RotoBaller Industry Expert Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft

On Thursday, February 15th, we brought together an illustrious group of industry experts to take part in the RotoBaller Friends and Family mock draft. We'll be playing this out as a best ball league. Our participants represented sites like: Creative Sports (Lawr Michaels) Fangraphs (Alex Chamberlain) GuruElite (Ray Flowers) Fantasy Alarm (Howard Bender) CBS (Heath […]

Christian Villanueva Could Play Both Third and Shortstop

San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva wants to be the Padres primary third baseman. However, that role belongs to veteran Chase Headley. AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports San Diego will test Villanueva at shortstop to back up Freddy Galvis. There's no guarantee Headley will be with the Padres all season and versatility adds to […]

Brandon Crawford In Lineup Friday

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (finger) is back in the lineup Friday as the team’s designated hitter. Crawford jammed his right index finger while sliding back on a pickoff throw on Wednesday. It’s a good sign that he is able to hit and it shouldn’t be too much longer before he’s back on defense. […]

Elvis Andrus in the Lineup Friday

Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus (back) is taking the field in a live game for the first time in 2018. After sitting with back issues up until now, the steady performer is ready for action. Hitting in the two hole and taking the field at his usual shortstop position, it looks like Andrus is all good. […]

Luis Urias' Callup Probably Sooner Than Later

San Diego Padres manager Andy Green offered glowing remarks about 20-year-old second baseman Luis Urias on Thursday. San Diego's No. 3 prospect is making a strong case to make the MLB Opening Day roster, pushing incumbents Carlos Asuaje and Cory Spangenberg. While logistics of team control will likely prevent him from making the squad outright, […]

Marcus Semien (SS, OAK) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~170 CURRENT ADP: 228 ANALYSIS: Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien after a semi breakout year in 2017. Semien has always been seen as a strong offensive shortstop with a glove that made you scratch your head. Luckily for fantasy, the glove does not really matter, unless it eats at your playing time. Back to his […]

Brandon Crawford Held Out Thursday

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (finger) is being held out of Thursday’s lineup after jamming his right index finger on Wednesday. The club announced on Wednesday that he was pulled as a precaution. Crawford isn’t expected to miss much time and should be good to go in a few days.

Brandon Crawford Jams Finger

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (finger) jammed his right index finger on Wednesday. The injury happened on a pickoff attempt. Crawford didn’t undergo X-rays and the injury isn’t considered serious. Crawford is hoping to bounce back after he struggled with the bat in 2017. He is a better real-life player than fantasy player, but […]

Manny Machado Blasts Grand Slam In Loss

Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has had a hot Spring so far, and it got hotter with him blasting a grand slam in the third inning of Wednesday's game. He was out of the game by the time the bullpen coughed up an eight-run lead, but he has to feel good about this start. Of course, […]

Marco Hernandez Six Weeks Away From Baseball Activities

Boston Red Sox infielder Marco Hernandez (shoulder) says it will be about six weeks before he can start baseball activities, reported Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Hernandez returned to camp from Boston on Tuesday. While in Boston, he had two screws removed from his shoulder, stemming from a procedure he had in May. He will be […]

Nick Gordon Strains Right Wrist

Minnesota Twins second baseman Nick Gordon strained his right wrist sliding into third base in a spring training game on Wednesday. The injury appears to be minor, as Gordon was able to remain in the game and was able to field a ground ball without any issues in the following half inning. Gordon is regarded […]

Marco Hernandez Returns To Camp

Boston Red Sox infielder Marco Hernandez returned to camp Tuesday after his second shoulder procedure in a year, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. A week ago, Hernandez returned to Boston after doctors determined that pins put in his shoulder last May needed to be removed. The initial report was Hernandez would return when he was […]

Top 500: Mixed Leagues Tiered Staff Rankings (February)

Spring training is officially here! To celebrate, today we are here to look at our staff's updated 2018 fantasy baseball mixed league rankings for February and the top 500 players. Our rankings are updated weekly, but enough changes have taken place recently (see humidor, Arizona) to release a new overall list. Over the next few weeks we will also be publishing individual tiered […]

Ozzie Albies Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our rankings debate with a look at a young player whose draft stock seems to be rising by the day and could be a make-or-break selection in many drafts. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space, […]

Dansby Swanson Goes Deep In Loss To Nationals

Well, there was one encouraging sign for Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson: He went deep off one of the best pitchers in the game, Max Scherzer. The blast, which came in the first inning, was a solo shot and was Swanson's only hit of the day. He's off to a bit of a slow start, hitting […]

