2024 Fantasy Baseball Closers and Saves: Bullpen Draft Strategies and Late-Round Targets
As we prepare to navigate another busy fantasy baseball season of drafting, which is the best season we have all year, we need to contemplate how we will tackle the stickiest wicket in fantasy baseball: saves. How we value relief pitchers has changed throughout the last few seasons. We know that relief pitchers are throwing... Read More
Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Rankings and Tiers - Roto Leagues (January Updates)
Hey, RotoBallers! We have published all our hitting positions already. It's now time to focus on pitchers. Pitchers and catchers will report in a few weeks, and Spring Training games will follow suit shortly after. We are here to help you build that league-winning staff with our MLB team's early 2024 fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings... Read More
Closers and Relief Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Rankings and Tiers - Roto Leagues (January Updates)
Hey, RotoBallers! We are back with more fantasy baseball rankings. Today, we will look at our MLB team's early 2024 fantasy baseball closer and relief pitcher rankings and tiers for 5x5 mixed roto leagues. Saves are one of the most volatile categories in fantasy baseball. However, the good news is that many teams have a clear... Read More
Catcher Fantasy Baseball Rankings and Tiers - Roto Leagues (January Updates)
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to more fantasy baseball rankings to help you prepare for your upcoming fantasy drafts. It's never too early to start preparing for fantasy baseball. Today, we will look at our MLB team's early 2024 fantasy baseball catcher rankings and tiers for 5x5 mixed roto leagues. Most NFBC formats require you to start two... Read More
First Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings and Tiers - Roto Leagues (January Updates)
Hey RotoBallers, it's an exciting time of the fantasy baseball season as we get closer to the start of Spring Training. A year of fantasy baseball is ahead, and it's never too early to prepare for your upcoming drafts. We are here to help dominate your draft and crush your leagues with our MLB team's... Read More
Second Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings and Tiers - Roto Leagues (January Updates)
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to more fantasy baseball rankings. Pitchers and catchers will report soon, and Spring Training is about a month away. It's never too early to prepare for your upcoming fantasy baseball drafts. We are here to help crush your draft and win your league with our MLB team's early 2024 fantasy baseball second base... Read More
Third Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings and Tiers - Roto Leagues (January Updates)
It's an exciting time for baseball. Spring Training is approaching, and Opening Day is about two months away. It's never too early to prepare for your upcoming fantasy baseball drafts. At RotoBaller, we'll help you dominate your draft and win your league with our MLB team's early 2024 fantasy baseball third base rankings and tiers... Read More
Shortstop Fantasy Baseball Rankings and Tiers - Roto Leagues (January Updates)
Hey, RotoBallers! Opening Day is a few months away, and it's never too early to prepare for your upcoming fantasy baseball drafts. Spring Training will start soon, and at RotoBaller, we are here to guide you through your drafts, crush, and win your fantasy leagues with our MLB team's early 2024 fantasy baseball shortstop rankings... Read More
Outfield Fantasy Baseball Rankings and Tiers - Roto Leagues (January Updates)
Welcome back, Rotoballers! We are back with more fantasy baseball rankings to help prepare you for your upcoming drafts. Pitchers and catchers will report soon, while Opening Day is just 60 days away. It's time to focus on your MLB drafts and win your leagues with our MLB team's early 2024 fantasy baseball outfield rankings and... Read More
Starting Pitchers - 2024 Fantasy Baseball ADP Analysis, Draft Targets, Avoids
As we get into the end of January, fantasy baseball draft season is nearly in full swing. At this point, you either have a few drafts under your belt or you're at least getting ready for your first draft of the 2024 season. Wherever you are in your process, we have the content and tools... Read More
2024 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Rankings, Tiers, Analysis - Roto League Drafts
As we inch closer to MLB's Opening Day, we also welcome the most turbulent and confusing time in the fantasy baseball draft season. Parsing through hundreds of players' profiles is hard enough, but recent Spring Training data makes it difficult to find the players worth drafting to your team. Luckily, RotoBaller's preseason rankings -- compiled... Read More
Where Does Aroldis Chapman Fit With The Pirates? Fantasy Baseball Outlook
The Pittsburgh Pirates have added a high-octane arm to their relief corps as they have signed veteran big leaguer Aroldis Chapman to a one-year, $10.5 million pact for the 2024 campaign. This marks the southpaw's sixth different organization in the big leagues as he has spent time with the Reds, Yankees (twice), Cubs, Royals, and... Read More
Angels Designate Alfonso Rivas For Assignment
The Los Angeles Angels have designated first baseman/outfielder Alfonso Rivas for assignment. The move was made after the Angels made the signing of reliever Robert Stephenson official on Wednesday. Unfortunately, it's been a busy offseason transaction-wise for Rivas as he was cut loose but the Pirates following the 2023 season before being picked up by... Read More
Aroldis Chapman Agrees With Pirates
Free-agent Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman agreed to an undisclosed deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, according to sources. Chapman started last year with the Kansas City Royals before joining the eventual World Series-champion Texas Rangers. In 61 total relief appearances, the seven-time All-Star reliever had a 3.09 ERA (2.52 FIP), 1.25 WHIP, six saves,... Read More
2024 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Rankings, Tiers, Analysis - Roto League Drafts
MLB shortstops, often considered the defensive captains of the infield, play a crucial role in baseball's dynamics. Renowned for their exceptional fielding skills and quick reflexes, shortstops prevent hits and turn crucial double plays. These players are typically versatile athletes who showcase a combination of speed, agility, and arm strength. Offensively, many modern shortstops are... Read More
