X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

RotoBaller Predictions - 2013 Fantasy Baseball and MLB MVPs

Click here for the RotoBaller's fantasy baseball and MLB MVP predictions. RotoBaller is a leading fantasy baseball advice and analysis website that helps fantasy GM's win their leagues.

Abandon the search for truth; settle for a good fantasy.” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Those die-hards who eat, breathe and sleep the game of baseball can be broken down into several camps: you have your season-ticket-holding score-keepers; your glued-to-the-tube content gobblers; your jersey-wearing, tobacco chewing, former-high-school-catching beer-leaguer; your grandpa who tells stories of going to the Polo Grounds for half a nickel; your average Massachusetts resident.  But over the last few years, the lines have been more broadly drawn. Now, baseball fans are divided into two separate camps:  Screech and Slater.  Now, we have the guy who thinks he knows the game because he’s watched every episode of Baseball Tonight versus the guy who was too busy figuring out the real answers to listen to the talking heads. It's dorks versus jocks on a grand scale.  The only commonality between the divided is their love of baseball, and more specifically their love of fantasy baseball.  And if nothing else, that love for the game of baseball breeds arguments.  Lots of them.  Every year.

To wit, last year’s AL MVP voting was perhaps the ultimate showdown between baseball’s advanced statistical believers and non-believers. For the non-believers, the first triple-crown winner in 45 years, Miguel Cabrera, was a virtual shoo-in after his Tigers rallied to top the AL Central. The Cabrera arguments, for the most part, were more about gut instinct, intangibles and the power of old statistics.  Cabrera won the Triple Crown. Cabrera hit better down the stretch. Cabrera’s team made the playoffs. For the stat-heads comprising the advanced metric community, believing that Cabrera was the MVP meant all-out WAR. Their beloved hero, 2012 AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout, was the overwhelming choice for MVP when considering Wins Above Replacement (Trout earned a WAR of 10.7 to Cabrera’s 6.9 on Baseball Reference, and 10.0 to 7.1 respectively using the FanGraphs model). Simply put, WAR — and some other advanced metrics — showed that whatever advantages Cabrera had in terms of power, batting average and timely hitting were undermined by Trout’s overwhelming advantages as a fielder, base runner and player who gets on base. In the end it wasn't close-- Cabrera swiped 22 of 28 first place votes in what many people later believed was as much a nod to his historical body of work as it was an acknowledgment based solely on his 2012 achievements.

In the fantasy baseball community, there was little doubt as to the 2012 rotisserie MVP. Putting aside the wide defensive gap existing between the two players, a gap that was borne out in their respective WAR, Cabrera was producing at a high level in four of the five standard rotisserie stat categories, while Trout was producing at a high level in all five. Trout's power production per at bat was essentially comparable to Cabrera's, though the latter played in 22 more games than the rookie phenom while enjoying the season-long luxury of hitting third in his lineup ahead of the dangerous Prince Fielder.  Nevertheless, a leadoff hitter going for at least 30 HR and 40 SB could not be found anywhere else in a 2012 fantasy league.

The greatest pastime of those who love our national pastime is prognostication. In many respects, drafting a fantasy baseball team is prognosticating on a small scale, speculating on commodities who will either reward in a bull market, or crash and burn your whole portfolio. But is that fantasy stud the most valuable player in his league in terms of team success? As the example of 2012 illustrates, this is often not the case. Traditional baseball analysis still largely informs the MVP vote, while the fan who drafts a fantasy baseball team without the added ammunition of advanced statistics is generally ill-equipped to compete. With that being the case, I give you my picks for AL and NL MVP, as well as my fantasy MVPs for each league.

American League

MVP- Evan Longoria- Tampa Bay Rays. Longoria has been an MVP-in-waiting since his call-up in 2007. What has eluded the talented Tampa third baseman is health, as he has failed to play over 135 games in all but two of his first five seasons. What I am banking on is Longoria’s combination of power, fielding prowess and timely hitting. Age and team also inform the selection. At 27 years old, he is finally entering that special period for a young talent where his physical gifts are in harmony with his baseball seasoning. I also have a strong feeling that the Rays will rise to the top of the declining AL East, guided by a precocious pitching staff anchored by ace David Price (contract year!?!?!), some savvy offseason plug-ins and the pending call-up of super prospect Wil Myers. As in 2012, the star of a division-winning squad will have a strong leg up on his competition when it comes time to count the MVP ballots.

Fantasy MVP- Robinson Cano- New York Yankees. I doubt that Robbie Cano was the first player taken in your draft, but there's certainly an argument to be made that he should have been. He is the most talented player at fantasy baseball's shallowest position. He will slug like a first baseman, and his plate coverage is comparable to all-time great contact hitters like Rod Carew and Paul Molitor. He is also entering his CONTRACT YEAR!?!?!, and there is no indication Cano won't rise to the challenge as have others before him. Although Dustin Pedroia figures to be a nice bounce-back candidate, Cano should be the hands-down, no-doubt-about-it, best producer at fantasy baseball's most difficult position to draft.

National League

MVP- Andrew McCutchen- Pittsburgh Pirates. A dyed-in-the-wool five-tool player, McCutchen is a pick in the vein of the previously discussed Mr. Longoria. The potential talent is undeniable, and McCutchen's major-league seasoning is finally catching up to that talent. Last year McCutchen was a 7.2 WAR player, good for second in the NL behind eventual MVP winner Buster Posey. McCutchen's base stealing has gone down since 2010, but in its place comes improved power, as he has raised his slugging over 100 points from 2010 to 2012. Last year's NL hits leader, McCutchen remains an outstanding jack-of-all-trades hitter and a plus glove in the outfield. Last year he earned a trip to the All-Star game, a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger en route to finishing third in the MVP voting. This could be the year he finishes at the top.

Fantasy MVP- Stephen Strasburg- Washington Nationals. Power and presence. There is not a whole lot more to say about Mr. Strasburg. Improved command of his secondary pitches had some people projecting 300 strikeouts in 2013. Whether he hits that Koufaxian high note or not, Strasburg projects as a plus-plus in the quadruple-crown of rotisserie pitching categories. Increasing Strasburg's value even more is that he is likely to be a late-second-to-early-third-round steal in standard roto drafts. He looks to be the anchor to a fantasy champions staff in 2013.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Spencer Steer

Hits Two-Run Home Run On Friday
Agustín Ramírez

Agustin Ramirez Hits First Career Home Run In Multi-Hit Effort
Jacob Wilson

Hits Third Home Run In Three-Hit Game On Friday
Paul Skenes

Strikes Out Nine In Win Over Dodgers
Shane Baz

Tosses Seven Shutout Innings In Win
Trevor Larnach

Homers, Collects Four RBI On Friday
Jordan Beck

Power Surge Continues, Homers Twice On Friday
Jacob Markstrom

Ends Losing Spell Friday
Devin Williams

Blows Save On Friday, Yankees Make Temporary Move At Closer
Cole Caufield

Collects Two Points In Friday's Win
Connor McDavid

Totals Three Points In Game 3 Win
Johnathan Kovacevic

Exits Early Friday
Seth Lugo

Tosses Eight Shutout Innings In Friday's Win Over Houston
Sam Montembeault

Suffers Lower-Body Injury Friday
Logan Thompson

Exits Loss With Injury
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Will Throw A Bullpen On Sunday
Brandon Hagel

Suspended For Game 3
Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF