Gerrit Cole Struggles On Monday

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole labored through a 28-pitch inning during which he allowed one run on three hits with no strikeouts on Monday. Monday's performance shouldn't change the way fantasy managers value Cole heading into 2021; he showed no signs of injury (not that any were reported) and hit 99.5 mph on […]

Jon Anderson's Shortstop Tiered Rankings and Projections

I am on to shortstop in my position-by-position tiered rankings. Check out the rest of the series at the links below: First Base Second Base Third Base This is quite a different position than what we've seen so far with first and second base. There are four studs at the position, and lots and lots […]

Michael King Struggles In First Spring Start

New York Yankees starting pitcher Michael King pitched poorly in his first spring training start of the year on Sunday, allowing three runs over two innings with one strikeout. Fantasy managers shouldn't read much into one start, but every performance matters for King as he fights an uphill battle for a job in the team's […]

Does Pitch Arsenal Really Matter?

In my research over the last couple of months, I have been paying close attention to the pitch mix of each pitcher I study. This means I want to know how many different pitches they can throw and how they distribute those different offerings. It seemed logical to me that pitchers with more pitches in […]

Mike Tauchman Had A Shoulder Injury Last Season

New York Yankees outfielder Mike Tauchman dealt with shoulder issues for much of last season. Tauchman struggled in 2020 with a paltry .648 OPS over 43 games, and diminished power (23.4% hard-hit rate, .334 xwOBAcon) was a significant driver of his poor overall performance. It's certainly possible that Tauchman's shoulder issues were the root cause […]

Jon Anderson's Third Base Tiered Rankings and Projections

Welcome back to my own personal rankings series! Today we're covering third base, but you can check out the rest of the series at the links below: First Base Second Base Shortstop Third base may be the deepest position in terms of total statistical production that will come out of it, but that does not […]

Is J.T. Realmuto Worth the Draft Cost?

Every year, there seems to be one catcher who stands above all others when it comes to fantasy value and consequently draft price. In 2017, it was Gary Sanchez. In 2018, Salvador Perez. After the 2019 and 2020 seasons, J.T. Realmuto has clearly emerged as the top backstop in fantasy. Catcher is one of the […]

Luke Voit Looking To Walk More In 2021

New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit said that he's focusing on increasing his walk rate for the 2021 season on Thursday. Voit's 7.3% walk rate from last season was one of the only (relative) holes in his game as he led the league in home runs and posted a .948 OPS, and his suppressed […]

Emmanuel Clase (RP, CLE) - 2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

The Cleveland Indians finished the shortened 2020 season 10 games above .500 and earned a Wild Card spot out of the A.L. Central. They had this success despite key players like Francisco Lindor and Oscar Mercado not performing up to expectations. They also had success despite losing one of their key bullpen arms in Emmanuel […]

Jon Anderson's Second Base Tiered Rankings and Projections

Happy drafting season everybody! We are back with another tiered ranking look, this time at second base. You can read about first base here. The way I went about this was to use current projections for each player and then average out each player's percentile rank in each of the five standard rotisserie categories (R, […]

The King and Pocket Aces Episode 3- Wentz, Hurts Fallout, 1B Rankings

In this episode of The King and Pockets Aces, RotoBaller's Scott "The King" Engel and Anthony "Pocket Aces" Aniano share their highly charged Fantasy insights. They look at the latest and upcoming NFL player moves, the Hot Stove headlines, provide Fantasy Basketball player breakdowns, and ready you for the DFS NASCAR season with strategy tips. […]

2021 Third Base Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

We continue to move past the chaos of 2020 and onto a new baseball season full of promise. For fantasy baseball managers, draft season is already upon us. RotoBaller's rankers, Pierre Camus, Big Pick Nick Mariano, and I have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings as we now move on to evaluate the hot corner. […]

Aaron Judge Plans To Play Smarter To Avoid Injuries

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge said he plans to play smarter in 2021 in order to stay on the field. The right-handed slugger hit nine home runs in 16 games to start last season, but he only played in 28 total games due to a right calf strain, and he's played in 242 of […]

Estevan Florial Not At Spring Training Yet

New York Yankees outfielder Estevan Florial has yet to join the team in Tampa Bay as he deals with visa issues, according to manager Aaron Boone. One of the team's top prospects, Florial made his MLB debut in 2020 but played in only one game. Still an exciting young outfielder, Florial boasts an impressive combination […]

Giancarlo Stanton Could Play Outfield

New York Yankees outfielder and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton might spend some time in the outfield in 2021, according to manager Aaron Boone. Boone has previously stated his preference for the oft-injured Stanton to spend most of his time as the DH, so it's interesting to hear Boone mention Stanton's added flexibility for 2021. Fantasy managers […]

