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 A deeper dive might reveal that your opinion on a given player has become outdated, or maybe you can see an argument that fails to convince you but might move the needle for somebody else.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 […]

Chris Sale's Offseason Plan Becoming More Clear

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale has had an offseason plan that is geared more towards being successful throughout the season and through the postseason. We have known about the existence of a plan all offseason. Scott Lauber of ESPN has exposed a little more of what the plan actually entails. The lesson thus far […]

J.D. Martinez Getting Closer To Spring Debut

Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Martinez will begin hitting in games soon. Manager Alex Cora stated that he will discuss with Martinez on Saturday when he feels would be a good time to make his spring debut. On Tuesday, Cora stated Martinez would likely start serving as the designated hitter after their day off on Monday. Until […]

Sam Travis To Expand Versatility

Boston Red Sox first baseman Sam Travis is likely to have his positional eligibility expand, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. The Red Sox are looking for Travis to play some corner outfield later this spring. Travis does not fit the mold of the traditional first baseman ,as he lacks power. Also, another […]

Kenley Jansen Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our rankings debates with a look at the game's best reliever. 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 […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts - NL Relief Pitchers

Early-season drafts do not always tend to be reflective of a player's actual value. Average draft position does not tend to stabilize until closer to Opening Day but that does not stop people like myself (and presumably you as well if you're reading this) from drafting well before then. The ADP of relief pitchers is […]

Blake Swihart Competing For Second Catcher Role

Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart is trying to demonstrate that he is deserving of a roster spot, according to Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com. In the five games he has played, Swihart is 6-for-15 with four doubles and a homer. Swihart is 27 years old and out of options, trying to make the 25-man roster […]

2018 Relief Pitchers - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

As we move closer to the 2018 baseball season, at RotoBaller we have released our Dynasty Rankings. We have been dissecting the tiers of each position, showing fantasy owners where to find value in their draft. We have a total of 54 relief pitchers ranked in the first six tiers. When looking at dynasty leagues, one […]

Blake Swihart Plays The Field For First Time

For the first game this spring, Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart played first base on Wednesday against the Pirates. He went hitless in three at-bats and struck out once. The plan to increase Swihart's versatility has begun, and now we will see what he does with it and how it affects his future with […]

Marco Hernandez Six Weeks Away From Baseball Activities

Boston Red Sox infielder Marco Hernandez (shoulder) says it will be about six weeks before he can start baseball activities, reported Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Hernandez returned to camp from Boston on Tuesday. While in Boston, he had two screws removed from his shoulder, stemming from a procedure he had in May. He will be […]

Eduardo Rodriguez Takes Next Step In Recovery

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) threw off the mound for the first time in the recovery process, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Rodriguez was able to throw 35 pitches, all fastballs and changeups. He feels he’s recovered from surgery in October on his right knee and is focused only on […]

Steven Wright Throws Off Mound

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Steven Wright (knee) will throw off the mound for the first time Wednesday, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Wright, who had cartilage restoration surgery on his left knee in May, started throwing from halfway up the mound then got to the top for the first time since his […]

Tyler Thornburg Throws Bullpen Session Wednesday

As scheduled, Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Tyler Thornburg (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Wednesday comprised of 20 fastballs off the mound, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. This was Thornburg's first bullpen session since having thoracic outlet surgery in June 2017. Christian Vazquez seemed enthused after catching Tyler Thornburg's first side session since surgery. He let […]

Dustin Pedroia Hitting Wednesday

Updating a report from Tuesday, Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) will start hitting Wednesday, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Pedroia is still recovering from offseason knee surgery, which included not only cartilage restoration in his knee but also microfracture surgery on his tibia. He started taking grounders last week. […]

Hanley Ramirez Makes A Bold Declaration

Boston Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez has made an outrageous pronouncement, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. “I’m going 30/30. Write that down,” said Ramirez. Evidently, Ramirez is feeling very good this spring. Assuming health, it is not out of the question that Ramirez can hit 30 homers in this homer-friendly age, […]

2018 Starting Pitchers - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball dynasty rankings analysis with the first base position. RotoBaller writers Kyle Richardson, Chris Zolli, Pierre Camus, and I have come up with our preseason 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 […]

Chris Sale Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our rankings debate with a look at one of the game's most dominant arms. Major League Baseball's reigning strikeout king is a consensus top-four starting pitcher, but his exact draft value is still in question. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed […]

Craig Kimbrel Leaves Camp To Be With Family

Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel has left the team to be with his infant daughter, who is having a second heart procedure in Boston, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Kimbrel learned his daughter would be born with a heart defect early in the 2017 season and she has already had one […]

Dustin Pedroia To Start Hitting Soon

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) will start hitting on the field soon, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Pedroia is still recovering from offseason knee surgery. He started taking grounders last week. While hitting on the field is good news, Pedroia is still a long way from running the bases.