James Paxton Unlikely To Be Ready For Opening Day

Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (hamstring) has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, which is the least serious. However, he'll be shut down for a bit in spring training and seems unlikely to be on the Opening Day roster. The Red Sox's rotation will be thin to open the season, with both […]

Second Base Dynasty Rankings For Fantasy Baseball

Second base was once a position for speed and a little batting average, but that has changed over the years, and it’s now a full-fledged fantasy production machine. It may not boast the power that third base or first base does, and the names may not be as sexy as the shortstop position, but it […]

James Paxton Tweaks His Hamstring

Updating a previous report, Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (hamstring) said that he tweaked his right hamstring in his Grapefruit League appearance against the Minnesota Twins on Friday. Paxton said he's unsure how much time he'll have to miss, but he'll see how he's feeling on Saturday and go from there. The 34-year-old southpaw […]

James Paxton Leaves Early With Injury Friday

Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (leg) left his Grapefruit League outing on Friday against the Minnesota Twins with two outs in the second inning and was seen flexing his leg. The good news is that the injury didn't appear to be serious, as he walked through the dugout and was giving teammates fist bumps. […]

Adalberto Mondesi (SS, BOS) - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 220 CURRENT ADP: ~235 overall ANALYSIS: This is the way. We may never witness Mondesi’s full potential, but paying pennies here just in case is a slam dunk. Mondesi has only managed 50 games and 190 plate appearances over the last two seasons, but even those slump-infested waters supplied six […]

Third Base Dynasty Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

We’ve made it to some of the top options in the game. Third base has five of the top-22 players in RotoBaller’s dynasty rankings and seven players in the top 50. The power you get from this position could help carry your team in the home run department.   Big boppers are all over the […]

Connor Wong Could Miss Extended Period Of Time

Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong (hamstring) could be looking at missing an extended period of time after suffering an injury on Thursday. The team will have Wong undergo further testing, but manager Alex Cora mentioned the injury didn't look good. There should be more information on Wong later this weekend. He was competing for […]

Garrett Whitlock To Throw Live BP Friday

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) will throw live batting practice on Friday. He is expected to go two innings and hopes to return before the season starts. We can't rule out a stint on the injured list to begin the season, but Whitlock still has some time to be ready for Opening Day. […]

Chris Sale To Make Next Appearance In Spring Game

Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale (wrist) threw two innings of live batting practice on Wednesday, totaling 43 pitches. Manager Alex Cora said that Sale's next appearance would be in a Grapefruit League game, likely next week. The 33-year-old southpaw is fully healthy in camp, but the Red Sox have chosen to take it slowly […]

Triston Casas Homers In Tuesday's Game

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, a run scored and a strikeout in Tuesday's Grapefruit League win over the Miami Marlins. The most notable was the fact that all of his damage came against left-handed pitching in this spring game. The 23-year-old enters the 2023 season […]

Outfield Draft Values for Fantasy Baseball - EDV Finds Undervalued, Overvalued Picks

Spring Training is flying and we're off to the races with another year of the FSWA-award-nominated Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify both overvalued and undervalued players of all types. Whether you're targeting power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, we've got you covered. It's time to […]

Five Starting Pitchers To Target In 2023 Fantasy Baseball Drafts

Regarding fantasy baseball and constructing the most competitive roster to win a championship, there is no position more impactful to that outcome than starting pitching. Starting pitching makes up the highest percentage of your roster, and being able to hit on that in drafts will ultimately be why you will hold up your league trophy […]

Garrett Whitlock May Not Be Ready For Opening Day

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora admitted on Monday that right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) may not be ready for Opening Day. "He's throwing the ball well, he's moving well. Not yet doing PFPs. We're not concerned. We've got a plan. We'll see where we're at in the upcoming weeks. If he's ready for opening day […]

Shortstop Draft Values for Fantasy Baseball - EDV Finds Undervalued, Overvalued Picks

Spring Training is flying and we're off to the races with another year of the FSWA-award-nominated Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify both overvalued and undervalued players of all types. Whether you're targeting power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, we've got you covered. It's time to […]

Pitcher Statcast: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Statcast metrics such as Barrels and Brls/BBE are great ways to evaluate a fantasy baseball batter's performance, so it is only natural to assume that the metrics would be predictive for pitchers as well. As much as batters want to hit a Barrel every time, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. Yet, there […]

Third Base Draft Values for Fantasy Baseball - EDV Finds Undervalued, Overvalued Picks

