Chris Sale Looks To Be In Midseason Form In Spring Debut

Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale demonstrated his dominance, even in his first spring game against the Marlins. Sale struck out five batters through four innings, only allowing one run on two hits, and also did not walk a single batter. In his first and only appearance thus far, the methodical regimen to progress his […]

Rick Porcello Using Innovative Methods For Improvement

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello has been using different methods to help him locate his pitches, according to Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com. Porcello regressed in 2017 with a 4.65 ERA and his walk rate rose to 5.4. The hope is to get Porcello back to his 2016 self that posted a 22-4 record […]

Eduardo Nunez Hitless in Debut

Boston Red Sox super-utility man Eduardo Nunez (knee) had no hits in two at-bats in four innings of play on Wednesday. Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reported that following the fourth inning, Nunez began a more intensive workout session. Nunez pulled a sled loaded with weights back and forth, followed by more conditioning work. Nunez […]

Points League Primer - Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy

When discussing fantasy baseball, an often neglected but entertaining format is the points league. These exist in both season-long cumulative and weekly head-to-head leagues. While existential debates about scoring categories and their true depiction of player worth are endless, points leagues arguably get closest to the objective of sabermetrics. Points leagues attempt to define a […]

ADP Myth Busters - Debunking Myths in the AL East

This series will attempt to help fantasy baseball owners make informed opinions on players whose ADP may not be in line with their value for the 2018 season. As fantasy owners, we can fall into a "group think" mentality and start to overlook certain teams and players. If we aren't careful, those ideas can turn […]

Top First Base Prospect Rankings - 2018 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back, RotoBallers. I'll be breaking down impact prospects by position. Today I'm bringing you my top 10 first basemen - MLB prospect rankings for the 2018 fantasy baseball season. First base is always a challenging position to find rookie stars. It’s not every year a Cody Bellinger and Rhys Hoskins reach the majors. Most […]

Xander Bogaerts Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our long-running series of articles debating fantasy rankings with a player who was widely selected in the second or third round last year, but endured a disappointing 2017 campaign. 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, […]

Dustin Pedroia Still Has Long Recovery

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) still has a lengthy process ahead of him before he is ready to get back on the field in games, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Manager Alex Cora said it was unlikely Pedroia would even be ready for a minor league game before camp […]

Eduardo Nunez Makes Spring Debut Thursday

Boston Red Sox super-utility man Eduardo Nunez will be making his spring debut at second base Thursday. Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe has reported Nunez is in the lineup and is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday as well. Nunez will start the season at second base in place of the injured Dustin Pedroia (knee). […]

Eduardo Rodriguez Likely To Return Ahead Of Other Injured Starter

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) is ahead of fellow injured starter Steven Wright, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Rodriguez was able to throw 35 pitches off the mound on Wednesday and his next step will be a live batting practice session. Rodriguez will start the season on the disabled […]

Dustin Pedroia Unlikely To Play In Spring Games

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora stated it is unlikely that second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) would get into even a minor league game this spring. Pedroia is still recovering from offseason knee surgery. As with the plan for all their players, the Red Sox are being very methodical in gradually bringing players along. Even […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts - NL Starting Pitchers

With the inherent injury risk to pitchers and innings management becoming more prevalent in baseball, nailing starting pitchers becomes even more important on draft day. After the big four of Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, and Corey Kluber are off the board, seemingly every pitcher has some sort flaw or concern going into 2018. […]

Updated First Base Rankings - 2018 Fantasy Baseball

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. Harris breaks down each tier and provides analysis […]

Blake Swihart's Spring Has Caused Teams To Come Running

Sean McAdam of Boston Sports Journal reported that Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart's spring performance has given cause for other teams to inquire on his availability. Thus far, Swihart leads the team in a number of offensive categories. Also, his six doubles are the most in the Grapefruit League. Thus far, Swihart has been […]

Chris Sale's First Grapefruit Game On Friday

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale is scheduled to make his first spring training start on Friday against Miami, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Sale threw 52 pitches in a controlled minor league game on Sunday and allowed only one hit. This gradual process for building up pitches is all a part of […]

