Kirby Yates Extends Lights Out Spring Training

San Diego Padres closer Kirby Yates continued his strong spring on Sunday, firing a scoreless inning and striking out two. Through five innings, Yates has yet to allow a run. Yates will start his age-32 season as the Padres undisputed closer after inheriting the role in the second half of last season. Yates posted a […]

Jacob Nix Out Indefinitely With Arm Soreness

San Diego Padres starter Jacob Nix (arm) has been shut down indefinitely due to arm soreness after tossing four frames last Tuesday. Further tests revealed no structural damage. Padres manager Andy Green postulates Nix could miss anywhere from a few days to a “considerable period of time”. The Padres No. 19 prospect was competing for […]

Prospect Starters that Could be Impact Relievers

Last year around this time I wrote some words about Dakota Hudson and how he could be a stud in 2018 — but as a reliever, not a starter, which had been his role in the minors to that point. From last March at Rotographs: “And for me, Dakota Hudson has immense potential as a high-leverage reliever. He […]

Top 10 Shortstop Prospects - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Rankings

We're back with another list of 2019 impact prospects. Today the focus is on shortstop. The crop of talent this year starts off very strong, and then does a few hops and jumps bouncing around the skill and potential spectrum. Few positions are completely stocked with premium talent in the top-10, but compared to others, […]

Updated First Base Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

The clock ticks ever closer to Opening Day and we here at RotoBaller are back to give one final round of position-by-position analysis with a mixed-league, 5x5 framework. We’re going to start at the most glorious position on the field: first base. No, I didn’t play first myself, why do you ask? While there are […]

Chris Paddack (SP, SD) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 250 CURRENT ADP: ~280 overall ANALYSIS: Paddack has been a popular player in dynasty/keeper leagues and why not? He’s produced outstanding minor league numbers when healthy, is near-MLB-ready, and he has the stuff to be a mid-rotation arm or better. As of the writing of this piece, the young hurler had […]

Hunter Renfroe And Franmil Reyes Dealing With Fatigue

San Diego Padres outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Franmil Reyes are battling more than just each other for the right field job in San Diego this season. The two combatants are dealing with "general tiredness," but manager Andy Green believes the pair will be ready to go "when the bell rings." This situation doesn't sound serious, […]

ADP Draft Sleepers Tool - Quickly Find Draft Day Gems

RotoBaller Premium Subscribers can click here to access the ADP Draft Sleepers Tool. RotoBaller’s ADP Draft Sleepers Tool is a powerful yet simple tool that can help you unearth fantasy baseball gems on draft day. It's a sleek tool that's easy to use, and will have a huge effect on your draft selections and help you […]

Five Shortstop Sleepers for 2019

The shortstop position is arguably deeper than it's ever been, which means there's no shortage of playable options for fantasy owners. The days of glove-first shortstops being the rule, rather than the exception, are long gone at this point. In fact, shortstops are being drafted in the top 100 this spring more often than any […]

Pierre Camus' 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." If only that were the case in fantasy sports... Other than tampering with the fabric of time-space, which is a bad idea (ask Marty McFly), we just don't know what the future really holds. We can predict whatever we want, but that doesn't mean […]

Freddy Peralta (SP, MIL) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 280 CURRENT ADP: ~320 overall ANALYSIS: Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta only had a 6-4 record and 4.25 ERA after being called up from the minor leagues in 2018. In his 14 starts, he allowed at least three earned runs in seven of them and walked multiple batters in […]

Top 690: Updated H2H Points League Rankings

Welcome back RotoBallers. Spring training is in full swing, and we couldn't be more excited for fantasy baseball drafts and the approaching MLB season. Below you will find our staff's updated fantasy baseball points league rankings (top 690) for head-to-head points formats. Be sure to also check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard and bookmark that page. It's loaded […]

More Hot September Hitters Ready to Break Out in 2019

We all want to find the next breakout player that can serve as that hidden gem in the later rounds of fantasy drafts. Sometimes a look at the second half of last season can provide us with valuable hints as to who is ready to take a big step forward. I already looked at three […]

David Marcillo's Bold Predictions for Closers

Fantasy sports can be just as frustrating as they can be fun, and few positions encompass that more than a fantasy baseball relief pitcher. A reliever can go from a fantasy darling to a completely meaningless name in your lineup overnight. And that's without an injury causing the issue. With the recent trend of not […]

Top 770: Updated 5x5 Roto Rankings (Mixed Leagues)

Welcome back RotoBallers. Spring training is in full swing, and we couldn't be more excited for fantasy baseball drafts and the approaching MLB season. Below you will find our staff's updated fantasy baseball mixed league rankings (top 770) for 5x5 category mixed roto formats. Be sure to also check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard and bookmark that page. […]

Austin Hedges' Job Security Appears Safe For Now

San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges launched two home runs Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels, giving him three dingers and a 1.159 OPS in 19 spring plate appearances. The 26-year-old is set to begin his third full season as the Padres primary backstop and one of baseball’s premier defensive catchers. While he’s demonstrated pop […]

