Articles
Paul Goldschmidt Stays Cold Friday
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went hitless in four at-bats in an 8-4 Grapefruit League loss to the Marlins on Friday. The veteran has been scuffling this spring, hitting just .148 (4-for-27) including 11 strikeouts (33.3%) and just one home run. You don't want to put too much stock in spring stats, but […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoJeremy Pena - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values and Sleepers (2024)
BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 205 CURRENT ADP: ~240 ANALYSIS: From a power perspective, Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena's 2023 was a disappointment. In 2022, the rookie belted 22 home runs and had an above-average ISO of .173 in 521 at-bats, but in 2023 the HR total dipped to just 10 and the ISO went […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoJarren Duran Has A Big Day At The Plate Friday
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran doubled his spring hit total in an 8-5 Grapefruit League win over the Twins on Friday. The 27-year-old came into the game with three hits, none for extra bases, and finished the game with three more hits which included a double and a home run. The lefty also had […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoBryan Woo - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values and Sleepers (2024)
BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 195 CURRENT ADP: ~203 overall ANALYSIS: Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo was drafted in 2021 and logged just 282 IP in the minors before being thrust into action last season. The former sixth-round pick pitched admirably despite the lack of seasoning, ending the season 4-5 with a 4.21 ERA (4.13 SIERA), […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoChristian Encarnacion-Strand Clubs Third Home Run Of Spring
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-5 on Wednesday in a 19-11 Cactus League win over the Giants. His day at the plate included a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored. The 24-year-old is now batting .292 (7-for-24) with three home runs, eight RBI, and eight runs scored in the spring season. […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoRonald Acuna Jr. Back In Lineup Thursday
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is slated to return to Grapefruit League action on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays. The reigning MVP will serve as the designated hitter and bat in his usual leadoff spot in his first spring game back after he experienced soreness in his right knee last week. Obviously, […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoTommy Edman Will Begin Season On Injured List
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tommy Edman (wrist) will begin the season on the injured list, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Edman has been recovering from wrist surgery he had in October of last year, but with lingering pain in the wrist, he's yet to make a Grapefruit League appearance. This announcement seemed like it was […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoGerrit Cole Will Undergo More Testing, Unlikely For Opening Day
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated that there is no update on starting pitcher Gerrit Cole's (elbow) MRI and that last year's American League Cy Young winner will undergo more testing Tuesday. Boone also acknowledged that regardless of what is determined from the testing, Cole has not got enough work in this spring and […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoCeddanne Rafaela Homers On Sunday
Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela hit his second home run of the spring on Sunday in a 7-6 Grapefruit League win over the Tampa Bay Rays. In the game, the second of the Dominican Republic Series, Rafaela was 1-for-5 out of the leadoff spot with the home run being his only hit of […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoJorge Polanco Having A Productive Spring For New Team
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco is showing his new team what he can do at the plate this spring. After bashing two home runs on Sunday, the 30-year-old failed to reach base for the first time Monday, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout in a 13-3 Cactus League loss to the Padres. Through his first […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoParker Meadows Hitless Monday
Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows went 0-for-3 on Monday in a 5-3 Grapefruit League win over the Houston Astros. After starting the spring season 7-for-20 (.350), he's now 0-for-6 in his last two games and 7-for-26 overall (.269). Despite this little rough patch, included in his seven hits are two doubles and two home runs. […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoAaron Judge Undergoes MRI, On Track For Opening Day
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge had an MRI in the area of his abdominal muscle on Monday that came back clean. Earlier on Monday, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone had stated that Judge was feeling "mid-spring beat up" and that Judge wasn't going to play until Wednesday. Now it's estimated that Judge won't even swing […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoMatt McLain Makes Spring Debut On Sunday
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (oblique) made his spring debut on Sunday in a 5-3 Cactus League win over the Guardians. The 24-year-old had been battling an oblique injury this spring but made the start and batted third in the Reds lineup, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. He's looking to build off a solid […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoJason Foley Dealing With Arm Fatigue
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch stated that reliever Jason Foley, who was scheduled to pitch in Sunday's Grapefruit League matchup with the Mets, did not pitch due to "mid-camp pitching fatigue." At least it doesn't sound serious, but on the other hand, fatigue this early in the season doesn't seem to bode well for the […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoFrankie Montas Named Opening Day Starter
