Spring Training Lineup Takeaways - Week 2 Lineup Trends

Welcome back RotoBallers! We are entering week three of Spring Training already, and with that came a lot of things we saw in week two. But of course, my week one review also still has very relevant information as well. Just a reminder, in my Lineup Takeaways series we are focusing 100% on lineups, news and […]

Andres Gimenez Continues Torrid Spring

Cleveland Indians infielder Andres Gimenez continued his strong spring in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants as he went 2-for-3 with a run scored. He is now 7-for-21 with two home runs, six RBI, and three runs scored across his first eight spring games. Gimenez has been hitting near the top of the […]

Michael Florio's Hitters to Target

Every year, one of the articles I look most forward to writing is about the players I am targeting in my drafts. It not only allows me to talk about the players I know I am high on and go into my drafts hoping to select, but it also forces me to look over my […]

Jonathan Arauz Has Big Day At The Plate Friday

Boston Red Sox shortstop Jonathan Arauz was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and a home run in an 8-2 victory over the Rays on Friday. Arauz has been looking good through 11 games this spring, slashing .368/.429/.684 with three doubles, one home run and six RBI. He is likely on the […]

Trevor Story Hits Third Homer Of Spring Friday

Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story went 1-for-3 against the Giants on Friday, hitting his third home run of the spring in the loss. It's been all-or-nothing for Story through his first five games, as he is currently hitting 3-for-13 with three home runs, five RBI and five strikeouts. While there has been speculation this offseason […]

CJ Abrams Slugs Three-Run Home Run

San Diego Padres shortstop prospect CJ Abrams, known more for his plus speed, flexed his muscle on Friday with a three-run home run. Just 20 year old, the Padres middle infielder is holding his own this spring and he's getting a lot of playing time. Through 10 games, he's 5-for-21 (.238) with a triple, homer […]

Jazz Chisholm Continues To Struggle

Miami Marlins middle infield prospect Jazz Chisholm struggled again on Friday and was hitless in three at-bats. He's now just 2-for-16 (.125) this spring with a home run and a BB-K of 0-5. The 23-year-old made his MLB debut last season but hit just .161 with a 31% strikeout rate in 21 games. Chisholm has […]

Nick Ahmed May Not Return Until Next Week

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed (knee) may not be back in the Cactus League lineup until next week as he continues to work his way back from stiffness in his right knee. Ahmed was scratched from the lineup on Monday, and while the team doesn't believe the injury is serious, they also want to err […]

Fernando Tatis Jr. Returns To Lineup With A Bang

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. crushed a leadoff home run Friday against the Oakland Athletics. The 22-year-old had been out since March 5 with an illness, but he continued his torrid spring with two knocks in his return. Tatis is now 6-for-12 with two homers as he stakes his claim as one of […]

Gleyber Torres Eyes Bounce-Back Campaign In 2021

New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres saw his production crater during 2020. But checking out his Grapefruit League numbers through Friday, fantasy managers that have pressed pause for the past 365 days could be convinced that he hasn't missed a beat. Torres said that he feels "really well" this spring and he eyes potentially playing […]

Bobby Witt Jr. Could Make Debut In 2021

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has been turning heads on a regular basis this spring. Over his 10 appearances, he's gone 8-for-24 with two home runs, six RBI and seven runs. He's slashing .333/.360/.583 and showing no sign of backing down against big league pitching. Despite his hot bat, Royals beat writer Anne […]

Royals Have Engaged Adalberto Mondesi About Extension

The Kansas City Royals have recently engaged shortstop Adalberto Mondesi about a long-term contract extension, according to sources familiar with the situation. However, one source cautioned that there is "a lot to work through." The 25-year-old is under team control for three more years, but the Royals might want to sign him to an extension […]

Reds Acquire Mike Freeman From Cleveland

The Cincinnati Reds acquired utility infielder Mike Freeman from the Cleveland Indians on Friday in exchange for cash. The Indians valued Freeman's versatility and experience around the infield after he played 99 games and hit .270 in the last two years for them. They had signed him to a minor league deal last month with […]

