2020 Breakout Infielders Who'll Keep Improving

In a recent article, I outlined a methodology to determine which breakout 2020 seasons from hitters would be built off of into 2021. Upon further reflection, however, I’m unconvinced that that methodology the best way to spot breakouts that will continue to improve, in large part because of its reliance on evaluating the stickiness of […]

Matt Olson Continues Hot Spring

Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson went 1-for-3 in Tuesday's 12-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Olson is now 8-for-22 with three home runs, nine RBI, and six runs scored so far this spring. Olson struggled with his average in 2020 as he hit just .195, but his power numbers were superb as he smacked […]

Sean Murphy To Make Spring Debut On Thursday

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy (lung) will make his Cactus League debut on Thursday, according to manager Bob Melvin. Murphy is recovering from a collapsed lung that required offseason surgery. The 26-year-old backstop had a strong rookie year in 2020 blasting seven homers in 43 games. He won't hit for much batting average, but a […]

A.J. Puk Will Pitch In Spring Training Game Wednesday

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk (shoulder) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Wednesday, according to manager Bob Melvin. The 25-year-old lefty was once a top prospect in the A's system, but a myriad of injuries have derailed the early portion of his career. Puk missed the 2018 season after undergoing Tommy John […]

Trevor Rosenthal Scheduled To Pitch Wednesday

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal (groin) is yet to appear in Cactus League action with his new team, but he's been throwing bullpen sessions and manager Bob Melvin said he is scheduled to pitch in Wednesday's game. Rosenthal is the presumed closer for the A's after signing a one-year deal in Oakland this offseason. […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/16) - Luis Robert Scratched Monday

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're into our third week of spring training games and […]

Fantasy Baseball Spring Training Injury Updates

Injury updates tend to change often during Spring Training. "Soreness" is a common theme as players get back into game shape. I will be giving the most recent available injury updates from the offseason. These updates will undoubtedly change as Spring Training continues. As we get closer to Opening Day, some injuries are much more […]

2021 Starting Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues (Part 1)

We now move on to starting pitcher in our mixed-league rankings analysis series. If you missed them, here is our review of Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, and Outfield. RotoBaller's rankers, JB Branson, Pierre Camus, Nick Mariano, and Ariel Cohen have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings once more based on early spring training action. You can […]

Chad Pinder (2B/3B, OAK) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 440 CURRENT ADP: ~542 overall ANALYSIS: Pinder took clear steps he took to improve his plate discipline leading up to the 2020 season last February, and those improvements showed up in his performance. Although Pinder’s O-Swing rate was up slightly from 2019 at 33.3%, his swing rate at pitches in […]

Jake Diekman Fires Scoreless Inning In Spring Training Game

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Jake Diekman threw a 1-2-3 fifth inning in a Spring Training game against the White Sox on Sunday. The 34-year-old lefty was among the most dominant relievers in baseball last season posting a 0.42 ERA in 21 1/3 innings. Obviously, he won't sustain that pace over a larger sample size, but […]

Trevor Rosenthal Threw A Bullpen On Sunday

Oakland Athletics reliever Trevor Rosenthal, who's been dealing with a mild groin strain, threw a successful bullpen session on Sunday and should make his Cactus League debut in two days. Rosenthal has been ramping up since straining his groin last week and should be good to go for Opening Day if he doesn't have any […]

Top 10 Tips for Fantasy Baseball Snake Drafts

Before I begin, let me caveat everything I say with this: I don't consider myself to be some sort of expert master fantasy player. I've only been playing fantasy baseball for a little under a decade. But as soon as I started to immerse myself into this game we all love, my main focus was […]

Spring Training Lineup Takeaways - Week 2 Lineup Trends

Welcome back RotoBallers! We are entering week three of Spring Training already, and with that came a lot of things we saw in week two. But of course, my week one review also still has very relevant information as well. Just a reminder, in my Lineup Takeaways series we are focusing 100% on lineups, news and […]

Top 25 Starting Pitchers - Dynasty Prospects Rankings

Pitching is an important element of any successful Major League Baseball team — real or fantasy. Coming off a truncated season in 2020 and facing another unique season ahead, pitching prospects will be more important than ever in 2021. MLB managers will be faced with a full 2021 season and, after throwing reduced innings last […]

Mike Fiers Will Have MRI On Sunday

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Mike Fiers will undergo an MRI on his hip/back on Sunday after experiencing a setback. A's manager Bob Melvin previously told reporters that Fiers was behind the other starters in his throwing program due to a back issue and apparently it's gotten worse. There is a good chance he's not ready […]

