NL Rookies to Target in 2019 Mixed Redraft Leagues

As the New Year has finally come, and fantasy football is over, at last, fantasy baseball draft season is right around the corner. With that comes mock drafts, draft previews, ADP analysis, and of course, player recommendations. This article will help owners get ready by looking to the National League All-Star team of rookies to […]

2019 Outfielders - Early Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Outfield is a unique position in the fantasy world. The best of the best reside in the outfield, with our consensus top two picks and nine of the top 25 overall players making this list. On the other hand, it is by far the deepest and easiest to gain late-round value if you choose to […]

2019 Relief Pitchers - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

A tough position to evaluate is that of relief pitchers, as a lot of success for closers comes from success from teams. There are also a lot of bullpens by committee these days, further stifling the value of closers. That being said, only four of the pitchers that ranked in the top-10 in saves in […]

Luis Urias Believes He'll Be Ready For Spring Training

San Diego Padres second base prospect Luis Urias (hamstring), who has been slowed by a lingering hamstring injury that cut his 2018 season short, believes he'll be ready when spring training begins next month. He is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the team's system, but he played in just 12 major league games […]

Wil Myers Moving To Outfield In 2019

San Diego Padres outfielder/third baseman Wil Myers said he will move back to the outfield full time in 2019. He played outfield his first year in San Diego but then played first base for two years before the team signed Eric Hosmer. Myers played in just 83 games last year for the Friars due to […]

2019 Third Basemen - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the third base position. Even though it is only January, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, Pierre Camus, Chris Zolli, and I have come up with our initial pre-draft rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. As the offseason progresses, these rankings […]

2019 Starting Pitcher - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the second base position. The sun is still rising on 2019, but RotoBaller writers JB Branson, Pierre Camus, Chris Zolli and myself are here with our initial pre-draft rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. As the offseason progresses, these […]

Austin Hedges Avoids Arbitration

San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.06 million deal, according to a source. Hedges hit a disappointing .231/.282/.429 in 2018 with 14 home runs and 37 RBI in 91 games for the Friars. The power keeps him relevant at a weak position in two-catcher leagues, […]

Kirby Yates Settles With Padres

San Diego Padres closer Kirby Yates avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $3.062 million deal, according to a source. Yates will enter 2019 as the Friars closer, but he's merely a low-end fantasy closing option on a team that is perennially near the bottom of the National League West. The right-hander […]

2019 Catchers - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

Catcher is a tough position to evaluate, as many teams utilize multiple catchers and it is rare for one to play 140 or more games in a season. Wear and tear as a backstop limits offensive value for sure, but there are still a group of solid catchers that can contribute in multiple categories. Beyond […]

Willians Astudillo - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

Sleepers. The most coveted search term during any sport's fantasy draft prep season. Which players are flying under the radar, presenting an opportunity for you to swoop in on draft day and pluck them from the player pool abyss, making you look like a genius at the end of the season when you post your […]

2019 Second Base - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the second base position. Even though we are just coming off ringing in the new year, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Pierre Camus, and Chris Zolli have wasted to time coming up with our initial pre-draft rankings to give you a sense of player values […]

2019 First Basemen - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the first base position. Even though it is only January, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, Pierre Camus, Chris Zolli, and I have come up with our initial pre-draft rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. As the offseason progresses, these rankings […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 2 - HR/FB for Hitters

Using BABIP to predict a player's batting average is great. Average is a category in many league formats, and every hit is an opportunity to steal a base or score a run. But most owners find the long ball sexier. Every HR comes with a guaranteed run scored and at least one RBI. Many owners […]

2019 Shortstops - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, so I’m here to kick off RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series with the ever-so-glamorous shortstop position. Shortstop is rich at the top and while it boasts intriguing depth, this is not a position to wait on, especially if you also have a middle-infield […]

Top 660: Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings (January)

Welcome back RotoBallers, and Happy New Year! Below you will find our staff's early 2019 fantasy baseball tiered rankings (top 660) for mixed leagues. In case you missed it, you can also see our tiered positional rankings as well. Four of our lead fantasy baseball analysts - Nick Mariano, Pierre Camus, JB Branson and Chris Zolli - have analyzed the MLB offseason moves and […]

Statcast Review - Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (xSLG)

xSLG isn’t a stat you’ll find on the back of a baseball card or one you’d find on a baseball reference page. However, as far as advanced stats go, xSLG is pretty straightforward. It is the expected slugging percentage of a hitter based on hit probability his batted balls in play, regardless of outcome. So if […]

Teoscar Hernandez - Promising or Pretender?

