
Articles

Roki Sasaki's Fastball Clocking In At Mid-90s In Simulated Game
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki pitched in a simulated game on Tuesday, and his fastball clocked in at "mid-90s," which is where the Dodgers anticipated he'd be at this early stage of the season. He's expected to pitch and make his MLB debut in the second game of the Tokyo Series on March […]
Jarod Rupp
Robbie Ray Adds Changeup To Pitch Mix, Strikes Out Three On Tuesday
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray is reportedly adding a changeup to his repertoire. The lefty is said to have borrowed the grip from last year's AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal after communicating with him this offseason and results so far have been promising. The 33-year-old pitched two innings in Tuesday's 7-5 […]
Jarod Rupp
Liam Hicks Looking To Earn Backup Catcher Spot For Marlins
Miami Marlins catching prospect Liam Hicks has a "real chance" to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, according to Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. The backstop also drew praise from starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara. If the 25-year-old were to make the team, he'd be expected to back up Nick Fortes. The […]
Jarod Rupp
Kyle Harrison To Make Spring Debut On Friday
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Kyle Harrison is expected to make his Cactus League debut on Friday against the Brewers, although Logan Webb will be the starter for that game and Harrison will follow. Harrison is anticipated to work as the fifth man in the rotation for the Giants to start 2025 but has yet […]
Jarod Rupp
Mets Acquire Alexander Canario From Cubs
The New York Mets have acquired outfielder Alexander Canario from the Cubs in exchange for cash considerations. The 24-year-old was recently DFA'd by the Cubs after the team signed Justin Turner. Canario has some major league experience, going 12-for-42 (.286) with a pair of home runs during his two stints in the big leagues between […]
Jarod Rupp
Lazaro Montes Hits Three-Run Home Run, Scores Three Times On Monday
Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes belted his first home run of the spring in Monday's 12-8 Cactus League win over the Brewers. It was a three-run blast to center field, and the 20-year-old also walked twice, then came around to score both times in a big day at the plate. Montes is Seattle's second-ranked […]
Jarod Rupp
Kevin Alcantara Stays Hot With RBI Double On Monday
Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Monday's 10-5 Cactus League win over the Padres. He's now 6-for-11 this spring with a pair of doubles and four RBI. The 22-year-old is putting his best foot forward in his audition to make the Cubs roster out of camp, […]
Jarod Rupp
Chase Dollander Strikes Out Three In Spring Debut
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher prospect Chase Dollander made his spring debut on Monday, facing eight batters in a 2-2 tie with the Giants. The righty yielded one earned run on two hits and did not walk a batter while striking out three. Dollander is the Rockies' top prospect and is ranked No. 25 overall. After […]
Jarod Rupp
J.J. Wetherholt Blasts First Spring Home Run In Two-Hit Day
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop prospect J.J. Wetherholt collected a pair of hits in his first three spring at-bats on Sunday, with one of them being an opposite-field, three-run home run. The left-handed slugger was the seventh overall pick in last year's draft and held his own during his first taste of pro ball. The West […]
Jarod Rupp
Bubba Chandler Displays His Potential In Spring Debut
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher prospect Bubba Chandler made his spring debut on Sunday and faced four batters. While he allowed one hit and walked a batter, his stuff appeared to be as advertised. The 22-year-old featured his four-seamer and slider, striking out one hitter as well, and the fastball clocked in as high as 99.1 […]
Jarod Rupp
Fantasy Baseball Post-Hype Sleepers: Infield Breakout Candidates for 2025
Every year, it happens -- some of the hottest prospect names get their shot at the big time, and while some live up to the hype, others fall flat for one reason or another. These guys enter the league with so much fanfare because of the talent they've displayed to the world already, but sometimes, […]
Jarod Rupp
Astros Sign Infielder Brendan Rodgers To Minor-League Deal
The Houston Astros have signed free-agent infielder Brendan Rodgers to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training on Tuesday night. Rodgers had played his entire career with the Colorado Rockies before being non-tendered in the offseason. The former third-overall draft pick never lived up to his top prospect billing but was able to […]
Jarod Rupp
Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System To Be Used During Some Spring Games
MLB will test an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system this spring in order to gather data to determine whether or not to implement the system during regular season big league games, although that would not happen this season and no earlier than 2026. The league has tested the system through experimentation at the minor league […]
Jarod Rupp
Jesus Sanchez Will Get Reps In Center Field This Spring
Miami Marlins outfielder Jesus Sanchez will get reps in center field during the spring, according to manager Clayton McCullough. It sounds like this will just be to add some versatility, as McCullough also noted that Derek Hill and Dane Myers will get the most reps in center, with Myers currently projected to be the team's […]
Jarod Rupp
Bryan Reynolds Expected To Play Right Field; No Plans To Play First Base
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds will work as the team's right fielder in 2025, according to manager Derek Shelton. There was talk of the veteran possibly making a move to first base due to Spencer Horwitz's (thumb) injury, but he's apparently put those rumors to rest. He's not the only one making a move, as […]
Jarod Rupp