Mike Fiers To Get MRI Sunday

Oakland Athletics pitcher Mike Fiers is being shut down and will get an MRI on Sunday. The team originally described it as a back ailment, though they now believe it to be an issue with his hip. At any rate, the veteran starter will continue to be on the sidelines- he has yet to see […]

Sean Murphy Closes In On Return To Game Action

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy (lung) has resumed taking batting practice in anticipation of making his Cactus League debut in the near future. Murphy has been working his way back from a collapsed lung, but manager Bob Melvin stated Thursday that the backstop was "progressing" toward a return to the field. How quickly Murphy is […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/12) - Severino Beginning Build Up

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're officially through the first week of spring training games […]

Best-Ball Late-Round Values - Infield

Fantasy Baseball draft season is in full swing, and that goes for more than just redraft leagues; we are talking best-ball formats. Best-ball leagues have been gaining traction in recent years and for good reason. Drafts start almost immediately after the previous season ends for those looking for an offseason fantasy fix. Best-ball drafts are […]

2021 Outfielder Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

We now move on to the outfielder position in our mixed-league rankings analysis series. If you missed them, here is our review of Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base and Shortstop. RotoBaller's rankers, JB Branson, Pierre Camus, Nick Mariano, and Ariel Cohen have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings once more based on early spring training action. […]

Jed Lowrie Getting Back In Action

Oakland Athletics infielder Jed Lowrie (knee) missed the first week of spring action while working his way back from left knee surgery in the offseason, but he played in his second Cactus League game on Thursday and impressed manager Bob Melvin by making solid contact. The 36-year-old is trying to make the squad on a […]

Jesus Luzardo Unveils New Pitch Thursday

Oakland Athletics left-hander Jesus Luzardo unveiled a new pitch he calls the Turkey Sub on Thursday, a funky 65 mph looping breaking ball to complement his mid-90s fastball. The 23-year-old hasn't thrown the pitch in a major league game, but he's been working to incorporate it into his arsenal this spring. He held the Rangers […]

Jesus Luzardo Dominant In Spring Debut

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo threw four shutout innings with five strikeouts in his Cactus League debut Thursday. Luzardo walked two, but didn't allow a hit while needing just 49 pitches to breeze through four frames. Hold on to your hats, Luzardo will soar up draft boards after this outing. The 23-year-old has a […]

Mike Fiers Battles Back Ailment Early In Camp

Oakland Athletics right-handed pitcher Mike Fiers (back) has not yet appeared in a Cactus League game, which manager Bob Melvin confirmed Wednesday has been due to a lingering back ailment. Fiers has been pitching in sim games, but Melvin did state that Fiers would be behind the rest of the team's projected starting staff as […]

Frankie Montas Feels Good After Simulated Game

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas (illness) said he feels good after throwing two innings in a simulated game. Montas was late to camp after battling COVID-19. As long as there are no setbacks, Montas should appear in Spring Training games soon and is on track to be in the rotation for Opening Day, according […]

Chris Bassitt Working On New Slider Grip

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Chris Bassitt is working on a new slider to try and build on his career year in 2020. In the shortened campaign, Bassitt went 5-2 with 55 strikeouts, a 2.29 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in 63 innings. According to Statcast, Bassitt only threw 25 sliders last year, but he has […]

Top 10 Shortstops - Dynasty Prospects Rankings

The shortstop position is a bountiful one for fantasy players. In a 12-team league, most fantasy managers should have the opportunity to be happy with their starter at the position thanks to the depth and variety of skills available. In 2019, 16 shortstops that had at least 350 plate appearances produced a 100 wRC+ or […]

Matt Chapman Leading Off On Wednesday

Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman will lead off and handle DH duties in Wednesday's Spring Training game against the Brewers. Chapman has been hitting well thus far in spring including blasting a homer to dead-center in Tuesday's contest. The A's have an opening at the top of their order after Marcus Semien left in […]

A.J. Puk Will Throw A Simulated Game On Tuesday

Oakland Athletics pitcher A.J. Puk will throw a simulated game on Tuesday, according to manager Bob Melvin. He will pitch two innings at the team complex and will throw another simulated game on Saturday if all goes well. "Hopefully he's into a regular game," following the simulated work, Melvin added. The former top-prospect hasn't pitched […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/9) - Meadows Returning To Form

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're officially through the first week of spring training games […]