Every new beginning signifies an end elsewhere. This was the case for Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez last season. The hard-hitting righty broke through in more ways than one in his first full year in the big leagues, finishing with a .239/.302/.468 line, and most importantly 22 home runs. The path to the plate […]

Blue Jays Acquire Clayton Richard

The Toronto Blue Jays acquired starting pitcher Clayton Richard and cash considerations from the San Diego Padres on Sunday in exchange for minor league outfielder Connor Panas. Richard, a 35-year-old left-hander, was 7-11 with a poor 5.33 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 6.1 K/9 in 27 starts for the Padres in 2018, moves to the tough […]

Padres Talking Corey Kluber

The San Diego Padres are engaged with the Cleveland Indians in trade talks surrounding starting pitcher Corey Kluber, according to sources. However, one person with knowledge of the talks doesn't think the Padres have passed the Dodgers as the favorites for Kluber yet. Cleveland's return in the deal with San Diego could include one or […]

Top 10 Dynasty Second Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Prospects

Hey, RotoBallers. We have already started breaking down prospects in dynasty leagues, by position, beginning with catcher, outfield, and starting pitcher. Today I'm writing about my top-10 second basemen prospect rankings for 2019 dynasty baseball leagues. The second base position is a difficult spot to find natural players raised in the position. Most are positional migrants, kicked off their position to a […]

Statcast Review 2018 - Noteworthy SP Launch Angle Leaders

Fret not fantasy baseball fans, Winter Meetings have come and gone, big deals are getting struck, and we are continuing our quest to find value for next season! In this edition of Statcast Review, I take a look at some of 2018’s pitching leaders in launch angle. Launch angle alone is not all that telling […]

Padres Discussing Marcus Stroman Trade

The San Diego Padres are engaged in trade talks for Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, according to sources. However, there wasn't tangible progress toward a deal as of Saturday night. The Padres have one of the best farm systems in baseball, and pitching prospects Michael Baez and/or Logan Allen could be involved. Baez […]

Clayton Richard Designated For Assignment

The San Diego Padres designated starting pitcher Clayton Richard for assignment on Thursday. The roster move was to accommodate the recent signing of second baseman Ian Kinsler on the 40-man roster. Richard, who posted a 5.33 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 158 2/3 innings last season, will be owed $3 million in 2019. This is […]

Please Let Brandon Belt Get Traded

A report recently came to light that the San Francisco Giants were making first baseman and owner of a genuine super-beard, Brandon Belt, available in trades. Apparently, there are teams interested in the oft-injured slugger, despite the whopping $48 million due to him over the next three years. It’s not terribly surprising that Belt is available, […]

Padres Interested In Dallas Keuchel

The San Diego Padres are showing interest in free-agent starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel, according to sources. However, Keuchel's current asking price is prohibitive for the Padres right now. The left-hander is a Scott Boras client and the top pitcher left on the open market, so he isn't expected to sign until late in the offseason. […]

Padres Agree With Ian Kinsler

The San Diego Padres agreed on a two-year, $8 million deal with free-agent second baseman Ian Kinsler on Friday, according to sources. The deal comes with a club option for a third year. Kinsler will turn 37 next June and is coming off a season with the Angels and Red Sox in which he hit […]

Padres Discussing Trade For Jurickson Profar

The San Diego Padres are discussing a potential trade for Texas Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar, but no deal is imminent, according to sources. The Friars are in the market for an infielder who can cover at the 6 until their top prospect, Fernando Tatis Jr., is ready for the big leagues next year. Profar can […]

Padres Interested In Marwin Gonzalez

The San Diego Padres are interested in free-agent infielder/outfielder Marwin Gonzalez. With the Padres seeking a utility infielder who can play shortstop until prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. is ready, other options include Daniel Descalso, Nick Ahmed, who is a favorite of Padres skipper Andy Green, and Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar. Gonzalez had a great year […]

Manuel Margot Suffers Bone Bruise In Winter Ball

San Diego Padres outfielder Manuel Margot (foot) suffered a bone bruise in his left foot after fouling a ball off his foot in the Dominican Republic winter league last month and will probably be shut down for the rest of the winter. This injury is unlikely to impact the start of spring training for Margot. […]