Chris Paddack Almost A Lock For Rotation

San Diego Padres starter Chris Paddack continued to impress on Wednesday, recording six strikeouts across four innings against the mostly big-league Los Angeles Angels lineup. He gave up just one run, five hits and zero walks. With 20 strikeouts and a 14.2 K/9, Paddack leads all spring training pitchers in strikeouts. Baseball’s No. 34 prospect […]

Breakout Relievers Who'll Keep Succeeding in 2019

"Don't pay for saves." That has always been the advice repeated ad nauseum by veteran fantasy baseball players and while that sentiment is true on the surface, dealing with bullpens in fantasy baseball is a lot murkier in 2019 than it was in 2009. With specialized pitching roles leading to starters being left in the game […]

RotoBaller Presents The King and Pocket Aces

Check out the newest podcast team here at RotoBaller HQ, featuring two of the best in the industry. We are thrilled to introduce the awesome duo of Scott "The King" Engel and Anthony "Pocket Aces" Aniano of RotoBaller Radio - tune in below as they discuss the fantasy baseball preseason and get you prepped for your upcoming drafts. […]

Nick Mariano's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

2018 was a banner season for baseball's Marianos, as Mariano Rivera was headed full steam ahead towards a unanimous Hall of Fame entry and yours truly was cruising with the most accurate fantasy baseball ranks of the season per FantasyPros, unbeknownst to me until recently. I'm still riding high off of that and you're all […]

Five Hitters Whose Barrels Rate Makes Them Undervalued

Baseball is back! The nostalgic diamond traditions of cracker jacks, oat sodas and intricately-designed grass patterns have finally returned. Most importantly, the boys of summer are once again fine-tuning their five tools for the upcoming season. In 2016, Major League Baseball expanded its research on exit velocity and launch angle by introducing Barrels. Barrels not […]

Francisco Mejia Raking Through 10 Spring Contests

San Diego Padres catcher Francisco Mejia has wasted no time staking his worth during spring training, cracking three homers with a 1.275 OPS through 10 games. As MLB’s No. 26 prospect, the 23-year-old Mejia hopes to get meaningful big league experience in 2019. While his offensive capabilities are highly regarded, Mejia’s registered a sub-.200 average […]

Hunter Renfroe, Franmil Reyes Destined To Split Playing Time

Two San Diego Padres outfielders with uncertain roles in 2019 are Hunter Renfroe and Franmil Reyes. With Manuel Margot and Franchy Cordero competing in center field and Wil Myers manning a corner spot, the outlook for Renfroe and Reyes remains cloudy. With both being right-handed power hitters, their skill sets appear redundant. Renfroe ended 2018 […]

Kyle Bishop's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

2018 was a season to forget for yours truly, both in terms of fantasy performance and hit rate on bold predictions. In the first three years as a participant in this feature, I connected on three per article, with a few others in the realm of respectable. Last year? An 0-fer, and most of them […]

Outfielder Breakouts Due for Regression in 2019

It’s inevitable that we see players breakout in baseball every season. In these scenarios, certain athletes may have a total blindsided outburst that no one anticipated coming, or perhaps it’s a savvy veteran who finally took that next step in their professional development. In either circumstance, we pay up for it in the following season […]

Matt Strahm's Growing Sleeper Appeal

San Diego Padres reliever Matt Strahm continued his dominant spring training on Sunday, fanning eight batters in four frames. Through three appearances and nine innings, Strahm holds a 0.67 WHIP and has not allowed a run. After returning from major knee surgery in 2017, Strahm worked almost exclusively as a reliever in 2018 with an […]

Logan Allen Drilled In Third Spring Outing

San Diego Padres starter Logan Allen was roughed up for six earned runs in 1 2/3 innings Sunday in his third spring training appearance. Considered a longshot to make the roster, the 21-year-old Allen hadn’t allowed an earned run in his prior 3 2/3 frames. The Padres No. 9 prospect is one of nine pitchers […]

Ian Kinsler Settling In At Leadoff Spot

Signed as a veteran to anchor a young squad, San Diego Padres second baseman Ian Kinsler is on track to bat leadoff for the Friars in 2019. Despite offensive numbers that have dipped in three consecutive seasons, Kinsler owns a career .339 on-base percentage and can still play defense at a high level. Despite the […]

Under-the-Radar Pitching Prospects for 2019

We are thrilled to announce that Marc Hulet has recently joined the RotoBaller team! Marc is also the longest-serving, active writer at FanGraphs. For 10+ years he has been focused on MLB prospects and their fantasy baseball impacts. Follow along all season! This week I’ve kicked off my tenure at RotoBaller with a two-part series […]

JB's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

It is such an honor to have been selected to hit lead-off for the 2019 RotoBaller staff Bold Predictions. Sure, I asked for it due to time constraints but that's not how I will tell my story to the grand-kids. Bold predictions are everyone's favorite articles. They are fun, not always entirely plausible, while still […]