Steven Souza Looking To Decrease Strikeouts

Recently-acquired Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Steven Souza is looking to cut back on his strikeouts for the upcoming season. Prior to last season's breakout, Souza had a career strikeout rate of 33.7 percent, which he cut by five percent in 2017. Souza believes an improved approach with two strikes will help him make further strides at […]

Rey Fuentes Leaves Game After Being Hit By Pitch

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Rey Fuentes (undisclosed) left Monday's game after being hit by a pitch. There has been no word on his condition thus far. The former first-round pick is unlikely to get much playing time in the crowded Arizona outfield this season. He would need three injuries and/or trades to get regular playing time in […]

Brad Boxberger Looking Good In Spring

Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Brad Boxberger has looked good this spring training, giving up one run on four hits and one walk across four innings. He has struck out three batters thus far. Boxberger seems to be fully recovered from arm soreness that kept him out earlier this month, and he will no doubt be ready for […]

Alex Avila Off To Rough Start

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Alex Avila is off to a very rough start this spring. He has just one hit through 20 at-bats, a solo home run, and has struck out eight times. Manager Torey Lovullo says that his catcher's timing is off, but neither he nor Avila seem concerned moving towards Opening Day. Avila is […]

Robbie Ray The Main Candidate To Start Opening Day

With the injury to Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke (groin), it looks like the Diamondbacks will turn to budding star Robbie Ray to pitch on Opening Day. Ray has done enough to earn the spot, posting a 2.89 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 162 innings last season. His high strikeout upside and improving control give him […]

Zack Greinke Feels Healthy After Bullpen Work

Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zack Greinke (groin) was all smiles after completing a 40-pitch bullpen session over the weekend. A right groin injury has cast doubt on Greinke's availability to open the season. Following the session, Greinke said, "I'll definitely be making the next outing. I felt healthy and the pitches were pretty good. Hopefully that […]

2018 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values - Shortstop

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I dislike the term "sleeper." Maybe you share my qualms with terminology, maybe not; we can all agree that what we're after in our fantasy drafts is value. Obviously, finding the most valuable players leads to winning leagues, but there are few better feelings than snagging the […]

Overvalued - NL Outfielders Set to Bust in 2018

One of biggest mistakes fantasy owners can make is overpaying for career years. While some players experience legitimate breakouts, others are the product of a fortunate set of circumstances. Of course, some players are just plain overvalued. As we inch closer to the start of the regular season, it's more important than ever to identify […]

ADP Rankings Debate - Cody Bellinger vs. Freddie Freeman

As with a number of ADP debates, Cody Bellinger and Freddie Freeman both offer the skills for success in 2018. Each first baseman is going in the first two or three rounds of fantasy baseball drafts, but chances are you'll only be able to snag one. Which young slugger will deliver better value in 2018? […]

Deeper Shortstop Sleepers - Undervalued ADPs

After catcher, shortstop is generally considered the weakest offensive position in fantasy baseball. While an influx of young talent has bolstered the top end of the position, it can still be hard to find appealing options after the studs are gone. In deeper leagues, especially AL or NL-only leagues, getting value out of late round […]

2018 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values - Third Base

Sleeper, draft value, bargain, flier, lotto ticket...whatever your preferred nomenclature, we can all agree that what we're after in our fantasy drafts is value. Obviously, finding the most valuable players leads to winning leagues, but it's also just incredibly satisfying to snag a guy anyone else could've had for a song before he blows up. As […]

Zack Greinke In Jeopardy Of Missing Opening Day Start

Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke felt better Thursday after suffering a right groin injury in Wednesday's game. However, it sounds like the D'Backs will exercise caution and will push back his next start. If this is the case, it becomes very difficult for Greinke to make his scheduled start on Opening Day. Missing one start shouldn't […]

Shelby Miller Tosses Short Bullpen Session

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Shelby Miller (elbow) threw a bullpen session for the first time since having Tommy John surgery last May. Miller was not expecting much from the session, but he came away pleasantly surprised with the results. Miller's next bullpen session is scheduled for Friday, where he will work on progressing before facing live […]

Updated Relief Pitcher Rankings - 2018 Fantasy Baseball

One final time before regular season baseball returns and our lives are, at last, complete, RotoBaller's staff writers are updating their 2018 fantasy baseball rankings. Today, we'll be taking a look at one of the shallower positions - relief pitcher. As usual, there are a few elite options at the top, and it gets much […]

ADP Rankings Debate - Robbie Ray vs. Yu Darvish

RotoBallers Andrew Le and Matt Wilkes recently faced off to discuss two strikeout-savvy pitchers, Robbie Ray and Yu Darvish. ADPs for both pitchers are eerily close and we hope the following battle helps fantasy managers make a (slightly) more educated decision. In the red and black jersey playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, standing 6'2" and […]