Eduardo Nunez Has First Appearance In Spring Delayed

Boston Red Sox super-utility player Eduardo Nunez will not start Wednesday as previously expected, reported Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Nunez is fine, but the team is just being cautious because the grass is wet due to rain. He is expected to start Thursday. Nunez hit .321 with eight home runs and six stolen bases […]

Drew Pomeranz Pain-Free Following Forearm Strain

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz (forearm) played catch Wednesday and was pain-free, according to Pete Abraham of The The Boston Globe. Pomeranz will resume his normal routine. Pomeranz left Friday's start early and an MRI revealed a flexor strain, but no structural damage. Evidently the team was justified in their confidence that he […]

J.D. Martinez To Make Spring Debut Playing Left Field

Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Martinez will be making his spring debut for his new club, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Martinez will be playing left field, which he has not manned since 2014. He has made it known that he wants to play some corner outfield and not be relegated to […]

Turning Two - Beware the Trending Six-Man Rotation

A six-man starting rotation? "That's just not what MLB is to me," Texas Rangers pitcher Cole Hamels said recently. As someone accustomed to being at the forefront of a pitching staff and who's logged 362 starts over 12 Major League seasons, it's only logical that Hamels would expect to keep trotting out there as much as […]

Best-Ball Draft Strategy Overview for Fantasy Baseball

It's finally March, which can only mean two things: Spring Training and fantasy drafts. All the effort spent on rankings and draft prep finally come to fruition. Once your draft is completed, you then get to spend every day of the rest of the season analyzing player performances, scouring waiver wires and setting the best […]

Champ or Chump - Garrett Richards and Xander Bogaerts

Sometimes, you look at fantasy baseball ADP data and ask yourself, "why?" A deeper dive might reveal that your opinion on a given player has become outdated, or maybe you can see an argument that fails to convince you but might move the needle for somebody else. In either case, the price is justifiable. However, […]

ADP Rankings Debate - Andrew Benintendi vs. Marcell Ozuna

RotoBallers Andrew Le and Sean Scampton recently did their best Celebrity Deathmatch impression by debating between Andrew Benintendi (Andrew) and Marcell Ozuna (Sean). Interestingly, Benintendi and Ozuna face an odd occurrence where one player has the ADP advantage while the other is being ranked higher overall and at their position. As always, arguments about players […]

Andrew Benintendi Taking A More Aggressive Approach

Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi hit his first home run on Sunday and it was not even close. Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reported that the Red Sox are recommending that Benintendi should be more aggressive at the plate. “That’s what we’re talking about. It’s about being aggressive in the strike zone. If […]

David Price Is Confident In New Spring Routine

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher David Price praises the new spring regimen, according to Nick Friar of SouthCoastToday.com. Price is supportive of the gradual and methodical progression of the staff's pitching plan. This year, he has been allowed to build up his pitches to the point he feels more prepared than past years to face […]

Anthony Rendon Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our long-running series of articles debating fantasy rankings with a player that managed to stay healthy enough to post his first 100-RBI season and is now one of the top third baseman on draft boards. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we […]

Eduardo Rodriguez Has Another Successful Bullpen Session

Boston Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) threw a 45-pitch bullpen Saturday, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. "We're very happy with his progression," manager Alex Cora said. On Wednesday, Rodriguez was able to throw off the mound for the first time. It included 35 pitches mixed with fastballs and changeups. The next step will […]

Jackie Bradley Driven To Steal More Bases

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley has been given the green light to steal more bases, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Bradley stole eight bases in 2017 and was caught three times. In a conversation with Bradford, he revealed that he did not have the green light to steal bases last season. Bradley admitted […]

Drew Pomeranz Has Flexor Strain

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz (forearm) had an MRI that revealed a flexor strain, according to Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. There is no certainty on how much time he will have to rest, but he said he’s not too worried. “Consistent with what I felt.” Mastrodonato also reported that it seems […]

2017 Breakouts Due for Regression - Starting Pitchers

The 2017 season saw a number of starting pitchers emerge and become studs for both their real and fantasy teams. Aaron Nola and James Paxton finally matched their prospect hype. Alex Wood finally stayed (mostly) healthy and earned his first All-Star appearance. Trevor Bauer finally seemed to put his inconsistency behind him with a dominant second […]

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 […]