Archie Bradley, Greg Holland Closing Candidates In Arizona

The Arizona Diamondbacks are taking their closer decision down to the wire this year, with relief pitchers Archie Bradley and Greg Holland the candidates. Holland's velocity has been down in spring training, but the team thinks he's fine and he'll pick it up in the regular season. Bradley missed an outing with neck stiffness but […]

Updated Catcher Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with everyone's favorite - the catcher position. With the 2019 season beginning in a matter of days, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel have given their preseason rankings a final update. Check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard for a current […]

Abraham Almonte, Yasmany Tomas Among D-Backs Cuts

The Arizona Diamondbacks reassigned outfielder Abraham Almonte, pitchers Stefan Crichton, Rubby De La Rosa, Ricky Nolasco, Braden Shipley, Yasmany Tomas and infielder Kelby Tomlinson to their minor-league camp on Tuesday. Tomas had a run-scoring single in Sunday's Cactus League spring game, and it's likely he'll be back at the first sign of injury to an […]

Zack Greinke Draws Assignment For Opening Day

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke will make the start on Opening Day against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 28. It is not yet known who he will be facing, but it won't be Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) or Walker Buehler. It is Greinke's third start in an opener in four season in the desert. […]

Bullpen Busts Due to Bounce-Back in 2019

It's almost time for Opening Day! Spring Training is wrapping up and so are fantasy baseball drafts. So as we get ready for the start of the season, let's take a look at a few bullpen guys who might be a little underappreciated in drafts this year. Now with a couple of guys on this […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball Part 13 - Statcast for Pitchers

Previously, we looked at Barrels, a stat combining exit velocity and launch angle to measure how often a batter makes quality hard contact. As much as batters want to hit a Barrel every time, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. Yet there is some evidence that pitchers do not have the same influence […]

Updated Second Base Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the second base position. With the 2019 season kicking off in a matter of days, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel have given their preseason rankings a final update. Check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard for a current list […]

Merrill Kelly (SP, ARI) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 415 CURRENT ADP: ~445 overall ANALYSIS: It’s almost becoming a trend for players to travel overseas to play baseball after struggling to make it in the MLB, only to end up back in the Majors better than before. In 2017 it was Eric Thames and last year it was Miles […]

Updated First Base Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

The clock ticks ever closer to Opening Day and we here at RotoBaller are back to give one final round of position-by-position analysis with a mixed-league, 5x5 framework. We’re going to start at the most glorious position on the field: first base. No, I didn’t play first myself, why do you ask? While there are […]

Dave Emerick's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

I'll openly acknowledge that I don't really do bold predictions. I sit, read, think, and then watch the players play. If I see something, maybe I'll write an article. But in the spirit of fun, I've put together my own version of 10 Bold Predictions that will definitely, almost probably come to pass.Be sure to […]

Jarrod Dyson Makes His Cactus League Debut

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jarrod Dyson (oblique) made his Cactus League spring debut on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox. He appeared in both right field and center field, and he drew a pair of walks in his only two plate appearances after being sidelined due to a strained left oblique. Dyson is likely going to […]

Adam Jones Plays Defense In Intrasquad Game

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Jones was able to play in the field for the first time since joining his new teammates. He played in the outfield during an intrasquad game on a backfield Sunday, and it was his third consecutive day of taking at-bats in a game. Manager Torey Lovullo said Jones will do some […]

Jake Lamb Checks Out Of Sunday's Game Early

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Jake Lamb (back) left Sunday's Cactus League spring game against the Chicago White Sox after three innings due to tightness in his back. Manager Torey Lovullo said Lamb mentioned the issue after flying out in the second inning. "He's going to come in (Monday), get re-evaluated," Lovullo said. "I can't predict […]

Luke Weaver Impressive In Spring Training

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Luke Weaver was a huge disappointment for the Cardinals last season, finishing with a 4.95 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. However, a fresh start in Arizona may be just what the doctor ordered. In three spring training starts, the 25-year-old has generated a 1.59 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 11.1 innings. That's […]

Christian Walker's Bizarre Spring Training Continues

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker is one of the most fascinating prospects for the organization, as fans are hopeful he can fill the void left behind by Paul Goldschmidt. So far this spring, Walker is 14-for-37 while accumulating 11 RBI. Those are fantastic numbers, but the fact that he has 11 strikeouts in those […]

Steven Souza Jr. Struggling

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Steven Souza Jr.'s role appeared to be safe just a few weeks ago, but with the signing of former Orioles stud Adam Jones, it may cost him some serious playing time. What's even more discouraging is the fact that the 29-year-old is struggling mightily in spring training, recording just six hits in […]

