Tyler Anderson Allows Five Runs In Rough Start Wednesday

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Tyler Anderson struggled against the Yankees on Wednesday night, allowing five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts over three innings. Anderson blew up in the third inning where he allowed four straight hits to start the frame including back-to-back home runs to make it a 5-0 Yankees lead. He has […]

Richard Rodriguez Strikes Out Three In Scoreless Inning

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Richard Rodriguez allowed one hit and struck out the side in a scoreless inning of work against the Yankees on Wednesday night. Rodriguez faced the heart of the Yankees order in the fifth inning, striking out Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres while allowing only a one-out double to Brett […]

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 […]

Ke'Bryan Hayes Extends Hitting Streak to Five Games Tuesday

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes went 2-for-2 at the plate against the Braves on Tuesday afternoon to extend his hitting streak to five games. Hayes doubled, drew a walk and scored two runs as he is now slashing .500/.563/.929 to start off the spring. He has yet to homer but he is still showing […]

Top 10 Third Basemen - Dynasty Prospect Rankings

Third base is traditionally a place to find offense. It can be a goldmine for fantasy managers in need of some power. Third basemen are also known for providing strong on-base numbers and, in some cases, batting average. The 2019 season met the offensive expectations with 28 hitters managing a 100 wRC+ or better (350 […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/8) - Darvish Deals, Gallo Still Mashing

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 […]

Pittsburgh Pirates Closer Role Up in the Air, Could be Split

The Athletic's Rob Biertempful reports that there is uncertainty on the Pittsburgh Pirates as to who will serve as the full time closer, or if there will even be one full time closer or if save opportunities are divided up. According to Biertempful, manager Derek Shelton said the decision on the closer would likely not […]

Carson Fulmer Designated For Assignment Sunday

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Carson Fulmer was designated for assignment on Sunday following the Pirates' acquisition of reliever Duane Underwood Jr reports Jake Crouse of MLB.com. Fulmer had just earned a win on Saturday against the Yankees after allowing one hit with three strikeouts over two scoreless innings of work. The Pirates have made several […]

Kevin Newman Exits Game Sunday with Hamstring Tightness

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman exited Sunday's game against the Orioles with left hamstring tightness according to MLB.com's Jake Crouse. Crouse reports that manager Derek Shelton described the move as precautionary and that Newman is expected to return as early as Tuesday. Newman was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI before being replaced in […]

Lineup Takeaways - Week 1 Spring Training Lineups

Well, after a recent article highlighting the idea of what I was wanting to do with this Spring Training series, here is a first look at my Lineup Takeaway series I will be bringing you the rest of the 2021 season. We are focusing 100% on lineups, news and quotes - strictly about lineups and […]

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 […]