Manager David Bell announced on Sunday that Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas will be the team's Opening Day starter. This is a bit of a surprise with young 2017 first-round draft pick Hunter Greene in the mix, but Greene hasn't made a statement this spring that he's ready to be the guy, continuing to […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoColton Cowser Goes Yard Again On Sunday
Baltimore Orioles top outfield prospect Colton Cowser continued his torrid spring, belting his fourth home run in a 6-6 Grapefruit League tie with the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. He's now in a five-way tie for the spring home run lead and is 9-for-20 (.450) overall in Grapefruit League play. The powerful lefty has shown […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoCorbin Burnes Officially Named Opening Day Starter
Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde announced on Sunday that starting pitcher Corbin Burnes would be the team's Opening Day starter. While it had been assumed, Hyde made it official and it will be Burnes' third straight start on Opening Day -- the prior two coming with his previous club, the Milwaukee Brewers. The Orioles' prize […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoAndrew Abbott Hit Hard In Third Spring Start
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott had a second straight ineffective start of the spring on Saturday in a 7-5 Cactus League win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The lefty gave up three earned runs on seven hits (including three doubles) in three innings of work. He walked just one though and struck out five, so […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoGavin Stone Front Runner For No. 5 Role
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Gavin Stone appears to have a leg up on the fifth rotation spot after manager Dave Roberts announced that fellow starter Emmet Sheehan would start the season on the IL. Michael Grove could be in the mix as well. As for Stone, he pitched well in the minors up through […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoJameson Taillon Dealing With Back Tightness
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon was scratched from what would have been his spring debut on Saturday. The veteran pitcher experienced tightness in his lower back during his mound warmup. Manager Craig Counsell said that they will see how he feels Sunday before taking any next steps, but at this point, they're hoping it […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoDavid Peralta Will Make Cubs Spring Debut On Tuesday
Chicago Cubs non-roster invitee and outfielder David Peralta is expected to make his spring debut with his new club on Tuesday. The 36-year-old had flexor tendon surgery in the offseason and signed a minor league deal with the club. He played his first several seasons in the majors with the Diamondbacks and the last year […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoBrandon Nimmo Could Be Moved Down In The Lineup
After a season that fell short of expectations, the New York Mets are reportedly open to tinkering with the lineup, including potentially moving outfielder Brandon Nimmo down from the leadoff spot. The lefty had a bit of a power surge last season, smacking a career-high 24 home runs. If he can maintain that power he […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoLuis Arraez Collects Three Hits Friday
After a slow start to the spring season, Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez got going on Friday in a 3-1 Grapefruit League loss to the New York Mets. The 2x batting champ went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. It was a welcome sight after the 26-year-old went 1-for-16 (.063) to begin the […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoNick Martinez Tosses Four Perfect Innings Friday
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez pitched a gem before rain forced the cancellation of the Reds-Dodgers Cactus League matchup on Friday. Martinez tossed four perfect innings, allowing no hits and no walks while striking out six batters. It was a very bright spot for the Reds on a day that started very cloudy with […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoNolan Gorman Hits First Home Run Of Spring
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman hit his first home run of the spring season in a 7-6 Grapefruit League win over the Washington Nationals. It was a two-run shot, and the lefty added a third RBI when he walked with the bases loaded in the second inning. The former first-round draft pick is […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoFrancisco Alvarez Doubles, Homers On Friday
New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez went 2-for-2 on Friday in a 3-1 Grapefruit League win over the Miami Marlins. The backstop also recorded an RBI and two runs scored. It was the second straight game with a home run for Alvarez and third of the spring. He's off to a nice start, going 5-for-14 […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoPete Alonso Homers On Friday
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso blasted his second home run of the spring on Friday in a 3-1 Grapefruit League victory over the Miami Marlins. It was the only hit of the day for the 3x All-Star, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. The two-time HR Derby champ is now […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoSearching For Steals In 2024 Fantasy Baseball: SB/PA Analysis
So far this offseason, we've taken a look at hitters who improved their walk rates the most and those batters who increased their sweet spot% the most, amongst other articles. This particular article will take yet another slice of the data to see what there is to see. I wanted to take a look at […]
Jarod Rupp 6 months agoHitters Spring Training News and Notes For Fantasy Baseball
The spring season has begun and now that we're several games in, it's worth taking a look around the leagues (Cactus and Grapefruit) to see which batters have started off this preseason hot and who has started off cold. Make sure you check out the version of this article that looks at pitchers who have […]
Jarod Rupp 7 months agoJack Suwinski Hitless Wednesday
A day after hitting his first home run of the spring, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout in Wednesday's 6-4 Grapefruit League loss to the Orioles. The lefty hitter is now 3-for-15 (.200) in spring action with a home run and a double. More concerningly, he's also struck […]
Jarod Rupp 7 months ago