Updated Points League Rankings Risers and Fallers (July)

Is it feasible to do a weekly H2H league in 2020? Sure. Is it a great idea? Not really. With just under 10 weeks of actual baseball, the whole "sprint" metaphor will become real in a hurry. Total points leagues aren't as popular but make a lot more sense over the course of a 60-game season. […]

Kwang-Hyun Kim Earns An Exhibition Game Save

St. Louis Cardinals closer Kwang-Hyun Kim earned a save in Wednesday's exhibition win over the Kansas City Royals. Kim threw just 15 pitches and struck out the side in his first appearance since surprisingly being named closer. Giovanny Gallegos was expected to close until Jordan Hicks was ready, but then Gallegos was late to Summer […]

Robert Gsellman Likely Headed To The Injured List

New York Mets relief pitcher Robert Gsellman (triceps) is likely headed to the injured list to begin the season due to his right triceps issue. The expectation is that the IL stint will be backdated and Gsellman should be back with the team roughly a week into the season. In 2019, Gsellman produced a 4.66 […]

Aroldis Chapman Still Testing Positive For Coronavirus

New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman is still testing positive for coronavirus as of Wednesday. Chapman is now mostly symptom-free according to manager Aaron Boone, but Chapman is ineligible to rejoin the team until he tests negative twice over a 24-hour period. Given that Chapman will likely need time to get back into game […]

Cubs Name Alec Mills The Fifth Starter

The Chicago Cubs have named starting pitcher Alec Mills their fifth starter to open the season. Mills had a 2.75 ERA over nine appearances (four starts) for the Cubs in 2019. He also struck out 42 batters over 36 innings. With Jose Quintana (thumb) not expected to miss much time, Mills place in the rotation […]

Cardinals Release Brett Cecil

The St. Louis Cardinals released relief pitcher Brett Cecil on Wednesday. Cecil was on the final year of a $30.5 million deal, and was reportedly working on a new sidearm delivery in Summer Camp. Apparently, the new delivery did not impress the Cardinals enough, and now Cecil is a free agent. He could catch on […]

Ryan Pressly Will Be Closer Out Of The Gate

Houston Astros reliever Ryan Pressly will serve as the closer when the Astros open their 60-game season on Friday. Manager Dusty Baker insists that incumbent closer Roberto Osuna is heathy but just isn't ramped up and ready for game action. Enter Pressly, who has been dealing with a blister on his pitching hand but will […]

Adam Conley Has A Rough Day On Tuesday

Miami Marlins relief pitcher Adam Conley had an awful outing in Tuesday's exhibition game against the Atlanta Braves. Conley ended up getting just one out, but allowed four runs on three hits and two walks. He also allowed both runners he inherited to score, leading to an eight-run inning. Conley has shown promising signs in […]

Kodi Whitley Makes The Opening Day Roster

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kodi Whitley has made the Opening Day roster, according to beat writer Derrick Goold. Whitley was drafted in the 27th round of the 2017 draft and has put up excellent numbers in his minor league career. In 156 2/3 minor league innings, Whitley has posted a 2.01 ERA while consistently striking […]

Freddy Peralta Confirmed As Sunday Starter

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta has been confirmed as the Sunday starter, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. Manager Craig Counsell said that Peralta will start the Brewers third game of the season Sunday against the Cubs. Counsell told the media to not ''get stuck'' on traditional starting roles, so Peralta won't necessarily be guaranteed turns […]

Colin Poche Has Torn UCL

Tampa Bay Rays left-handed reliever Colin Poche (elbow) was put on the 45-day injured list on Tuesday with a torn left ulnar collateral ligament, and he'll miss the 2020 season. Tommy John surgery has been recommended, putting his 2021 season in jeopardy as well. Poche had a 4.08 FIP and struck out 72 hitters in […]

James Karinchak (RP, CLE) - Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: It is truly a relief to once again be talking about players warranting a waiver wire selection, and in the spirit of the scale of this relief, let's kick off the 2020 MLB season by discussing one of the most promising young relievers in […]

Closer Conundrum: What Does Managing Like It's The Playoffs Mean?

"In a 60-game season, managers will approach every game like it's the playoffs." We've heard that refrain over and over again as we prepare for the 2020 fantasy baseball season. In fact, I think I've written that sentence, or something similar, close to ten times already. But that statement brings up a natural follow-up question: How […]

Fantasy Baseball: Category Deflation - Pitchers

Calling all roto players! As you all prepare for the shortened season, I'm sure you are wondering how your strategies may change and how to approach certain categories, particularly for pitching staffs. Well, I have been thinking about the same things as you and will lay out some of my thoughts on how you can […]

Dodgers Sign Jake McGee

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed relief pitcher Jake McGee on Tuesday. He'll provide left-handed bullpen depth for the Dodgers after he was released last week by the Rockies, who must pay the bulk of his pro-rated $9 million salary in 2020. The 33-year-old southpaw had a tough time pitching in the thin air of Colorado […]

