2024 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Rankings, Tiers, Analysis - Roto League Drafts

MLB shortstops, often considered the defensive captains of the infield, play a crucial role in baseball's dynamics. Renowned for their exceptional fielding skills and quick reflexes, shortstops prevent hits and turn crucial double plays. These players are typically versatile athletes who showcase a combination of speed, agility, and arm strength. Offensively, many modern shortstops are […]

Yankees Claim Diego Castillo Off Waivers, DFA Jeter Downs

The New York Yankees claimed infielder/outfielder Diego Castillo off waivers from the New York Mets on Friday and designated infielder Jeter Downs for assignment in a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster. Castillo has been passed around from the Arizona Diamondbacks, to the Mets, and now the Yankees in a matter of […]

Fantasy Baseball Top 100 Prospects for 2024 First-Year Player Drafts (January 2024 Update)

A number of the top international players that are being posted this offseason have signed, with a few more yet to come. Rankings for players have adjusted, some due to their destination, and a few MLB draft prospects are moving due to some additional viewing of tape and underlying metrics on those players. Otherwise, there […]

Is Oneil Cruz Healthy Or Injured? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

Other than some flashes of the power stroke and some fine defensive play, Oneil Cruz's start to his MLB career was somewhat unremarkable. Through August 2022, his stat line was .202-11-35-26-6 with a wOBA of .286 and wRC+ of 81 in 230 PA. It wasn't until late 2022 that he started to display his full […]

Plate Discipline: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 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 Joey Gallo are potential drains on a fantasy team's batting average. Furthermore, players who whiff a lot tend to continue […]

Marcelo Mayer Healthy Heading Into Spring Training

Boston Red Sox shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer (shoulder), who is listed as the No. 11 overall prospect heading into the 2024 season, is fully healthy and expected to be a full-go for spring training after injuring his left shoulder in May of last year. The 21-year-old said he's been hitting off a tee and will […]

Vinesh Kanthan Announced As Marlins' Director Of Baseball Operations

The Miami Marlins officially announced Vinesh Kanthan as the team's director of baseball operations Tuesday. Kanthan spent the past five seasons with the Texas Rangers, most recently as assistant director of baseball operations for the reigning World Series champions. He also held roles in sports science and analytics during his tenure. Kanthan was previously in […]

Taylor Walls "Unlikely" To Be Ready For Opening Day

Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said it's "unlikely" shortstop Taylor Walls (hip) will be ready for Opening Day after having right-hip surgery this offseason. The Rays don't know what will happen with Wander Franco, who remains under investigation in the Dominican Republic. Jose Caballero, who was acquired in a trade with […]

Dusty Baker To Join Giants As Special Assistant

Former Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker is expected to join the San Francisco Giants as a special assistant to the front office, per MLB.com's Maria Guardado. The 74-year-old, who managed the Giants from 1993 through 2002, also served as a special adviser to CEO Larry Baer from 2018-19. His storied playing and managing career will […]

Mariners Sign Shortstop Prospect Dawel Joseph

The Seattle Mariners reportedly have signed one of the top shortstops in this year's international class, Dawel Joseph, to a $3 million signing bonus, according to MLB Pipeline. Joseph stands at 6-foot-2 and has a smooth swing and plus speed while also offering defensive upside at a premium position. The M's are also reportedly signing […]

A's Spreading Out Their International Money

The Oakland Athletics are spreading around their international bonus-pool money this year, bringing in a deep class that includes four prospects on Baseball America's top-100 international prospect list -- shortstop Edgar Montero, outfielder Jose Ramos, right-hander Erick Matos and outfielder Sebastian Rojas. The A's have seen the switch-hitting Dominican Montero blossom from a skinny kid […]

Twins Sign Shortstop Daiber De Los Santos

The Minnesota Twins' most notable first-day international signings on Monday are shortstop Daiber De Los Santos and outfielder Eduardo Beltre, both from the Dominican Republic. De Los Santos ranked eighth on MLB Pipeline's top-50 international prospect list, while Beltre ranked 39th. "Tooled-out shortstop. Deluxe body/frame and plenty of athleticism. Real shortstop, plus run, plus-plus arm. […]

Mets Sign International Catcher Yovanny Rodriguez

The New York Mets agreed to terms with catcher Yovanny Rodriguez, shortstop Jensy Rivas and outfielder Edward Lantigua on Monday to kick off the 2024 international signing period. According to MLB Pipeline, Rodriguez is the No. 6 overall international prospect, with Rivas ranking 31st and Lantigua at No. 41. Rodriguez is expected to sign for […]

Reds Ink Outfielder Adolfo Sanchez

The Cincinnati Reds agreed to terms with outfielder Adolfo Sanchez (MLB.com's No. 5 international prospect) and shortstop Naibel Mariano (No. 42) to open the 2024 international signing period on Monday, according to an industry source. Sanchez's deal is for $2.7 million, while Mariano will receive $1.65 million. Sanchez is one of the best overall hitters […]

