut

Minnesota Twins pitcher Randy Dobnak looked impressive in his spring debut on Friday against the Braves. Dobnak tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out two batters. The 26-year-old pitched to a 4.05 ERA in 46 2/3 innings of work during the shortened 2020 season, posting a 62.1 percent groundball rate, which […]

Stefan Crichton Strikes Out Two in Scoreless Inning of Work

Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Stefan Crichton made his spring debut on Friday night, tossing a scoreless seventh inning in which he allowed two hits and one walk while striking out two. A two-out infield single loaded the bases for the Reds, but Crichton was able to get a fly out to retire the side and strand […]

Roenis Elias Throws Scoreless Frame

Seattle Mariners reliever Roenis Elias made his first game appearance of spring training, allowing one hit and striking out two White Sox. Elias is in his third stint with Seattle, now a full-time reliever after making 53 starts for the Mariners since 2014. Elias has never been known to post big strikeout numbers, so he […]

Spencer Howard Impressive In Spring Debut

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Spencer Howard fired a clean inning with two strikeouts in his Grapefruit League debut versus the Pirates. Especially encouraging for the Phillies' top pitching prospect was his four-seam fastball which averaged 96 MPH on Friday after sitting at 94 MPH for most of last season. Howard is competing for a spot […]

Liam Hendriks Looking To Bring Intensity To Chicago

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks hasn't appeared in a Cactus League game yet, but his presence has been felt in camp thanks to his intense demeanor on the mound. The Aussie closer signed a $54 million contract to come to Chicago and help give the team a "killer instinct" after Chicago limped to […]

Hansel Robles Showing Improved Velocity On Fastball

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Hansel Robles had a bit of a rough day in Thursday's loss to the Rays. Robles was saddled with the loss, as he pitched one inning, allowing four hits and three runs, two of them earned. However, the 30-year-old reliever showed some improved velocity on his four-seam fastball, touching 96 on […]

Greg Holland Set To Remain Royals Closer In 2021

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Greg Holland had a fantastic season in 2020. He converted all six of his save opportunities and also went 3-0 while posting a 1.91 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. He averaged 9.8 K/9. This year, Holland is in position to close out games for the Royals once again. Last year was […]

Gregory Soto Strikes Out Side On Thursday

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Gregory Soto had a disappointing spring debut on Monday, giving up a walk and two hits, including a Gary Sanchez home run, and lasting just 2/3 of an inning. He came back strong in his second appearance on Thursday. Facing the Toronto Blue Jays, Soto pitched a perfect fifth inning, striking […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/5) - Buehler Building Up For Big Season

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We've finally made it to (real?) baseball games. […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/4) - Realmuto Nearing Return

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We've finally made it to (real?) baseball games. […]

David Bednar Strikes Out The Side Thursday

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar struck out the side in 15 pitches on Thursday afternoon in a 6-1 victory over the Braves. Bednar earned a hold with his fifth-inning performance in which he struck out Ender Inciarte and Ryan Goins looking before getting a swinging strikeout against Austin Riley. One of the prospects acquired […]

Angels Being Flexible With Jaime Barria

Los Angeles Angels right-hander Jaime Barria threw a simulated game on Wednesday instead of seeing action in a Cactus League game. The Angels are waiting to see if Barria will be given an extra year of minor league options because of the shortened season in 2020. If he is out of options, he'll make the […]

Heath Fillmyer Added On Minor League Deal

The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent right-hander Heath Fillmyer on Wednesday, according to sources. The 26-year-old last pitched for the Kansas City Royals in 2019 and will give the Snakes some pitching depth as they enter the 2021 regular season. Fillmyer allowed 20 earned runs in 22 1/3 innings over […]

Aaron Boone Taking A Leave Of Absence

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is taking a medical leave of absence from the team to receive a pacemaker in his heart. The Yankees are optimistic that Boone can return to the team within the next few days so his absence shouldn't have much of an impact on the team's lineups during the regular […]

Alex Colome Roughed Up In Grapefruit League Debut

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Alex Colome was roughed up in his spring debut with his new team. Colome pitched one inning, surrendering five hits and four runs- including one home run- while fanning one batter. The veteran reliever threw mostly fastballs and cutters, though he allowed a ton of loud contact- five balls traveled at […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: FIP/xFIP

The first advanced pitching stat most fantasy owners encounter is FIP. FIP stands for Fielding Independent Pitching, and attempts to measure a pitcher's actual skill instead of the effects of luck or his supporting cast. According to the DIPS theory, pitchers control only Ks, BBs, and home runs allowed. Therefore, Ks, walks, and dingers are […]

Jose Alvarez Closing In On Deal With Giants

Free-agent left-handed reliever Jose Alvarez is closing in on a deal with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night. Alvarez, who will turn 32 years old in May, debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 2013 and has also pitched for the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. Alvarez has a subpar career strikeout percentage of […]

Triple-A Season Delayed At Least A Month

Major League Baseball will bring back alternate training sites similar to those used in 2020, a long-awaited move that will delay the start of the Triple-A minor league season by at least a month. Games will be pushed back to around the same time as Double-A and Single-A are expected to start in the first […]

Roster Construction Strategies from the End

Drafting a great roster is the vital base for a successful fantasy baseball season. All draft spots are not created equal. There are pros and cons for all of them. You'll find that everyone has their own preference on the best spot to start the draft. The purpose of this article series is to get […]

Shortstop Preview: Fantasy Baseball 2021 ADP Analysis

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller discusses 2021 fantasy baseball shortstop rankings and SS draft sleepers who can be sneaky later-round picks. He breaks down and compares the ADPs of four different MLB players at the shortstop position. Fantasy players should consider picking up these players for their drafts this MLB Season. Be sure to also tune […]

Second Base Preview: Fantasy Baseball 2021 ADP Analysis

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller discusses 2021 fantasy baseball second base rankings and 2B draft sleepers who can be sneaky later-round picks. He breaks down and compares the ADPs of three different MLB players at the second base position. Fantasy players should consider picking up these players for their drafts this MLB Season. Be sure to […]