2018 Shortstops - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball dynasty rankings analysis with the first base position. RotoBaller writers Kyle Richardson, Chris Zolli, Pierre Camus, and I have come up with our preseason rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. In a dynasty league, it can be tough to decide between a proven veteran or […]

Gleyber Torres Not A Lock At Second Base

In Friday's spring training debut, the New York Yankees slotted prized prospect Gleyber Torres into the starting second base spot. The 20-year-old batted sixth and went hitless in two appearances. While getting the start in the first preseason game of the year, Torres shouldn’t take too much confidence in that. Manager Aaron Boone stated that the battle […]

Tim Anderson Looks To Steal More Bases In 2018

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson would like to improve in the stolen base department in 2018. Anderson finished 2017 going 9-for-9 in stolen bases in September. Overall, Anderson finished with 15 on the year. Anderson is looking to get at least 20 or more stolen bases in 2018. He’s an intriguing option for fantasy […]

Javier Baez Says He Is Having A “Perfect” Spring

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez said his spring training has been “perfect” so far. Earlier in the week it was reported that Baez could get 500 to 600 at-bats this year but would have to improve his plate discipline, strikeouts and drive balls all over the field. Baez should get […]

Alex Cora Not Concerned About Lineups

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is not concerned with the particulars of lineup construction based on splits, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Cora is not concerned with splitting up righties and lefties and doesn’t plan to get carried away with batter/pitcher matchups if it’s a small sample. With this news, there […]

Young Padres Infielders Learning From Freddy Galvis

San Diego Padres shortstop Freddy Galvis is embracing his role as a mentor for young San Diego ballplayers. Touted prospects like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Javier Guerra will soak in Galvis' tutelage as they plan to usurp his job. Galvis forecasts as the Friars opening day shortstop, but the rapid development of the next generation […]

Chris Owings Will Roam The Whole Field

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Chris Owings will get plenty of playing time this year, according to manager Torey Lovullo. "He’s going to walk all over the diamond and impact the game at a different angle at different times throughout the course of the season." The agenda seems to be getting him repetitions at all the […]

Javier Baez Can Earn More Plate Appearances With Better Plate Discipline

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez can earn more at-bats this season if he improves his strike zone, draws walks and uses the whole field. Baez is one of the more exciting players in the game today due to his light-tower power and strong defense, but he has still struggled […]

Gleyber Torres Will Battle For Starting Second Base Position

Gleyber Torres, the top prospect in the New York Yankees farm system and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball, will do battle for the starting position at second base this spring. This news came from general manager Brian Cashman in light of the club’s acquisition of infielder Brandon Drury from the Arizona Diamondbacks. While Torres, […]

Corey Seager To DH This Weekend

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager (elbow) will serve as the designated hitter in spring games Friday and Saturday. He's currently still progressing through his throwing program, and the Dodgers are playing it cautious with him early in camp. Despite dealing with elbow issues late in 2017, Seager still managed to finish the year hitting […]

Ronald Torreyes To Battle For Second Base Spot

With the arrival of infielder Brandon Drury to the New York Yankees, the competition for third base has become slightly clearer. For Ronald Torreyes, this also appears to make things clearer, as he seems set to focus on competing for the starting job at second base. According to general manager Brian Cashman, the Venezuelan will now mainly focus […]

Elvis Andrus Sits Again Due to Back Spasms

Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus (back) will take the day off again with back spasms on Wednesday. The Rangers star stated that "it's just too cold for me" and won't participate in team workouts. For fantasy owners, there does not appear to be any lingering concern or long-term issues, so consider Andrus still safe from a […]

Ketel Marte in the Mix for Starting Spot

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Ketel Marte is firmly in the mix for a starting spot in the middle infield. With infielder Brandon Drury being shipped off to the Yankees, Marte will be competing with Nick Ahmed and Chris Owings for two spots in the middle infield. If he wins the job, Marte will provide fantasy owners with […]

Elvis Andrus Dealing With Back Spasms

Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus (back) cut his workout short Tuesday due to back spasms. This isn't a major deal so early in camp, but it's something to watch as Andrus is coming off a career year with a .297 average, 20 home runs, 88 RBI, 25 steals and 100 runs in 158 games. His […]

Nick Mariano's 2018 Dynasty Sleepers List (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. The term "sleeper" remains a volatile one, but when you add the dynasty-league wrinkle to it then you really open yourself up to a can of worms. Some people are in 12-team dynasties with a rather healthy stable of prospects available for the picking, […]