Cody Reed Makes 30-Man Roster

Cincinnati Reds left-hander Cody Reed made the Opening Day roster as the team gets ready to start their regular season. Reed will open the year pitching out of the bullpen. The southpaw was once regarded as one of the more promising arms in the Cincy pipeline but he's seen his star fade over the past […]

Kwang-Hyun Kim Could Start The Season As Closer

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kwang-Hyun Kim will start the season in the bullpen and will likely be the primary closer, according to manager Mike Schildt. Carlos Martinez earned a rotation spot, pushing Kim into the bullpen. Giovanny Gallegos and Ryan Helsley will throw significant innings and will have a chance to close if Kim struggles, […]

Kyle Crick (RP, PIT) - Week 1 Waiver Wire Pick-Ups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: With the Pirates putting Keone Kela on the injured list, the team is in the market for a new closer to start the season, and Kyle Crick may just be the right guy. The 27-year-old had an ugly season last year, impacted by […]

Roto Category Inflations for Pitchers in 2020

Limited sample sizes are scary territory for pitching results and analysis. In this year’s upcoming 60-game season, starting pitchers are going to be maxing out with around 12 starts, meaning that just one or two blowup games could cause a pitcher’s season-long numbers to look quite ugly. So how do fantasy managers adjust? The key […]

Ryan Helsley (RP, STL) - Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: When asked about the Cardinals' closer role earlier in July, general manager John Mozeliak's first response was relief pitcher Ryan Helsley. Although Mozeliak also mentioned Giovanny Gallegos, he was placed on the injured list on July 18 for undisclosed reasons, despite the fact […]

Updated Top 50 MLB Prospects for Redraft Leagues

After a long wait, the 2020 MLB season is almost here. But it’s also going to be a season unlike any season we’ve ever seen. This year is going to feel more like a sprint rather than a six-month marathon. If you’re a fan of prospects — or simply looking for a competitive edge in […]

Collin McHugh Opts Out of 2020 Season

Boston Red Sox pitcher Collin McHugh (elbow) has opted out of playing this season, manager Ron Roenicke announced Sunday. McHugh, who underwent a Tenex procedure to treat a flexor strain in his elbow in the offseason, was expected to begin the season on the injured list while working his way back during the recovery process. […]

Updated Relief Pitcher Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues (July)

With Opening Day of the 2020 MLB season just a few weeks away, we have a new batch of updated fantasy baseball rankings for you here at RotoBaller. The unpredictable effects of COVID-19 and the implementation of the 60-game season will make the upcoming fantasy campaign the most unique we have ever seen. Not only […]

Nick Mariano's Waiver Picks - Get 'Em While They're Hot (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Baseball's Opening Day is finally on the menu, set for July 23 after a wild 2020 has seen us all battered around. I truly hope you and yours are all doing well, I hope baseball works out, that your fantasy baseball leagues have adjusted […]

Fantasy Baseball Strategies for a 60-Game Season

Host Michael Florio of RotoBaller Radio discusses the 2020 fantasy baseball season. In this episode, he brings you his approach in a 60 game fantasy baseball season. 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 […]

Robert Gsellman Questionable For Opening Day

New York Mets relief pitcher Robert Gsellman is dealing with some right triceps tightness. Manager Luis Rojas stated that Gsellman is "in a progression" right now. Rojas would not commit to having Gsellman in the Opening Day bullpen. In 2019, Gsellman produced a 4.66 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and struck out 60 in 63 2/3 IP. […]

MLB Injury Guide - Week of July 19th

Injuries are commonplace in all sports. Baseball has seen the rate of injury continue to rise over the past few years. In fantasy, if someone is not in the medical field, it is hard to gauge how long a player will be out and whether they need to be replaced in a lineup. Sometimes this […]

Relief Pitchers to Target in 2020 Drafts

The pitching landscape in 2020 is going to be an odd one, as most teams' starting pitchers are not going to be fully built up in time for the season to start. Some teams have even already announced that their starters may not go more than four innings to start the year, and openers could […]

Dellin Betances Looks Solid In Exhibition

New York Mets relief pitcher Dellin Betances (shoulder, Achilles) looked solid in the Mets exhibition against the Yankees on Saturday. Betances delivered a scoreless inning of work, allowing just one hit. Betances was consistently throwing 92-93 mph, topping out at 95 mph. While the velocity still needs improvement, Betances indicated that he is 100% and […]

Closers and Saves Report: Summer Camp Edition 2 - Handcuffs

It's a whole new ball game. Literally. Baseball is going to be weird this season, folks. Only 60 games. (Almost?) all in the same time zone. Tons of games against the same teams. The DH everywhere. Empty stadiums. Cardboard cutouts. Artificial crowd noise. 30-man rosters for a while. Then 28-man rosters for another while. It's […]