Fantasy Baseball Top 100 Prospects for 2024 First-Year Player Drafts (January 2024 Update)
A number of the top international players that are being posted this offseason have signed, with a few more yet to come. Rankings for players have adjusted, some due to their destination, and a few MLB draft prospects are moving due to some additional viewing of tape and underlying metrics on those players. Otherwise, there... Read More
Is Oneil Cruz Healthy Or Injured? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update
Other than some flashes of the power stroke and some fine defensive play, Oneil Cruz's start to his MLB career was somewhat unremarkable. Through August 2022, his stat line was .202-11-35-26-6 with a wOBA of .286 and wRC+ of 81 in 230 PA. It wasn't until late 2022 that he started to display his full... Read More
Closers and Relief Pitchers - 2024 Fantasy Baseball ADP Analysis, Draft Targets, Avoids
As we get into the middle of January, fantasy baseball draft season is gaining speed and momentum. By now, most of you have either already participated in a draft of some sort or are at least beginning your prep work and/or consuming more fantasy baseball content. This relief pitcher position is annually one of the... Read More
Billy McKinney Staying With Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed free-agent outfielder Billy McKinney, infielder Sergio Alcantara, outfielder Gilberto Celestino, right-hander Ben Heller, infielder/outfielder Jake Lamb, left-hander Michael Plassmeyer, right-hander Ryder Ryan and right-hander Hunter Stratton to minor-league deals with invites to spring training on Thursday. McKinney was traded to the Pirates from the New York Yankees in December and will... Read More
Pirates Think Paul Skenes Could Benefit From More Development
The Pittsburgh Pirates believe right-handed pitching prospect Paul Skenes would benefit from more development in the minor leagues and that he's not ready for the majors yet, even though he's already better than everyone in their system, according to sources. The Pirates need him to be their long-term ace, so it wouldn't be wise for... Read More
Pirates Avoid Arbitration With JT Brubaker
The Pittsburgh Pirates avoided salary arbitration with right-hander JT Brubaker on Wednesday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.275 million deal, according to a source. Brubaker won't receive any kind of raise after missing all of the 2023 season following his Tommy John surgery in April. The 30-year-old said his goal this year is to return... Read More
Paul Skenes Voted Best Pitching Prospect
In a 2024 MLB Pipeline poll of front-office executives from all 30 organizations, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes was voted the game's best pitching prospect. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Skenes was the first overall pick in last year's draft, and many viewed the big righty from LSU as the best pitching... Read More
Oneil Cruz Healthy For The Start Of The Season
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) is healthy heading into the 2024 season, according to manager Derek Shelton. "He's healthy. He's moving around. That's a really encouraging sign for everybody who's a Pirates fan," Shelton told reporters. The 25-year-old shortstop fractured his left ankle back in April of the '23 season and missed the entire... Read More
2024 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings, Tiers, Analysis - Roto League Drafts
Last season saw multiple catchers across Major League Baseball emerge as potential future stars, the most obvious being Baltimore's Adley Rutschman. But Seattle's Cal Raleigh, Arizona's Gabriel Moreno, Atlanta's Sean Murphy, and New York's Francisco Alvarez also raised their stock and were difference-makers offensively for their respective teams at points during the MLB season. Proven... Read More
Jake Lamb Signs Minors Deal With Pirates
Free-agent corner infielder Jake Lamb and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement on a minor-league pact. The veteran has largely played third base in his big-league career but has also logged more than 400 career innings at first base as well. The 33-year-old most recently appeared in 19 games with the Angels in 2023, hitting... Read More
Pirates Bring Andrew McCutchen Back On One-Year Deal
The Pittsburgh Pirates re-signed outfielder Andrew McCutchen to a one-year, $5 million deal on Tuesday, according to sources. The five-time All-Star and former National League MVP with the Pirates in 2013 will return to Pittsburgh for another year after hitting a respectable .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, 19 doubles, 11 stolen bases and... Read More
Martin Perez Signs One-Year Deal With Pirates
Free-agent left-hander Martin Perez signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. Perez joins the rebuilding Pirates after going 10-4 with a 4.45 ERA (4.99 FIP) and 1.40 WHIP with 49 walks and 93 strikeouts in 141 2/3 innings over 35 appearances (20 starts) during the regular season for the World... Read More
Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings (2024 Update)
Welcome back RotoBallers to the 2024 update of our MLB team's dynasty fantasy baseball prospects rankings for the 2024 season. This update includes a few changes/additions. First, while they may not be considered "prospects" in many leagues, foreign signees from Japanese or Korean professional leagues will be eligible in first-year player drafts, so they are... Read More
Third Base and Shortstop - Early 2024 Fantasy Baseball ADP Analysis
It might only be the second week of December, but 2024 draft season is already beginning to heat up. Sites like NFBC and Fantrax make it easy to scratch that early draft itch and I've already completed one draft for 2024, a 50-round draft champions draft on NFBC. I've been working through my early 2024... Read More
Edward Olivares Being Traded To Pirates
Outfielder Edward Olivares has been traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Olivares will be 28 in March and just received his first extended look in the majors this season. Over 107 games, he produced a 109 OPS+, indicating his offensive output was 9 percent better than the league average. The Pirates... Read More