Pirates Place Johan Oviedo, Endy Rodriguez On 60-Day Injured List
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed right-hander Johan Oviedo (elbow) and catcher Endy Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday. Oviedo will miss all of the 2024 season after having Tommy John surgery in December. The 25-year-old was inconsistent in his first full season as a starter for the Pirates last year, going 9-14 with... Read More
Top 50 First Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February Updates)
Hey, RotoBallers! Pitchers and catchers are reporting, and the fantasy baseball offseason is back in full swing. We are back with more fantasy baseball rankings. Today, we will look at our MLB team's updated 2024 fantasy baseball first base rankings, recently updated for February. Below, you'll find the latest 1B rankings for fantasy drafts, along... Read More
2024 College Baseball Betting Picks: World Series Futures
Omaha, Nebraska. The home of the men's NCAA College World Series. Teams will compete for the next five months to get to this place to square off in an eight-man double-elimination tournament. For college baseball players, this is where all hope to end their season hoisting a national championship trophy. For some, making it to... Read More
Pirates Researching Noah Syndergaard, Domingo German
The Pittsburgh Pirates are still looking to bolster their starting rotation for 2024 and are reportedly considering free agents Noah Syndergaard and Domingo German, per Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey. Mackey reported that the team is doing more investigation into German's history to determine how comfortable they would be in signing him, given his numerous off-field... Read More
Pirates, Marlins Discussing Edward Cabrera Trade
In an attempt to bolster their starting rotation, the Pittsburgh Pirates have reportedly been in contact with the Miami Marlins to discuss a trade involving starting pitcher Edward Cabrera, per Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey. Such a deal would involve the Pirates sending one of three infielders: Liover Peguero, Nick Gonzales, or Ji Hwan Bae. Cabrera... Read More
Top 25 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings - Eric Cross' 2024 Draft Targets
Shiny New Toy Syndrome (SNTS) is a condition that impacts thousands of fantasy baseball managers around the world. If you or a loved one have been impacted by SNTS, please contact the fantasy baseball offices of Cross and RotoBaller today and we will unfortunately not be able to assist you as there are a plethora... Read More
Pirates, Yasmani Grandal Agree To Deal
The Pittsburgh Pirates and free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal on Sunday, according to a source. Grandal heads back to the National League for the 2024 season, where he should be expected to serve as Henry Davis' primary backup. The 35-year-old left-handed slugger slashed .226/.343/.375 with 44 home runs and... Read More
Strike Zone Rate Analysis: Starting Pitchers Who Attack The Zone (2024)
So what's this article all about? Well, we want to take a look at pitchers who attack the zone (Zone% > 45%), have swing-and-miss stuff (SwStr% > 13%), and have a better-than-league-average zone contact (Z-Contact% < 85.4%) to see if their approach is working for them. For context, the league average Zone% in 2023 was... Read More
Using SIERA to Identify Overachievers Worth Fading in 2024 Fantasy Baseball
With spring training rapidly approaching, it's time for part one of my two-part series on using SIERA to identify pitchers with an ERA that was not truly reflective of their overall effectiveness. SIERA attempts to quantify the skills that underpin a pitcher's ERA. It attempts to consider how specific skills (strikeouts, walks, ground balls) interact... Read More
Top 300 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Rankings and Tiers (2024)
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to more fantasy baseball rankings! It's an exciting time for fantasy baseball as pitchers and catchers report soon while the heart of the draft season is rapidly approaching. Today, we will review our 2024 fantasy baseball dynasty league rankings. These rankings cover both hitters and pitchers. It's never too early to begin... Read More
Closers and Relief Pitcher Draft Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Roto Leagues (February Updates)
It's time to consider the one position on your roster that many fantasy baseball players find the least palatable: relief pitchers. I hear the collective groan. But here's the thing: this doesn't have to be painful. If you slot pitchers into tiers and convince yourself that you will be happy getting a guy from those... Read More
Brent Honeywell Agrees With Pirates On Minors Pact
Free-agent right-hander Brent Honeywell agreed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a minor-league deal on Wednesday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Honeywell would earn a $1.25 million salary in the major leagues in 2024. The 28-year-old former second-rounder was once one of the Tampa Bay Rays' top pitching prospects, but injuries have since... Read More
Top 10 Second Base Prospect Rankings for Dynasty Fantasy Baseball (2024)
The second base position has always been one of the weaker positions for fantasy purposes, but not so much in the prospect world right now. All 10 names below are inside my Top 100 overall and there are a few others like Joey Loperfido and Michael Busch that could play some second base in the... Read More
NL Prospects to Target in 2024 Redraft Leagues - The Toolshed Fantasy Baseball Podcast (Ep. 273)
Welcome to episode 273 of The Toolshed Podcast with Clegg and Cross brought to you by RotoBaller. The Toolshed is a dynasty and prospects-focused podcast. Each week, hosts Eric Cross (@EricCross04) and Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) dive into the world of dynasty leagues and cover all levels of prospects from the MLB Draft up to the... Read More
Intro To NL/AL-Only Leagues: Draft Strategies for Fantasy Baseball
If you're looking to liven up your fantasy baseball experience, trying your hand at an Only league could be a great way to bring a fresh perspective to one of your favorite pastimes. While standard mixed leagues are largely a race to accumulate as many elite performers as possible, Only leagues allow gamers to demonstrate... Read More