Athletics Set To Play In Las Vegas In 2028
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred stated that he expects that the Athletics' new stadium in Las Vegas will be open in 2028. In the meantime, the team will call Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California, home, which is also home to Triple-A's Sacramento River Cats of the San Francisco Giants organization. Manfred also […]
Jarod Rupp
Rintaro Sasaki Begins Freshman Season At Stanford
Stanford Cardinal first baseman Rintaro Sasaki has begun his freshman season strong, hitting .389 (7-for-18) with a pair of doubles and is tied for the team lead with eight RBI. Known for his prodigious power, he has yet to hit a home run through the first four games, but surely they'll come. The 19-year-old set […]
Jarod Rupp
Jordan Beck The Leading Candidate For Right Field Job
Colorado Rockies outfielder Jordan Beck is said to have the inside track for the right field job in 2025, according to manager Bud Black. The former 38th overall draft pick had a successful minor-league career, slashing .284/.380/.509 with 36 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 194 games, but struggled in his major-league debut last […]
Jarod Rupp
Kevin Gausman Adds Some Offseason Weight With Eyes On September
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman has put on some weight this offseason, making him appear "sturdier," according to manager John Schneider. Gausman said that adding some weight is typical, knowing that he'll lose some of the added pounds as the season progresses, but intimated that this might be the first time he remains […]
Jarod Rupp
Hyeseong Kim Impressing Early On In Spring Training
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim is leaving an impression on his teammates early on in camp, showing off the defense that allowed him to win four Golden Glove Awards while playing in the KBO. With the offseason departure of Gavin Lux, it is presumed that Kim will man the keystone for the Dodgers, […]
Jarod Rupp
Home Run (HR) Risers for Fantasy Baseball - September Power Surgers
If a player's final stat line for the year is ho-hum or their team doesn't make it to the playoffs, a strong September could go overlooked or forgotten when it comes time to draft fantasy teams the following season. This can lead managers to miss out on potential breakout candidates and/or players who will significantly […]
Jarod Rupp
2025 Fantasy Baseball Hitter Values for Steals - September Speed Surgers
With the rule changes in 2023, MLB teams as a whole and certain players in particular have been more apt to swipe a bag. Here, we'll take an in-depth look at three hitters who took a step forward in their speed numbers in September, hoping to provide us with a glimpse of what 2025 could […]
Jarod Rupp
Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Fallers and Fades? K-BB% Analysis and 2025 Draft Outlooks
As managers prepare for their 2025 fantasy baseball drafts, we attempt to provide you with articles that offer a reason to draft a player ahead of their ADP, or in some cases, give you a reason to steer clear. This article illuminates a few starting pitchers and why their sudden drop in K-BB% is concerning […]
Jarod Rupp
Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Risers - K-BB% Analysis and 2025 Draft Targets
If you're here reading this article, you're likely leaving no stone unturned in your pursuit of finding players who will not only help your fantasy team but also return value by outperforming their ADP. Last season, I wrote this article, and the biggest riser was Tarik Skubal; not only did he outperform his ADP, he […]
Jarod Rupp
Kyle Pitts With Underwhelming End To Another Disappointing Season
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts caught two passes for 15 yards and no scores in Sunday's 44-38 overtime loss to the Panthers. Even though Darnell Mooney (shoulder) missed the contest and Michael Penix Jr. tallied 38 pass attempts, Pitts would garner only three targets in the game. It puts an end to another disappointing […]
Jarod Rupp
Ray-Ray McCloud III Catches Four Passes To Close Out Productive Season
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III hauled in four of seven targets for 66 yards in Sunday's 44-38 overtime loss to the Panthers, ending their season. While he found the end zone just once all year, the performance caps off a productive campaign for the 28-year-old. The sixth-year pro set career highs (by a […]
Jarod Rupp
Alec Pierce Catches Team-Leading Seventh TD Pass On Sunday
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce did his usual thing on Sunday, catching a deep 40-yard touchdown pass on the team's opening drive and adding another 17-yard catch in the 26-23 win over the Jaguars. Despite only 37 receptions on the season, the 24-year-old finishes as the Colts' receiving leader with 824 yards and seven […]
Jarod Rupp
Josh Downs Finishes Season With 10-Catch Effort In Week 18
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs closed out the season on a high note, catching 10 of 13 targets for 94 yards, although he was unable to find the end zone in the 26-23 overtime win over the Jaguars. The 23-year-old missed three games this season due to injury but still managed to set new […]
Jarod Rupp
Michael Pittman Jr. With Six-Catch Performance To Finish Season
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught six of 10 targets for 72 yards and no touchdowns in Sunday's 26-23 overtime win against the Jaguars. The 27-year-old recorded five or more receptions in six of his last seven games of the season, but it was a year mostly filled with inconsistency at the quarterback […]
Jarod Rupp
Joe Flacco Tosses One TD, No Picks In Season Finale Overtime Win
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco wasted no time in getting the team on the board on Sunday, completing his first three passes of the game with the third being a 40-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce. The 39-year-old would go on to complete 23-of-40 passes for 264 yards, with just the one touchdown pass and […]
Jarod Rupp