Second-Year Pitchers Poised for a Breakout

The first year in the big leagues is full of ups and downs for most players, particularly pitchers. Adjusting to the best hitters in the world simply takes time, and many hurlers need multiple seasons to find their footing. Thus, identifying breakout candidates among second-year pitchers is no easy task, as the league has time […]

The Most Profitable Pitchers of the Last Five Years

If you missed last week’s column on the most profitable hitters of the last five years, you can find it here. That post explains the methodology behind this work, and acknowledges the considerable help I received from colleagues throughout the process. Today I'm here to take a look at the pitchers - players who have […]

Stephen Souza Jr. (OF, ARI) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~135 CURRENT ADP: 185 ANALYSIS: Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Steven Souza Jr broke out and set several career-highs in 2017. The stat that grabs the attention of most fantasy owners is the 30 home runs he hit in 2017. He also set career-highs by a solid margin in runs scored, runs batted in and stolen bases. […]

Taijuan Walker Hopes Humidor Helps

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Taijuan Walker hopes the humidor helps him this year, but he is not sure, according to Nick Piecoro of Arizona Central. “It’s pretty easy to get a grip with the fastball, but the hardest thing for me is getting a grip with the curveball,” Walker said. “If that (the humidor) is […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts - Catcher

Catcher is generally considered the weakest position in fantasy baseball. That is exactly why getting reliable production from the position is so important. There won’t be many good options on the waiver wire to replace a bad pick. This article looks at some catchers that are undervalued and overvalued based on their NFBC ADP (as […]

Zack Greinke Ahead Of Normal Regimen

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke is accelerating his spring training plan and has already thrown five bullpen sessions, four before camp began. “Just last year, it ended up being a good year, but I felt like I was playing catchup a little too much," commented Greinke. Therefore, this year he wants to start early […]

Jake Lamb (3B, ARI) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~75 CURRENT ADP: 117 ANALYSIS: Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb has two major splits: lefty/righty and first half/second half split. He does well against right-handed pitchers, with a slash line of .282 average, .386 on-base percentage, and .552 slugging. However, he does poorly against left-handed pitchers, slashing .144/.269/.288. Additionally, Lamb’s career performance in […]

AJ Pollock (OF, ARI) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~50 CURRENT ADP: 62 ANALYSIS: Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Pollock's career has been riddled with injuries thus far and 2017 was no different. Prior to a groin strain on May 15, Pollock was productive, totaling 26 runs, two home runs, and 11 stolen bases in 37 games. He also had a .299 average. […]

Yasmany Tomas Not Assured A Starting Spot

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Yasmany Tomas might not be assured of a starting position in spring training, according to Nick Piecoro of Arizona Central. “I think a corner outfield spot is available, and how we fill that and who starts and who plays is going to be up for grabs,” stated manager Torey Lovullo. Outfielder A.J. […]

Manny Machado Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our long-running series of articles debating fantasy rankings with a player that is sure to be a first-round pick in all formats. Or is he? 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, we'll hear from rankers […]

Diamondbacks Looking For Ways To Keep J.D. Martinez

The Arizona Diamondbacks remain engaged in talks to re-sign free-agent outfielder J.D. Martinez, even though the Red Sox remain the clear favorite for his services. Martinez's agent, Scott Boras, recently had an in-person meeting with Arizona owner Ken Kendrick as the sides try to find common ground. With the Diamondbacks not having as much of […]

Red Sox Offer To J.D. Martinez Around $100 Million

The Boston Red Sox's current five-year offer to free-agent outfielder J.D. Martinez is in the vicinity of $100 million, closer to that mark than the $125 million figure that has been reported, according to major league sources. Boston covets Martinez's power bat in the middle of their lineup, but they are hesitant to bid against […]

Tommy Pham Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

This is the next piece in a long-running series of articles debating the overall ranking of some of the most fantasy-relevant players of the 2018 baseball season. 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, we'll hear from rankers […]

Justin Upton Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

This is the latest in a long-running series of articles debating the overall ranking of some of the most fantasy-relevant players of the 2018 baseball season. 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, we'll hear from rankers with […]

Top 600: Dynasty League Fantasy Baseball Rankings

What's up RotoBallers. Today we are bringing you our top 600 fantasy baseball dynasty rankings for the 2018 MLB season. Dynasty leagues, or keeper formats, are becoming more and more popular in the fantasy sports landscape. For those of you who are playing in dynasty formats, or are interested in long-term valuations of fantasy players, this is […]