Francisco Lindor Extension Talks To Begin

Extension talks are expected to begin between New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and the team, with the expectation that Lindor will command at least a 10-year deal in excess of $300 million. Robert Murray reports that while both sides have a clear mutual interest in completing a deal, each has acknowledged that Lindor could […]

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 […]

Bo Bichette Off To Slow Start This Spring

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette has had an underwhelming start to spring. Over his first six games, he's gone 2-for-11 with no extra-base hits. He's slashing .182/.400/.182 with four walks and three strikeouts. He was caught stealing in his only stolen base attempt. Bichette is going in the late second round of most drafts […]

Best-Ball Late-Round Values - Infield

Fantasy Baseball draft season is in full swing, and that goes for more than just redraft leagues; we are talking best-ball formats. Best-ball leagues have been gaining traction in recent years and for good reason. Drafts start almost immediately after the previous season ends for those looking for an offseason fantasy fix. Best-ball drafts are […]

J.P. Crawford Walks Three Times Thursday

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford reached base in all three of his plate appearances Thursday, drawing a walk each time up. Crawford has a very solid career walk percentage of 11.1 percent, giving him increased value in leagues that count on-base percentage. Crawford also stole a base Thursday, his second of the spring after recording […]

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 […]

Trea Turner To Be Offered Extension Soon

The Washington Nationals are expected to offer shortstop Trea Turner an extension within the next year or so. He is eligible for a year of arbitration before becoming a free agent in 2023. Turner recently said in an interview, "I would love to play my entire career here." Turner had a fantastic year in 2020, […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/11) - Hiura Endures Spring Struggles

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 […]

Marwin Gonzalez Homers Twice

Boston Red Sox utility man Marwin Gonzalez homered from each side of the plate on Wednesday, knocking in four in the Red Sox's 5-4 win over the Twins. Gonzalez, along with Kike Hernandez, Michael Chavis and Danny Santana, is one of the many utility players fighting for playing time in a crowded Red Sox lineup. Gonzalez […]

Amed Rosario To Try His Hand At Outfield

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona said that he talked about the idea of shortstop Amed Rosario taking some fly balls in center field next week. Andres Gimenez, 22, entered Thursday with a .333 batting average and a 1.242 OPS in six Cactus League games, and he's also showcased his defense at shortstop. Gimenez made his […]

Andrelton Simmons Set For Spring, Twins Debut Friday

Minnesota Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons is on track to appear in his first game with his new team Friday against Atlanta. Simmons has been delayed in his arrival due to visa issues, as he'll have fewer than three weeks to ramp up for regular-season play. While he's expected to serve as Minnesota's everyday shortstop beginning […]

Cole Tucker Returns To Hitting Activities

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop/outfielder Cole Tucker (hand) is back to hitting after having appeared in just one Grapefruit League game this spring, in which he went 0-for-3. Competition remains relatively open for the rebuilding Pirates with Tucker in the mix to earn at-bats both at short or in center field, where Anthony Alford stands out as […]

Xander Bogaerts Set To Serve As DH For Friday’s Game

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) has been given the green light to make his Grapefruit League debut Friday against Tampa Bay, serving as the designated hitter. The Red Sox do not yet appear comfortable having Bogaerts make throws from short, but placing him among the starting nine is an indication that they expect […]

Luis Garcia Playing Middle Infield, Learning From Teammates

Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia has been playing both shortstop and second base this spring training, with fellow middle infielders Starlin Castro and Trea Turner guiding him along. Garcia entered 2020 as a top-100 prospect and got in 40 games of MLB action replacing an injured Castro, hitting .276/.302/.366 while mostly playing second base. Garcia, […]

Jean Segura Off To A Slow Start In Spring Training

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Jean Segura is batting just .083 through 13 plate appearances this spring. Segura is expected to man the keystone this season after the team brought back shortstop Didi Gregorius. Segura slashed just .266/.347/.422 last season with seven homers and two stolen bases. Steals once made Segura a viable fantasy option, as […]