LaMonte Wade Jr. Ready To Claim First Base Role With Giants

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Monday that first baseman/outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. has had a "very focused offseason." The 29-year-old had a breakout 2021 season but had a disappointing 2022 season, slashing just .207/.305/.359 with eight home runs and 26 RBI in 251 plate appearances while dealing with left knee inflammation. Now that […]

Joey Meneses Could Play Multiple Positions Again In 2023

MLB.com's Jessica Camerato tweeted on Monday that "Dave Martinez sees Joey Meneses playing 'a lot a bit of a little bit of everywhere' this season -- first base, left field, DH." Meneses previously saw time at first base and in both outfield corners as a rookie during the 2022 campaign. The 30-year-old hit .324 with […]

DJ LeMahieu "100 Percent With No Limitations"

According to a tweet from Newsday's Erik Boland on Monday morning, New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (toe) said he enters camp "100 percent with no limitations." Boland also noted in his tweet that the infielder was "limited much of last year by a toe injury." LeMahieu hit .261 with a .357 on-base percentage, 12 […]

Miguel Vargas Has Hairline Fracture In Right Pinky

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) reportedly has a hairline fracture in his right pinky finger, according to a tweet from The Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett on Monday. Per Plunkett's tweet, the infielder "took a ground ball off the pinkie on his right hand." Plunkett also noted in his tweet that "Activity will […]

First Basemen to Target or Avoid at ADP - Fantasy Baseball Draft Analysis

When I was growing up and really getting into baseball in the 1990s and 2000s, the first base position was chalked full of big-time sluggers that would be counted on to produce gaudy offensive numbers season after season -- especially in the HR and RBI departments. Let's look at 2006 for example. Why? Well, it […]

Joey Votto To Miss Spring Training Games

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (shoulder) is expected to miss the first few games of Spring Training. Votto underwent surgery last August to repair his rotator cuff and bicep tears. The 39-year-old is ramping up his workload and hopes to return to the diamond soon. This season marks the final year of Votto's 10-year $225 […]

MiLB Stats: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Once you've grown accustomed to having advanced tools to help make fantasy decisions, it can feel disorientating to be without them. Prospects are increasingly becoming a focal point in both real and fantasy baseball, but the minors simply don't have all of the data available for MLB players. For example, advanced plate discipline stats, Pitch […]

Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (xSLG) - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball

After diving into the xBA leaderboard last week, I'm continuing my look at Statcast metrics by turning our eye to the xSLG leaderboard. We'll go through some of the leaders in the hopes of not just giving you Statcast numbers but explaining how I believe those numbers impact the projections I have for the given […]

Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (xBA) - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball

While the fantasy baseball prep work has been ongoing for months for some, many fantasy managers are turning their attention over in more earnest as the calendar flips to February and the NFL season winds down. While there will be many prep strategy articles, the most basic starting place is to familiarize yourself with the […]

Ji-Man Choi Loses Arbitration Hearing

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Ji-Man Choi has lost his arbitration hearing with his new organization. That's not exactly the best way to start off his career with the Pirates. Choi requested $5.4 million for the 2023 season, but lost and will now make $4.65 million for the upcoming season. It's still a $1.45 million raise […]

Cubs Sign Edwin Rios To One-Year Deal

The Chicago Cubs signed free-agent corner infielder Edwin Rios to a one-year, $1 million deal on Friday. In a corresponding move, the team placed relief pitcher Ethan Roberts (elbow) on the 60-day injured list. Rios became a free agent in 2022 when he was non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers after hitting .244 with seven […]

Analyzing the MLB Rookies - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Prospects

One great way to win your fantasy league is to get your hands on the MLB rookie of the year. Julio Rodriguez and Michael Harris II were two of the biggest keys to success last year, as they went on to return first-round value after being very cheap to acquire on your fantasy team. There […]

Hitter Busts at Every Position - Comparing ATC Projections vs. ADP for Fantasy Baseball

With the big football game officially behind us, the official "official" start of fantasy baseball season has nearly dawned. It's easy to start obsessing over finding this year's biggest hidden jewels, dreaming at night that your fantasy groundhog will see its shadow and bring you six more weeks of sleepers. But don't forget about their […]

Indefensible: Bad MLB Defenders Who Could Lose Playing Time And Fantasy Baseball Value In 2023

The Super Bowl is over and it's time for everybody to turn their attention over to the joys of fantasy baseball. At this point in the preseason, fantasy baseball managers should be working through their projections, whether it's making their own or going through the projections given by their favorite system, like the ATC projections […]

Harold Ramirez Wins Arbitration Case

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Harold Ramirez won his salary arbitration case over the team on Thursday, according to a source. He will make $2.2 million in 2023 instead of the $1.9 million that the Rays filed for. Ramirez is an outfield regular for the Rays heading into the 2023 season after he slashed an impressive […]