The Most Profitable Hitters of the Last Five Years

As you may have heard me mention on Twitter or the fantasy baseball subreddit, I recently acquired the last five seasons’ worth of average draft positon (ADP) data for NFBC and all three of the major fantasy platforms (Yahoo, ESPN, and CBS). I am terrible at Excel, so it’s taken a lot of trial and […]

Zack Greinke Has Impressive Streak Going

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke has gone 445 1/3 innings over 70 regular season starts since the last time he hit a batter. The last time he plunked a hitter was Mets outfielder Michael Conforto on July 26 of 2015. It's the longest active streak for a pitcher in the big leagues. The all-time […]

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

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. It's everyone's favorite pre-draft word to throw around and likely threatens to take the top spot on some Google Analytics the closer we get to that premier fantasy baseball draft season. Yup, we're talking about sleepers. But let's just get this out of the way: […]

Should Fantasy Managers Swipe Left and Chase Steals?

Steals are an important statistic in fantasy baseball. They represent 10% of scoring categories in 5x5 leagues and earn an equivalent value or more to singles, runs and RBI in points leagues. Comparing runs and stolen bases, the fantasy significance of a steal is certainly overvalued versus its real baseball relevance. The Run Expectancy table […]

J.D. Martinez Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

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, we'll hear from rankers with the biggest differences of opinion on a well-known player and have them defend their position against each other. We continue our series of rankings debates with […]

Archie Bradley in the Mix for Closer Spot in 2018

Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Archie Bradley will compete with Brad Boxberger and Yoshihisa Hirano for the closer role in Arizona. In his first season as a reliever, Bradley posted a 3-3 record with a 1.73 ERA, 74 strikeouts and one save. He spent most of the year as the D-backs most versatile bullpen hand, pitching multiple […]

J.D. Martinez Discussing Deals With Arizona

Free-agent outfielder J.D. Martinez, who has a five-year offer of at least $120 million from the Red Sox, has discussed short-term and long-term deals with the Arizona Diamondbacks as well. With the free-agent market moving like molasses and although the Red Sox have been the favorites to land Martinez all along, the D-backs may remain […]

J.D. Martinez Still In Negotiations With Red Sox

Free-agent outfielder J.D. Martinez is not "fed up" with the Boston Red Sox, per earlier reports. "J.D. is involved in multiple negotiations and is pleased with the participants and the good-faith process," Scott Boras, Martinez's agent, reportedly said. "Suggestions otherwise are not accurate." The Red Sox have been viewed as the favorites to land Martinez […]

Using xwOBA for Predictive Purposes in Pitchers

When it comes to predictive metrics, MLB's statcast has afforded the baseball community a wealth of data since its league-wide installation in 2015. One of the more intriguing metrics is expected wOBA, or xwOBA. This statistic gives us the expected wOBA for a player based on the hit probability of batted balls, calculated using exit […]

2018 First Basemen - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball dynasty rankings analysis with the first base position. RotoBaller writers Kyle Richardson, Chris Zolli, and I have come up with our pre-season 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 a high-upside […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball Part 3 - Statcast for Batters

If you've watched a baseball broadcast in the so-called Statcast Era, you have undoubtedly noticed the broadcasters commenting on a batted ball's exit velocity, or EV. Many have taken to using stats like Hard% and Soft% to forecast how a player should be performing, expecting larger Hard% rates to produce larger BABIP and HR/FB figures. […]

Champ or Chump - Alcides Escobar and Alex Avila

Fantasy owners hope that every selection they make turns into a stud, but this isn't that realistic. In more practical terms, you want as many strong performers as possible while avoiding roster slots with zero (or less) value. Some positions are easier to find "non-zero" production in than others, giving birth to the concept of […]

2018 Dynasty Baseball Strategy - Discovering Closers

When looking to develop talent in a dynasty league, there are two paths to follow. The first is to select prospects. The depth of your league will determine how far you have to reach into the minors. In a 12-team league, you're probably looking to find the next Fernando Tatis Jr. In a 20-team league, […]

Phillies Sign Adam Rosales

The Philadelphia Phillies signed free-agent infielder Adam Rosales to a minor league deal that will pay him $1.75 million if he makes the big league roster. Rosales will be invited to spring training. The veteran utility player will attempt to serve in a utility role on the infield for the rebuilding Phillies. In 105 games […]

January Expert Mock Analysis - Rounds 16-23

From the middle rounds, we segue into the tail-end of our early bird mock draft. The 12-team draft was done by RotoBaller’s MLB writers with order as follows: Chris Zolli, Harris Yudin, Troy Klauder, Kevin Luchansky, Pierre Camus, Max Petrie, Nick Mariano, Max Brill, Connor McEleney, Kyle Bishop, Mario Hernandez, and Andrew Le. As mentioned […]