Baseball is coming, so it is time for another year of the FSWA-award-nominated Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify both overvalued and undervalued players of all types. Whether you're targeting power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, we've got you covered. Today, we'll look at third basemen […]

Masataka Yoshida Unlikely To Hit Leadoff

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora threw cold water on Sunday on the idea of outfielder Masataka Yoshida hitting leadoff in his first MLB season. Instead, he's likely to hit near the middle of the batting order to open up the 2023 campaign. The 29-year-old was able to get on base frequently while playing in […]

Brayan Bello Back On The Mound Sunday

Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (forearm) is back on the mound on Sunday for the first time since he experienced forearm tightness earlier in spring training. Bello is set to throw 20 pitches in a bullpen session on Sunday. The Red Sox took precaution and shut down the 23-year-old for a week after he […]

First Base Dynasty Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

After years of mostly just top-tier production, first base is making a comeback in fantasy output. There are some intriguing names in re-draft leagues, but we will look at dynasty fantasy baseball rankings here. Most leagues are starting to decide who will be part of their future; some will be looking to draft some of […]

Chris Sale Throws Batting Practice On Saturday

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (wrist) faced live hitters on Saturday during a 23-pitch batting practice session. The left-hander has progressed to facing live hitters for the first time since last July. The organization is hopeful that Sale will be able to make a return to the mound in March. The 33-year-old is […]

RotoBaller Staff Mock Draft Analysis: 12-Team Roto League Draft

Mock drafts remain an integral piece of fantasy baseball prep in 2023. Some of RotoBaller’s top minds joined up for a 12-team 5x5 Roto mock draft over on Fantrax. I’ll be delivering a round-by-round breakdown of the draft and highlighting some noteworthy picks along the way. Then I'll point out some trends, including how third […]

James Paxton To Make Spring Debut On Friday

Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (lat) is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut next Friday as the Red Sox begin to start mixing regular starters in. Paxton made just one start in 2021 and missed all of the 2022 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and he also dealt with a lat […]

First Base Draft Values for Fantasy Baseball - EDV Finds Undervalued, Overvalued Picks

Baseball is coming, so it is time for another year of the FSWA-award-nominated Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify both overvalued and undervalued players of all types. Whether you're targeting power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, we've got you covered. We'll start at first base and […]

Enmanuel Valdez To Play All Over Infield

Boston Red Sox infield prospect Enmanuel Valdez will start at second base in the team's first spring training game on Friday against Northeastern. The Red Sox like what they have in Valdez, whom they acquired from the Houston Astros for catcher Christian Vazquez last August. The 24-year-old hit .296 with a .376 on-base percentage, .542 […]

Tanner Houck Open To Extension With Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have discussed a long-term extension with right-hander Tanner Houck after locking in Garrett Whitlock to a four-year, $18.75 million deal 11 months ago. The talks with Houck didn't get very far last year, though, and haven't resulted in a deal or offer from Boston. He'll turn 27 in June and is […]

Nick Pivetta Expected To Skip World Baseball Classic

Boston Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta (illness) is expected to have to drop out of the 2023 World Baseball Classic due to an illness that has set him back a few days. Pivetta was looking like a potential ace for Team Canada. The 30-year-old dealt with COVID-19 last week and has been slow to bounce […]

MLB Pitcher Prospect Graduates - Sophomore Fantasy Baseball Outlooks (AL Central)

In the second installment of a six-part series focused on pitchers who exhausted rookie eligibility during the 2022 MLB season, I review how the pitching fundamentals of select 2023 American League Central pitchers have evolved over time and use that information to forecast their MLB futures. Fundamentals will be quantified using my Fielding- and Ballpark-Independent […]

Tanner Houck Competing For Rotation Spot

MassLiveSports' Christopher Smith reported Tuesday that Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck will be used as a starting pitcher during spring training and is one of seven pitchers competing for a starting rotation spot. The 26-year-old served mainly as a starter in 2021 but as a reliever in 2022, making just four starts in 32 […]

Starting Pitcher Rankings and Tiers for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Hello, welcome fantasy baseball friends to an early look at the 2023 starting pitcher rankings. Spring training is right around the corner and leagues are going to start ramping up, so now is a great time to dive into what to expect out of the starting pitcher landscape.   I’ve ranked 75 of the top starters […]

Relief Pitchers for Holds and SV+HLD Leagues - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets

So you've found yourself in a fantasy baseball league that values holds? Diving into the world of unheralded middle relievers can be intimidating, but you've come to the right place. There's no need to fear the middle reliever and it's pointless to delve into the depth charts of all 30 teams. These days, most MLB […]