Johnny Cueto In Line To Start Opening Day

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Tuesday that starting pitcher Johnny Cueto is "definitely in line" to take the mound for the team's first game of the season, per The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly. The 34-year-old veteran has pitched only 69 total innings over the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery and the […]

Mauricio Dubon Could Spend Time In Outfield

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Monday that middle infielder Mauricio Dubon could see "quite a bit" of time at center field, per NBCSports.com's Alex Pavlovic. The 25-year-old has seen time at second base, shortstop, center field, and third base this preseason. The Giants view him as a flexible option who can fill playing […]

Baltimore Orioles Claim Hector Velazquez Sunday

The Baltimore Orioles claimed pitcher Hector Velazquez off of waivers on Sunday, per MASNSports.com's Roch Kubatko. The 31-year-old was designated for assignment on Thursday after posting a 5.63 ERA in 56 1/3 innings pitched for the Red Sox in 2019. Per Kubatko, the O's view Velazquez more of a long reliever than as a starter. […]

Trey Mancini To Miss Time For Non-Baseball Procedure

Baltimore Orioles outfielder/first baseman Trey Mancini left the team on Saturday and will miss time due to a "non-baseball medical procedure". The team has declined to disclose more information, although Mancini tweeted Sunday, “Once there is more clarity, I will be sure to keep everyone updated over the next few days. I look forward to […]

Austin Wynns Scratched From Lineup Wednesday

Baltimore Orioles catcher Austin Wynns will not play Wednesday after being hit in the groin by a foul ball several days ago, per MLB.com's Joe Trezza. This is a precautionary measure to ensure that he is fully healed before taking the field again. Consider him day-to-day going forward.

Jose Iglesias Has Quad Cramp, Hopeful To Play Thursday

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday that shortstop Jose Iglesias is dealing with a quad cramp, per MLB.com's Joe Trezza. It is hopeful that Iglesias will return to the lineup on Thursday, so the cramp does not sound severe. The 30-year-old posted a .288/.318/.407 slash line with 11 home runs, 59 RBI, and six […]

Tyler Beede Feels Elbow Tightness Tuesday

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tyler Beede (elbow) exited his outing Tuesday against the Rangers after experiencing tightness in his pitching elbow, per MLB.com's Maria Guardado. Beede pitched one inning, allowing no runs on one hit and a walk with one strikeout. He is scheduled to undergo tests Tuesday night. The 26-year-old is currently fighting […]

Announcing RotoBaller's New Live Draft Tool

Last season at RotoBaller, we released a set of interactive cheat sheets to help fantasy players prepare for their drafts and the upcoming season. This preseason we have updated these cheat sheets and have also added a brand new Live Draft Tool to give you an edge while drafting in real-time!  In addition to the Live […]

John Means In "Midseason Form" In Tuesday Start

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that starting pitcher John Means was in "midseason form" in his spring training start Tuesday, per BaltimoreBaseball.com's Rich Dubroff. The 26-year-old All-Star pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and no walks with three strikeouts. Said Hyde, "Fastball had really good life. Really good changeups, good […]

Pablo Sandoval To Make Spring Debut Friday As DH

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said that third baseman Pablo Sandoval (elbow) will make his spring training debut Friday night as a designated hitter, per Bay Area News Group's Kerry Crowley. The 33-year-old veteran posted a .268/.313/.507 slash line with 14 home runs and 41 RBI in 296 plate appearances in 2019. While Panda is […]

Hunter Harvey Recovering From Flu, Spring Debut Unknown

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Hunter Harvey is still recovering from the flu but has been able to throw in the bullpen, per MASNSports.com's Roch Kubatko. He is still recovering from congestion and does not have a timetable for his spring debut. The 25-year-old has long been one of the O's higher-valued prospects but has been […]

Asher Wojciechowski Has Blister On Throwing Hand

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Asher Wojciechowski is being withheld from exhibition games due to a blister on his right middle finger, per MASNSports.com's Roch Kubatko. However, he is slated to throw two innings in a simulated game Wednesday morning. This is a good sign for the 31-year-old, who made 16 starts for the O's last […]

Drew Smyly Has Scoreless Giants Debut Monday

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Drew Smyly turned in a solid debut for the Giants Monday, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings with one walk and two strikeouts. The 30-year-old missed the 2017 and 2018 seasons while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and turned in a poor 2019 season, posting a 6.24 ERA and 1.59 WHIP […]

Yusniel Diaz Dealing With Left Shoulder Soreness

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Yusniel Diaz is currently dealing with left shoulder soreness but hopes to take batting practice on Tuesday, per BaltimoreSun.com's Jon Meoli. The 23-year-old is considered one of the O's more promising prospects, and both he and manager Brandon Hyde are eager to see him in game action. It remains to be seen […]