Three Players Set To Bust At 3B In Fantasy Baseball In 2024
The best part of the fantasy baseball season is drafting your team. Over the next couple of weeks, fantasy baseball leagues will begin to draft, and that means now is the perfect time to start prepping for your league. Luckily, RotoBaller will have you covered all year. The MLB regular season will officially begin on... Read More
Fantasy Baseball Busts Who'll Keep Junking It Up - Infield Edition (2024)
One key component of fantasy baseball drafts is finding a player coming off a down year who is set to have a bounce-back season. With a lower-than-expected average draft position (ADP), you can get greater value from these players. To do so, you need to identify what caused their struggles and whether or not they... Read More
Jared Triolo Could Bounce Around On The Infield
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jared Triolo's versatility may keep him from being the "everyday" second baseman in 2024, according to MLB.com's Jake Crouse. Triolo impressed in his rookie season in 2023, hitting .298/.388/.398 with three home runs, 21 RBI, six stolen bases and 30 runs scored in his first 54 major-league games. He's also a minor-league... Read More
Liover Peguero Likely To See Most Reps At Second Base
MLB.com's Jake Crouse thinks Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Liover Peguero is the likeliest candidate to see the majority of repetitions at second base in 2024 thanks to his power-speed combination potential in what will be a crowded battle at the keystone in spring training among the likes of Peguero, Ji-Hwan Bae, Nick Gonzalez, Jared Triolo and... Read More
Ji-Hwan Bae Could Open Season As Pirates' Fourth Outfielder
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Ji-Hwan Bae is likely to open the 2024 season on the bench, according to Jake Crouse of MLB.com. It's still unclear who will start the year as the Pirates' second baseman, and while Crouse acknowledges that Bae is in the mix, he also writes that it's "unlikely Bae will get the majority... Read More
Pirates Considering Gary Sanchez
The Pittsburgh Pirates are among the teams considering ex-New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, who had a fantastic year with the San Diego Padres in 2023 while become left-hander Blake Snell's personal catcher. The Pirates are expected to move Henry Davis to full-time catching duties in 2024, but maybe they'd like some insurance behind him... Read More
Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings (January 2024 Update)
Welcome back RotoBallers to the January update of our MLB team's dynasty fantasy baseball prospects rankings for the 2024 season. We're now into 2024 with an eye on the upcoming year, and moves by MLB teams have begun to shape how we look at prospects. Comments about potential playing time, big contracts offered to players... Read More
The Biggest Starting Pitcher Risers for Fantasy Baseball: K-BB%
How can you uncover a potential hidden gem late in a draft or determine which players warrant drafting them ahead of their ADP? You analyze the data, of course. OR, you let us do that for you! In this article, we'll look at pitchers that had the most dramatic increases in K-BB% from 2022 to... Read More
Ariel Cohen's Takeaways From The 2023 Fantasy Baseball Season
As the 2023 Major League Baseball World Series has now concluded, I would like to share several takeaways that stand out to me from the fantasy baseball season. Some of these points will be a data-driven look at 2023 trends or anomalies. Some of these topics will help shape some fantasy draft strategy in 2024.... Read More
Pirates Sign Wily Peralta To Minors Pact
The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed right-hander Wily Peralta to a minor-league deal. The deal includes an invitation to big-league spring training. The veteran didn't appear in the big leagues at all in the 2023 season after signing a minor-league deal with the Washington Nationals, a little surprising considering he worked to a healthy 2.93 ERA... Read More
Pirates Designate Canaan Smith-Njigba For Assignment
The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba for assignment in order to make 40-man roster space for reliever Aroldis Chapman, whose one-year, $10.5 million deal has become official. The 24-year-old appeared in just 15 games for the Bucs in the 2023 season, hitting just .125 with one stolen base, five RBI, and a big-time... Read More
Five Hitters Who Changed Scenes: Fantasy Baseball Impact
The MLB offseason got off to an extremely slow start but has begun to pick up speed in recent weeks. We've seen many former All-Stars and power hitters alike sign with or get traded to different teams. So, it begs the question: What are the implications of these moves for the player, their new club,... Read More
Paul Skenes Invited To Spring Training
Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Paul Skenes is one of a group of players that received non-roster invites to major-league spring training this year. In addition to Skenes, the Pirates also invited top prospects Termarr Johnson, Bubba Chandler, Jared Jones and Anthony Solometo. Skenes is the biggest name after Pittsburgh took him first overall in last... Read More
Fantasy Baseball Outlooks For Rhys Hoskins, Robert Stephenson, Aroldis Chapman, James Paxton - MLB Signings Analysis
There has been a host of significant free-agent signings over the last few days with the MLB offseason nearing its end before pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Rhys Hoskins, Robert Stephenson, Aroldis Chapman, and James Paxton all found new homes for the 2024 season of late. Each club certainly improves with their respective... Read More
Top Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Prospects - 2024 Draft Targets and Sleepers
In fantasy baseball redraft leagues, each draft pick is expected to provide results immediately, as many formats don’t offer minor league slots to stash fantasy baseball prospects who will emerge in the summer. It’s a lot harder to predict the immediate impact of starting pitching prospects as opposed to hitters for a plethora of reasons.... Read More