Alex Avila (C, ARI) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~350 CURRENT ADP: 398 ANALYSIS: Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Alex Avila was great last year with a .264/.387/.447 line and 14 bombs in 376 PA. Avila has two elite skills (plate discipline and contact quality) and is a disaster everywhere else. OBP and power are more than most fantasy catchers bring to the table though. […]

Zack Greinke's Injury Not Believed To Be Serious

Updating a previous report, it seems that the groin injury suffered by Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke was not a serious one. The Diamondbacks believe the strain is mild enough that they will not be performing any tests. Manager Torey Lovullo remains optimistic that Greinke will be ready in time for Opening Day. Those that […]

Jake Lamb Struggling Through Spring Training

Arizona third baseman Jake Lamb has gotten off to a slow start this spring. Through nine games, Lamb is hitting 4-for-22 (.182) with eight strikeouts. Lamb's production this season is a bit of a question mark due to the installation of the humidor at Chase Field. As most of his fantasy value comes from his […]

Zack Greinke Leaves Start After One Inning

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke left Wednesday's start after just one inning due to right groin tightness. Greinke was scheduled to pitch five innings but was removed after just 19 pitches. The team hasn't released any further information, so owners can consider Greinke day-to-day. He was worried about velocity issues earlier this spring, but […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 13 - Spin Rate

Spin rate has become one of the most recognizable Statcast metrics, with supporters of a given pitcher highlighting his spin rates to make their case. Unfortunately, the baseball world has done a lousy job conveying what spin rate really means. The result has been a ton of owners who know that spin rate exists, but […]

Third Base H2H Points Rankings - March Update

We are getting closer and closer to the first pitch of the 2018 MLB season. Spring training is in full swing which means we are right in the thick of draft season. If you have a draft coming up soon, make sure to use our rankings for all league types. Regardless of the platform or […]

Champ or Chump - Robbie Ray and Rhys Hoskins

This column usually places a strong emphasis on regression, or why you shouldn't expect last year's production from a given player. Sometimes a player breaks out in a sustainable manner, however, making them a good investment even if you need to pay a premium based on the previous year's performance. Robbie Ray provides an excellent […]

Updated Shortstop Rankings - 2018 Fantasy Baseball

With the regular season only a few weeks away, the esteemed RotoBaller staff has updated their rankings one last time. We continue our review of the March update with a look at the glorious shortstop position. There's a bevy of talented bats ready to be penciled in at the "6" this season, but the sure things draw […]

Updated Catcher Rankings - 2018 Fantasy Baseball

One final time before regular season baseball returns and our lives are, at last, complete, RotoBaller's staff writers are updating their 2018 fantasy baseball rankings. Today, we'll be taking a look at the shallowest position - catcher. As usual, after the few elite options are off the board, it's probably best to leave filling this […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 12 - Pitch Info

One of the most fundamental questions in fantasy sports is if a player's current performance is sustainable. More than any other sport, baseball has a slew of statistical measures that can be dissected numerous ways to analyze player performance. Pitch Info is a publicly available pitch tracking system that provides a lot of different data […]

Randall Delgado Dealing With Left Oblique Injury

Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Randall Delgado is dealing with a left oblique injury that puts doubt on his availability for Opening Day. While manager Torey Luvullo is unsure of Delgado's status for Opening Day, he has said that Delgado's timeline has been pushed back due to the injury. Delgado was set to be a key part […]

First Base H2H Points Rankings - March Update

Welcome back RotoBallers. With the MLB season just a few short weeks a way, it's time to update our rankings and analysis to account for injuries, free agent signings, spring training risers/fallers and more. We kick off our updated March rankings today with the first base position. Bill Dubiel breaks down each tier and provides analysis […]

2018 Bullpen Outlooks - National League West

The National League West wraps up our 2018 Bullpen Outlooks series. Check out all of the American League divisions here: AL East, AL Central, AL West, and the rest of the National League here: NL East, NL Central. Stick with Rotoballer all season long for weekly Closer Reports including recaps of the week that passed, outlooks for […]

Best Ball Sleepers and Late Round Targets for Fantasy Baseball

Best ball leagues are one of the latest variations of fantasy baseball that are quickly growing in popularity. Draft day is the only day of the year where owners will have control over their roster. There is no waiver wire and there are no trades. Owners won't even set daily lineups, as they will instead […]

Updated Third Base Rankings - 2018 Fantasy Baseball

With the regular season blessedly just a few weeks away, it's time for the RotoBaller staff to update our rankings one last time. We continue our review of the March update with a look at the third base position. There's a ton of talent at the hot corner this season, with the usual elites at […]