ADP Draft Sleepers Tool - Quickly Find Draft Day Gems

RotoBaller Premium Subscribers can click here to access the ADP Draft Sleepers Tool. RotoBaller’s ADP Draft Sleepers Tool is a powerful yet simple tool that can help you unearth fantasy baseball gems on draft day. It's a sleek tool that's easy to use, and will have a huge effect on your draft selections and help you […]

Late-Round SP Fliers Who Could Rack Up Wins

Pitcher wins, as you may know, are now widely considered to be essentially meaningless outside of a fantasy context. For the same reason, they also make for a weird fantasy stat. For example, Rick Porcello only managed a 4.28 ERA in 2018, which ranked 45th out of 58 qualified pitchers. That ERA was also backed […]

Top 690: Updated H2H Points League Rankings

Welcome back RotoBallers. Spring training is in full swing, and we couldn't be more excited for fantasy baseball drafts and the approaching MLB season. Below you will find our staff's updated fantasy baseball points league rankings (top 690) for head-to-head points formats. Be sure to also check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard and bookmark that page. It's loaded […]

Top 770: Updated 5x5 Roto Rankings (Mixed Leagues)

Welcome back RotoBallers. Spring training is in full swing, and we couldn't be more excited for fantasy baseball drafts and the approaching MLB season. Below you will find our staff's updated fantasy baseball mixed league rankings (top 770) for 5x5 category mixed roto formats. Be sure to also check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard and bookmark that page. […]

Daulton Varsho Making The Most Of His Opportunities

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Daulton Varsho, the team's No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is making the most of his opportunities this spring by hitting .417/.462/.833 with one home run and two doubles in 12 Cactus League games. The 22-year-old played in just 83 games last year due to a broken right hamate bone, but he […]

Starting Pitchers Who'll Continue to Break Out in 2019

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the concept of "TINSTAAPP". Spelled out it means "There's No Such Thing As A Pitching Prospect" and it basically implies that it's impossible to predict which starting pitching prospects will pan out and which will flame out. There are plenty of examples in both directions; for example, […]

Predicting the Top 10 Finishers for RBI in 2019

If you so much as mention the acronym "RBI" in the wrong baseball circles these days, you run the risk of being ridiculed. Because RBI is such an opportunity-driven statistic, it is no longer viewed as an accurate measurement of a player's overall value. J.T. Realmuto didn't have any control over the on-base percentages of […]

Luke Weaver Dominant Over Five Scoreless Frames

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Luke Weaver picked up a win in Thursday's Cactus League spring start against the San Francisco Giants, yielding just two singles and a double over five scoreless innings with no walks and four strikeouts. In three spring appearances he has a 1-0 record, 1.59 ERA and 10 strikeouts with a 0.97 […]

ADP Champ or Chump - C.J. Cron and Robbie Ray

No matter how much you prepare for a draft, what you do in the heat of the moment can reveal who you like and who you don't. I recently completed two Rotoballer Challenge drafts (there's still time to sign up if you haven't yet) and decided that any player I took in both of them […]

Where Do Elite Starters Come From?

Among expert drafts, starting pitchers are coming off the board earlier and more rapidly than in previous years. For instance, the LABR mixed league saw nine starters drafted in the first two rounds in comparison to just six in 2018 and five in 2017. Pitcher selection in expert drafts has been somewhat more aggressive than […]

Ketel Marte Will Still See Time In Center Field

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder/outfielder Ketel Marte is still expected to see plenty of starts in center field. He has only played infield during his career, and he will also play second base and shortstop. The signing of veteran Adam Jones does not mean that the Marte experiment in the outfield is over. Marte is going to […]

Adam Jones To Play All Over The Outfield

New Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Jones will not be limited to center field, but he is expected to play the corner outfield spots, too. Jones will be slotted in center field when infielder/outfielder Ketel Marte is starting at second base or shortstop. When Marte plays center, Jones will give either David Peralta or Steven Souza […]

Jarrod Dyson On Track For Opening Day

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jarrod Dyson (oblique) feels he might be able to return to Cactus League spring game action sometime late this week. He has been sidelined due to a strained left oblique muscle. If he is able to play later in the week he would be on track to be ready by Opening Day […]

Velocity Up For Zack Greinke In Latest Outing

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke allowed just one hit with one walk and six strikeouts over 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his Cactus League spring start against the Texas Rangers while the velocity of his fastball topped out at 91 mph. "I don't know what it was exactly," Greinke said. "But the swings on […]