Cubs Give Fernando Cruz $4 Million

The Chicago Cubs have signed international shortstop prospect Fernando Cruz to a $4 million signing bonus on Monday. It's one of the top signing bonuses in this year's international class, even though the 17-year-old hasn't stood out quite as much as the other shortstop prospects in his class. Cruz has a very strong glove up […]

Dodgers Bringing In Dominican Shortstop Emil Morales

The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly agreed to a contract with Dominican shortstop Emil Morales, who will be the headliner of their international class this year. Morales has a 6-foot-3 frame that has him rated highly among public evaluators. The Dodgers were in the lower third of the sport in terms of international signing-bonus allotments […]

Braves To Sign Jose Perdomo

The Atlanta Braves are expected to announce the signing of 17-year-old Venezuelan shortstop Jose Perdomo to a $5 million signing bonus, which is a team-record bonus and is expected to be the largest bonus given to a prospect during the international signing period that began on Monday. Perdomo has highly-rated bat-to-ball skills and a short […]

Padres Sign International Shortstop Leodalis De Vries

A year after signing catcher Ethan Salas for $5.6 million, the San Diego Padres signed switch-hitting shortstop Leodalis De Vries, another player widely considered the top prospect in his international class. De Vries has good speed and the upside to hit 20-plus home runs. He received a $4.2 million signing bonus and has modeled parts […]

Tommy Edman Could Be Delayed Heading Into Camp

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Tommy Edman (wrist) said that he might be slightly delayed on the hitting side heading into spring training. He's going through a progression and expects to be ready for Opening Day, but he hasn't had any bat-to-ball contact this winter other than wiffle balls in his rehab. Edman had arthroscopic […]

Hitter Batted Ball Distribution: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

Fly balls can turn into home runs. Ground balls never do. It would seem as though fantasy baseball managers 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. The league average batted ball distribution in […]

Enrique Hernandez Is Gaining Interest From The Angels

Free-agent utility man Enrique Hernandez is drawing interest from the Los Angeles Angels, according to Ken Rosenthal. The veteran infielder had surgery to repair a double hernia back in October, so the market has been slow to show interest in him. He would fit in nicely with the Angels' lineup, as he can play all […]

Matt Shaw Taking Reps At Third Base

Chicago Cubs shortstop Matt Shaw has been taking reps at third base, he told reporters. Shaw was the 13th overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft and was primarily a middle infielder in college at The University of Maryland. Shaw said he's taken "probably 99%" of his reps at third base and added that "you […]

Braves Agree To Multi-Year Extension With Alex Anthopoulos

The Atlanta Braves agreed to a multi-year contract extension with president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos on Friday that will keep him with the team through the 2031 season. Anthopoulos was promoted to his current role in February of 2020 after joining the Braves as an executive vice president and GM in […]

Billy McKinney Staying With Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed free-agent outfielder Billy McKinney, infielder Sergio Alcantara, outfielder Gilberto Celestino, right-hander Ben Heller, infielder/outfielder Jake Lamb, left-hander Michael Plassmeyer, right-hander Ryder Ryan and right-hander Hunter Stratton to minor-league deals with invites to spring training on Thursday. McKinney was traded to the Pirates from the New York Yankees in December and will […]

HR/FB: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 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. […]

Matt McLain Fully Healthy Heading Into 2024 Season

A right-oblique strain ended Cincinnati Reds middle infielder Matt McLain's impressive rookie season early. Had he not missed the final month of the season, he might have finished higher than fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. The 24-year-old slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI in only 89 games […]

Can Teoscar Hernandez Return to All-Star Form in L.A.? Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Once you've spent over a billion dollars, what's another 23.5 million dollars more? After Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed enormous long-term contracts with the Dodgers earlier this offseason, veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernandez signed on with the team this past Sunday on a 1-year $23.5 million deal. The 31-year-old was an All-Star in 2021 and […]

Marlins Hiring Rachel Balkovec As Farm Director

The Miami Marlins are hiring Rachel Balkovec as their new director of player development, according to sources. She comes over from the New York Yankees, where she spent the last two years as a manager in the minor leagues at Single-A Tampa, the first female to do so. The Marlins are in the midst of […]

Wander Franco Facing Lesser Charges In Dominican Republic

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is facing a lesser charge after a judge in the Dominican Republic analyzed evidence that alleges he had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and paid her mother thousands of dollars for her consent. Franco was originally accused of commercial and sexual exploitation and money laundering, charges that carry […]

Jackson Holliday Voted Best Hitting Prospect

In a 2024 MLB Pipeline poll of front-office executives from all 30 organizations, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday received 70 percent of the votes as baseball's best hitting prospect. Holliday is the game's top prospect after slashing .323/.442/.499 over four minor-league levels in his first full year of professional baseball in 2023. He was also […]