Gleyber Torres Still Has A Bright Future

New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres hit 38 home runs in 144 games in 2019, but he finished last season with just three long balls in 42 games and his barrel rate dropped 6.4 percentage points, the sixth-largest drop in baseball. His hard-hit rate increased from 36.5 percent to 38.0 percent, but almost half of […]

Gerrit Cole Will Start On Opening Day

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole was confirmed as the team's Opening Day starter by manager Aaron Boone on Monday. The unquestioned ace in the Yankees rotation, it should come as no surprise that Cole will start for the team's first game of the 2021 season. Despite struggling to limit home runs last season, […]

Gio Urshela On Pace To Be Game-Ready In One Week

New York Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela (elbow) is expected to be healthy enough for game action as soon as Feb. 28, according to manager Aaron Boone. Urshela underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow in December, but he's recovered well and is likely to be in the team's Opening Day lineup […]

Roster Construction Strategies from the Middle

Drafting a great roster is the vital base for a successful fantasy baseball season. In order to do that, you'll need to find an optimal draft position. All draft spots are not created equal. Finding the right spot for you is your first task. Everyone has their own preference on the best spot to start […]

Clarke Schmidt Has An Elbow Injury

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (elbow) will be sidelined for the next three to four weeks with an elbow strain, according to manager Aaron Boone. Schmidt reportedly won't require Tommy John surgery, but it's discouraging to see one of the team's top prospects suffer an elbow injury after already undergoing Tommy John surgery […]

2021 Shortstop Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

Once upon a time, shortstop was one of the toughest positions to fill in fantasy baseball, just a small notch above catcher. 10 years ago, we were prioritizing Troy Tulowitzki and Hanley Ramirez near the top of drafts just because they filled that elusive shortstop spot. Sure, they were fantastic hitters – when healthy – […]

Top 250 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Part 3)

Welcome back RotoBallers to Part 3 of my dynasty prospects list, breaking down the 1-50 ranked prospects. You can also read Part 1 and Part 2 from a few days ago, looking at the 51-150 and 151-250 ranked prospects. RotoBaller's Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects list is back and refreshed for the 2021 season. Baseball has […]

Jon Anderson's First Base Tiered Rankings and Projections

One way to improve at drafting a fantasy baseball team is to shift your focus away from straight-ordered rankings and into tiered rankings. This helps you identify spots in the draft where you need to prioritize a certain position and times when you can wait. The difference between the #2 and #3 first baseman is […]

RotoBaller Mock Draft Review - Biggest Reaches and Regrets

As we steamroll into fantasy baseball draft season, the team here at RotoBaller continues to practice what we preach by partaking in mock drafts. It's the best way to test out plans, gather information to have a better idea of what to expect for the real thing and try out new ideas you've been working […]

Michael King Adding A Third Pitch To His Arsenal

New York Yankees pitcher Michael King has reportedly spent the offseason working to add a third pitch to his arsenal. King struggled in 26.2 innings last season with a 7.76 ERA and 5.14 FIP, but he'll compete for a job in the starting rotation during spring training. It's not exactly clear what King considers to […]

2021 Second Base Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

We continue to move past the chaos of 2020 and onto a new baseball season full of promise. For fantasy baseball managers, draft season is already upon us. RotoBaller's rankers, Pierre Camus, Big Pick Nick Mariano, and I have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings as we now move on to evaluate the keystone position. […]

Fastball Barrel Board - Bases Loaded Podcast

Carmen Maiorano (@CarmsClubHouse) joins the show discuss his newest bit of research, his fastball barrel board. Subscribe to the Bases Loaded podcast, part of RotoBaller Radio's Podcast Network. Like and Subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as well! Be sure to also tune […]

Are We Overvaluing Innings Pitched Projections?

One of the biggest questions that the 2020 season has caused for 2021 is concerning starting pitcher inning totals. The league leader in regular-season innings last year, as you've probably heard, was Lance Lynn with 84 innings. The average total for pitchers who made 10 or more starts was just 60 innings. In years prior […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: HR/FB

Using BABIP to predict a player's batting average is great. Batting average is a category in many league formats, and every hit is an opportunity to steal a base or score a run. But most fantasy managers find the long ball sexier. Every HR comes with a guaranteed run scored and at least one RBI. […]

Top 250 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Part 2)

Welcome back RotoBallers to Part 2 of my dynasty prospects list, breaking down the 51-150 ranked prospects. You can also read Part 1 and Part 3 from a few days ago, looking at the 1-50 and 151-250 ranked prospects. RotoBaller's Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects list is back and refreshed for the 2021 season. Baseball has […]