Ji-Hwan Bae Gets First Hits of Spring in Pirates' Win

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Ji-Hwan Bae picked up his first hits of the spring on Sunday afternoon, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored in the 13-1 victory over the Orioles. Bae is unlikely to break camp with the Pirates given their depth in the middle infield, but it is good to finally see […]

David Bednar Looks Sharp Again Sunday Against Orioles

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar recorded his third straight scoreless appearance on Sunday afternoon, allowing one walk while striking out two in one inning of work. A two-out walk marked the first baserunner Bednar has allowed all spring, as he has now struck out seven over three innings of work. Bednar was one of […]

Richard Rodriguez Strikes Out Two in Spring Debut

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Richard Rodriguez made his spring debut on Sunday afternoon, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two in the Pirates' 13-1 victory. After surrendering a leadoff single followed by a wild pitch that advanced the runner to second, Rodriguez got back-to-back swinging strikeouts before a single to left drove […]

Jon Anderson's Outfield Tiered Rankings and Projections

I continue to press forward on my own personal rankings series. Today we tackle the beast that is the outfield. Check out the rest of the series at the links below if you haven't already! First Base Second Base Shortstop Third Base Starting at the top, here's that juicy tier one full of first-round talent.Be […]

Top 10 Second Basemen - Dynasty Prospect Rankings

Finding a quality second baseman in fantasy baseball is no easy task. In 2019, 16 second basemen posted a 100 wRC+ or better. However, only six managed at least a 120 wRC+ (one of whom got caught for illegal substances). The numbers were fairly similar in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The position has seen some […]

Kings of Candy: Sweet-Spot% Risers

While the 2020 season may not have given us much of a sample to evaluate outcomes (home runs, doubles, flyouts, etc.), the core events of exit velocity and launch angle stabilize more quickly and can be stickier than combination statistics like ISO or BB%. Two of our FSWA Writer-of-the-Year Finalists, Eric Samulski and Nicklaus Gaut, […]

2021 Relief Pitcher 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, Ariel Cohen and I have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings as we now move on to evaluate the […]

Carson Fulmer Looks Sharp, Earns Win Saturday

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Carson Fulmer allowed only one hit over two scoreless innings while striking out three on Saturday to earn the win over the Yankees. After surrendering two runs in one inning during his first spring appearance, Fulmer has now allowed only one baserunner and no runs while striking out four in his last […]

Gregory Polanco Homers in Perfect Day at the Plate

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco went 3-for-3 at the plate and hit his second home run of the spring in a 3-2 win over the Yankees on Saturday. Polanco drove in all three runs for the Pirates while also picking up his first stolen base of the spring. He's now slashing .455/.455/1.091 over four games […]

Nick Mariano's 2021 Late-Round Fliers List (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Howdy, RotoBallers! I hope you're ready to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy. We’re here to dig a little deeper into the draft room and look for players that would be wise to take a flier on in the late rounds. 2021 might […]

Starting Pitcher Dynasty Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

As the 2021 MLB season approaches, it's a good time to take stock of the dynasty landscape. We've examined hitters at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and outfield. Now it's time to dive into the player pool for starting pitchers. Starters are increasingly difficult to project long-term with the steadily-increasing limitations being placed on […]

Oneil Cruz Could See Playing Time in the Outfield

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz could start to see more playing time in the outfield writes The Athletic's Rob Biertempful. On Wednesday Cruz started at shortstop but played the final two innings in center field, and then on Thursday he got the start out in center field. The Pirates have not officially indicated their plans […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/4) - Realmuto Nearing Return

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We've finally made it to (real?) baseball games. […]

Ke'Bryan Hayes Remains Hot At The Plate Thursday

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes picked up his third extra-base hit in as many games Thursday, as he finished 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI in the Pirates' 6-1 victory over Atlanta. This moves Hayes' spring line to 4-for-8 with two doubles, a triple and two RBI through his first three games. Hayes […]

David Bednar Strikes Out The Side Thursday

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar struck out the side in 15 pitches on Thursday afternoon in a 6-1 victory over the Braves. Bednar earned a hold with his fifth-inning performance in which he struck out Ender Inciarte and Ryan Goins looking before getting a swinging strikeout against Austin Riley. One of the prospects acquired […]

Tyler Anderson Strikes Out Three in Pirates Debut

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Tyler Anderson made his debut with the team on Thursday, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts over two innings against the Atlanta Braves. Anderson signed a one-year deal with the Pirates last month after spending 2020 with the San Francisco Giants, where he went 4-3 with a 4.37 […]

Colin Moran Batting Cleanup Thursday

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Colin Moran is batting cleanup Thursday against the Atlanta Braves. Moran will look to stabilize himself and become the anchor in the middle of the Pirates' order in 2021 after they traded away Josh Bell during the offseason. Moran's strong suit comes against right-handed pitching as he slashed .252/.338/.512 with nine home […]

Top 10 First Basemen - Dynasty Prospect Rankings

If you’re hunting for an impact bat for your fantasy baseball team, first base is often a good place to find a strong offensive contributor. In 2019, the last full season, 25 out of 37 first basemen with a minimum of 350 plate appearances had a 100 wRC+ or better. Of those, 13 players topped […]

Lineup Takeaways - An Early Look at Spring Training Trends

As many of you know, tracking lineups is what I am all in on this 2021 season and with it comes an influx of data and information right away. Going forward, a weekly article will occur - especially as we get into more tangible information and data. However, I wanted to get ahead of the […]

Todd Frazier Hits Second Homer Of Spring On Tuesday

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Todd Frazier hit his second home run of the spring and accounted for the only run in the Pirates' 6-1 loss to Detroit on Tuesday. It was his only hit of the game as he finished 1-for-1 with a walk in the five-inning matchup. It's been all power for Frazier this […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/2): Glasnow Struggles, Taillon and Chapman Return

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We've finally made it to (real?) baseball games. […]

Mitch Keller Struggles Against Blue Jays on Monday

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller struggled in his spring debut against the Blue Jays on Monday, allowing two runs on three hits with a strikeout in one inning of work. Keller struggled with his command as he recorded 11 strikes on 21 pitches, with only three of those strikes being either a called or […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - March 1st

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We've finally made it to (real?) baseball games. […]

Gregory Polanco Homers in Spring Training Debut

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in a 6-4 Pirates' victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon. Coming off the worst season of his career in 2020, Polanco showing off some power early this spring will be a welcome sight for managers who hope to see […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]