Gabe Kapler Excited About Billy Hamilton Signing

The San Francisco Giants recently signed outfielder Billy Hamilton to a minor league contract, and manager Gabe Kapler is already thinking of ways to implement his speed. Hamilton has historically been an elite source of steals in fantasy leagues, but his below-average hitting skills have ousted him from regular playing time over the past few […]

Faster and Furious: Pitchers with Rising Velocity/Performance

Welcome fantasy baseball players! I’m sure that you, like me, are anxiously counting down the days until your drafts and Opening Day. While the fantasy season may not start for several weeks, there are plenty of things we can do to start preparing for a successful season. One of those things is to take a good […]

2019 Season in Review: Noah Syndergaard

The 2019 season was very uncharacteristic for Noah Syndergaard. Not only was it the worst overall season of his career, but it was markedly different from his performance just one season previously. Syndergaard performed well within his career numbers in 2018, going 13-4 with a 3.03 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 24.1% strikeout rate. His record […]

2019 Season in Review: Sonny Gray

2019 was a pivotal season for starting pitcher Sonny Gray, both from a real-game and fantasy perspective. The 2018 season turned out to be a complete dud for Gray, who, in his first full season with the Yankees, posted a poor 4.90 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 130 ⅓ innings pitched. With a move to […]

Biggest Outfield Risers/Fallers of 2020

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season as well as the beginning of Fantasy Baseball Prep season! It may seem like the 2020 fantasy baseball season just ended, but the 2021 season will be here before we know it. Now is as good a time as ever to start thinking about your new draft […]

Madison Bumgarner to Diamondbacks - Fantasy Impact

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed three-time World Series champion Madison Bumgarner to a five-year, $85 million contract in the middle of December. This will be the first time in 11 seasons that Bumgarner will not take the hill for the San Francisco Giants, but instead will head the rotation of their division rivals. The Diamondbacks finished the […]

Dwight Smith Plates Three Tuesday

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Dwight Smith went 3-for-4 with two singles, a solo home run, three RBI and a strikeout in Tuesday's 11-4 win over the Blue Jays. The 26-year-old seems to be finding his stroke as the season winds down, having batted .368 in his last seven games. Smith could be a sneaky cheap DFS play […]

Trey Mancini Collects Five Hits Tuesday

Baltimore Orioles outfielder/first baseman Trey Mancini went 5-for-5 with three singles, two doubles, and an RBI in Tuesday's 11-4 win over the Blue Jays. The 27-year-old has been one of the O's best hitters all season and has been on fire lately, hitting .531 in his last seven games. Mancini is a solid DFS option […]

Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - wOBA-xwOBA Difference for Week 26

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s pitchers Statcast studs and duds article series for the final week of fantasy baseball! Each week we will select an advanced stat, choose two studs and two duds, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. We have sadly reached the end of the season, so I thought […]

Strikeout Rate Risers and Fallers - Buy or Sell for Week 26

Welcome back to the strikeout rate risers and fallers series for Week 26! Each week we will take a look at two K% risers and two fallers, analyze what is behind those changes, and then decide if they are actionable. A pitcher can best control their fate by generating swings and misses, so this exercise […]

John Means Pitches Deep In Win Sunday

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher John Means improved to 11-11 in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Mariners. Means pitched seven innings, allowing a single run on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts. The 26-year-old rookie has been a huge value for fantasy players this season, posting a 3.54 ERA with 116 strikeouts and 36 […]

Starters WAR Studs and Duds: Week 25

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s pitchers advanced stats and StatCast studs and duds article series! Each week we will select an advanced stat, choose two studs and two duds, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. At this point in the season, I will focus on an all-encompassing stat for starting pitchers; […]

Strikeout Rate Risers and Fallers - Buy or Sell for Week 25

Welcome back to the strikeout rate risers and fallers series for Week 25! Each week we will take a look at two K% risers and two fallers, analyze what is behind those changes, and then decide if they are actionable. A pitcher can best control their fate by generating swings and misses, so this exercise […]

Trey Mancini Hits 31st Home Run Of Season Friday

Baltimore Orioles outfielder/first baseman Trey Mancini went 2-for-5 with a single, a three-run home run, and a strikeout in Friday's 6-2 win over the Tigers. Mancini is putting together a career season and now has a .277/.349/.515 slash line with 80 RBI in 607 plate appearances. He has been the O's top offensive performer and […]

Jonathan Villar Hits Three-Run Home Run Wednesday

Baltimore Orioles second baseman/shortstop Jonathan Villar made his lone hit count in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Dodgers, going 1-for-4 with a three-run home run. Villar took Caleb Ferguson deep in the seventh inning for his 21st long ball of the season. Villar has provided everything fantasy owners could have hoped for, posting a .277/.343/.456 […]

Austin Hays Collects Three Hits Wednesday

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays continued to make a good first impression in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Dodgers, going 3-for-4 with two singles and a double. The 24-year-old is one of the O's top prospects and is now hitting .300 in 11 plate appearances. The sample size is obviously small, but the end of […]