Pitcher Statcast: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

Statcast metrics such as Barrels and Brls/BBE are great ways to evaluate a fantasy baseball batter's performance, so it is only natural to assume that the metrics would be predictive for pitchers as well. As much as batters want to hit a Barrel every time, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. Yet, there […]

Top 200 Infield Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February Updates)

Howdy RotoBallers! Baseball is officially back! Spring training games are being played, and in about 30 days, the 2024 baseball season will begin. We are back with more fantasy baseball rankings to help crush your league. We have recently published rankings articles for each position, including middle and corner infielders. Some league formats don't require […]

Oneil Cruz Making Spring Debut Sunday

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) is making his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles and is batting leadoff and playing shortstop. It's great to see Cruz playing in games again after he fractured his left ankle early last season. The 25-year-old's injury required season-ending surgery in 2023. Cruz is fully healthy […]

First Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Tiers, Analysis - Roto Leagues (2024)

Spring training is finally here, so there is no better time than now to prep for your fantasy draft. First base has long been relied on to contribute more than their fair share to a team’s statistics. This year, the field is loaded at the top, but there is some great value to be found […]

Post-Hype Infield Breakout Candidates for Fantasy Baseball (2024)

One thing you will often hear fantasy players discuss is breakouts. We have to find them to be able to win our leagues. It can be easy earlier on in drafts but those middle rounds are where we make or break our rosters. In this piece, we are going to focus on a few infielders […]

Top 50 Shortstop Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February Updates)

Howdy RotoBallers! Opening Day is about 30 days away, and it's time to start prepping for your upcoming fantasy baseball drafts. We are back with more fantasy baseball rankings to help you crush your leagues. Today, we will cover our MLB team's updated 2024 fantasy baseball shortstop rankings recently updated for February. Below are the latest […]

Top 50 Second Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February Updates)

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to more fantasy baseball rankings! Pitchers and catchers are reporting while Opening Day is right around the corner. It's an exciting time for fantasy managers, with an entire baseball season ahead. We are here to help you build those league-winning rosters with our MLB team's updated 2024 fantasy baseball second base rankings, […]

Top 150 Relief Pitcher and Closer Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February Updates)

Hey, RotoBallers! It's an exciting time for fantasy baseball, with spring training starting soon and Opening Day approaching. We are back with more fantasy baseball rankings. Saves are one of the most volatile categories in fantasy baseball. We are here to help you sort it all out and make those crucial draft decisions with our […]

Top 200 Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February Updates)

Welcome back to RotoBaller's updated 2024 fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, freshly updated for February. In this article, you'll find the latest SP rankings for fantasy drafts, along with draft tiers and the latest MLB player news. These starting pitcher rankings are brought to you by Nick Mariano, Brad Camara, and Ariel Cohen. Nick and […]

Mitch Keller To Start On Opening Day

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that right-hander Mitch Keller will start on Opening Day on March 28 against the Marlins in Miami. This doesn't come as a surprise at all, especially after the club announced a five-year, $77 million extension with Keller earlier on Thursday. The 27-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and […]

Mitch Keller, Pirates Agree To Five-Year Extension

Right-hander Mitch Keller and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a five-year, $77 million contract extension on Thursday, according to sources. After a breakout season in which he struck out a career-high 210 batters, the 27-year-old Keller will anchor Pittsburgh's starting rotation for the team that drafted him in the second round in 2014 out of […]

2024 Breakout Pitching Prospects - The Toolshed Fantasy Baseball Podcast (Ep. 277)

Welcome to episode 277 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 […]

Kings Of Candy: Biggest Sweet Spot Risers for Fantasy Baseball Year-Over-Year (Swt-Spt%)

We recently looked at hitters who increased their BB% the most year-over-year, but now we want to look at hitters whose sweet spot percentage increased the most. Why this metric? Well, by looking at who has increased their sweet spot percentage, you might find hitters who may be hitting the ball at a better angle, […]

Top 30 Catcher Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February Updates)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We are back with more fantasy baseball rankings. The catcher position is deeper than ever, and most NFBC leagues require you to start two backstops. Whether you start one or two catchers, we've got you covered with our MLB team's updated 2024 fantasy baseball catcher rankings, recently updated for February. Below are […]

Pirates Claim Canaan Smith-Njigba Off Waivers From Mariners

The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on Monday and placed right-hander JT Brubaker (elbow) on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster for Smith-Njigba. The Mariners had claimed Smith-Njigba off waivers from the Pirates, so he'll be returning to Pittsburgh […]

Top 150 Outfield Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February Updates)

Hey, RotoBallers! Fantasy baseball's offseason is heating up. Spring training is starting soon, and we are getting closer to Opening Day. It's an exciting time for baseball fans as an entire season lies ahead. It's always baseball season here at RotoBaller HQ. We have been providing rankings constantly and are back with our MLB team's […]

Chase Anderson Agrees With Pirates On Minor-League Contract

Free-agent right-hander Chase Anderson agreed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday on a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, according to a source. Anderson will be in camp with the Bucs this year looking to win a roster spot for the start of the 2024 regular season. The 36-year-old veteran hasn't […]

Biggest Year-Over-Year BB% Risers for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

In this article, we'll look at players' BB% from 2022 to 2023 to see who had the biggest increases. For this exercise, I first took out any hitter who did not collect at least 400 PA in 2023. Next, I eliminated anyone who did not rise to at least above league average BB% (8.6%). Finally, […]

Top 50 Third Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February Updates)

Hey, RotoBallers, we are back with more fantasy baseball rankings! Spring training starts soon, and Opening Day is about a month away. Fantasy baseball is back in full swing. There's no better time to start preparing for your fantasy baseball drafts. We are here to help win your leagues with our MLB team's updated 2024 […]

2024 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings

The second base position is on the rise for fantasy purposes and not just because Mookie Betts has eligibility there. The prospect pool is solid, meaning more good players are on the way, and the middle-tier MLB second basemen group has also improved. It is a fun group of players who can impact your fantasy team in […]

Pirates Sign Josh Fleming To One-Year Deal

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Wednesday that they signed free-agent left-hander Josh Fleming to a split one-year deal. The 27-year-old southpaw will make $850,000 if he's in the big leagues in 2024. The Pirates are planning to use him in a long-relief role, which won't give him much fantasy appeal for the rebuilding Bucs. Fleming […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]