Rockies, Bud Black Agree To One-Year Extension

The Colorado Rockies and manager Bud Black have reportedly agreed to a one-year extension through the 2024 campaign, per a tweet from The Gazette's Danielle Allentuck on Wednesday. Entering this season, Black has led the Rockies to a 417-453 record in his six seasons in Colorado, including 87 and 91-win campaigns in his first two […]

Ballpark Factors: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

If you have ever selected a streamable pitcher based on a home park or benched an otherwise must-start arm at Coors Field, you already know how much a stadium can impact a player's bottom line. Ballpark Factors quantify the influence each stadium has, allowing you to make the most of your fantasy team's real-life schedule. […]

Jared Walsh To See Outfield Work

Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin said that he expects first baseman Jared Walsh (shoulder) to work in the outfield in spring training, and there's a good chance he'll see playing time there in 2023. Walsh is fully healthy entering camp after having thoracic outlet surgery, which limited him to 118 games last season. The […]

Cardinals Reach Extension With John Mozeliak

The St. Louis Cardinals extended the contract of president of baseball operations John Mozeliak through the 2025 season on Tuesday. The 54-year-old is the longest-tenured head of baseball operations in the National League and has helped guide the Cardinals to 15 straight winning seasons, matching the franchise record. Prior to the deal, he was entering […]

Fantasy Baseball Hitters Who Changed Scenes in 2023 And What It Will Mean For Their Value

The most important factor in constructing an offense in fantasy baseball is finding players with talent. Whether they make a lot of contact, hit the ball out of the park, or run the bases well, they need to do something to be relevant. But, talent isn’t everything. Sometimes a player’s home park, division, or quality […]

Cardinals, John Mozeliak Close To Multi-Year Extension

The St. Louis Cardinals and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak are reportedly close to signing a multi-year contract extension, per MLB.com's John Denton. The extension is thought to be through the 2025 season. Mozeliak has overseen the construction of 15 straight St. Louis teams with winning records. The team comprises some core fantasy infielders […]

MLB Sticking With Extra-Innings Baserunner

Major League Baseball will stick with a runner at second base in all regular season extra-inning games, according to a source familiar with the situation. MLB's joint competition committee voted unanimously to adopt the rule full time after it had been in place the last three years. The league is also tweaking the rule that […]

4 Fantasy Baseball Hitters Who Were Busts in 2022

Perhaps the most frustrating thing in fantasy baseball -- aside from injuries -- is drafting a player chock-full of upside, only to have him fall flat on his face. It happens every season to players of all ages. The group of consistent, above-average producers is simply not as extensive as many think. A 'bust' is […]

Five Overvalued Outfielders for 2023 Fantasy Baseball Drafts

Welcome back RotoBallers! This is the second part of our overvalued players series for 2023 fantasy baseball drafts. Today we are looking at outfielders. You can see the first part about overvalued infielders as well. When playing fantasy baseball, the player pool is so deep you have to know it front and back. A key […]

Five Overvalued Infielders for 2023 Fantasy Baseball Drafts

When playing fantasy baseball, the player pool is so deep you have to know it front and back. A key strategy I use when I am preparing for my fantasy baseball drafts is to narrow down my player pool. While I am still about a month and a half from drafting some of my main […]

Brewers Sign Jon Singleton To Minor-League Deal

The Milwaukee Brewers signed free-agent first baseman Jon Singleton to a minor-league deal on Friday that includes an invite to big-league spring training. The Brewers also invited catching prospect Jeferson Quero to MLB camp as a non-roster invitee. Singleton has only spent two seasons in the majors for the Houston Astros back in 2014 and […]

Justin Bour Announces His Retirement

First baseman Justin Bour officially announced his retirement from professional baseball on his Twitter account on Friday. "There comes a time in every players career when they know it's time to hang them up. Today is that day for me. Thank you baseball and everyone that helped me along the way," Bour wrote. The 34-year-old […]

Josh Naylor Likely To Skip World Baseball Classic

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (ankle) will likely skip the 2023 World Baseball Classic after aggravating a right ankle injury late in the postseason. Naylor initially injured the ankle in 2021 and began the 2022 season late. Despite playing through his ankle injury last year, he hit .256 with a .771 OPS, 20 home […]

Jared Walsh Feeling Great

After rehabbing from thoracic outlet surgery in the fall, Los Angeles Angels first baseman Jared Walsh (shoulder) is looking to return to his All-Star form this year and said he's been feeling great. Walsh had surgery last September, but with better health, he could bounce back in 2023 for the Angels and fantasy managers. The […]

Biggest Fantasy Baseball Breakout Hitters in 2022

It's always a blast to reminisce on the past, and today we've got a fun topic to discuss. We all love watching offensive-minded players, but a few in particular stood out this past season. Let's take a look! I hand-picked four players that outperformed their expectations in 2022. Alejandro Kirk, Nathaniel Lowe, Andrew Vaughn, and […]