Power Hitters Who Surged in September - Tyler O'Neill, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Belt

Whether their team is in the playoff hunt or not, it’s always big for guys to finish the season out on a strong note. Even if it’s in meaningless games, guys can look to carry that positive momentum into spring training and then the next season. In 2021, we saw some really strong performances at […]

Undervalued and Overvalued Players - Fantrax Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings

This year's RotoBaller Challenge is being hosted exclusively on Fantrax - The Home of Fantasy Sports. Whether you are competing against fellow RotoBallers, joining a public league, or creating your own custom league on Fantrax, you'll want to get familiar with the site's rankings and average draft position (ADP) before your league drafts. Each platform […]

Giants Expect To Have Brandon Belt For Opening Day

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said that he expects to have first baseman Brandon Belt (knee) on Opening Day "as of now." It's good news for a Giants team that will already be without third baseman Evan Longoria and outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. due to injuries to open the season. Belt has been dealing […]

Spring Training Skill Searching: Max Exit Velocity Standouts - Brendan Rodgers, Sam Hilliard, Christian Walker, Miguel Andujar

For most advanced baseball statistics, you need plenty of data to be available before you can start interpreting them. There is so much randomness and variance in baseball, that you really cannot glean any insights from a handful of games. This doesn't turn out to be true when we're looking at maximum exit velocity. This […]

LaMonte Wade Jr. Has Bone Bruise In Knee

San Francisco Giants first baseman/outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. (knee) was diagnosed with inflammation and bone bruising in his left knee after undergoing an MRI exam on Monday. Wade will rest for 10 days before being re-evaluated, which will rule him out for Opening Day. The 28-year-old was injured in the Cactus League game on Monday […]

Breakout Infielders That Will Keep Improving in 2022 (Jonathan India, Bo Bichette, Ty France)

Breakouts are perhaps the most fun part of playing fantasy baseball. Being able to identify and grab guys as they reach their potential can often be the difference between winning it all and being lost in the shuffle. Breakouts come in all shapes in sizes. They can be guys that come out of nowhere or […]

Bobby Dalbec (1B, BOS) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~200 pick CURRENT ADP: ~221 overall ANALYSIS: Bobby Dalbec will get every opportunity to be the Boston Red Sox starting first baseman in 2022 after his strong finish last season. Dalbec might be just holding the spot warm for elite prospect Triston Casas, who hit .284 with 13 homers in 77 Double-A […]

Albert Pujols To Retire After The Season

Future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals this past weekend. Following the signing, he spoke with reporters and stated, "This is it for me. This is my last run." 2022 will be Pujols' 22nd season in the majors. The 42-year-old spent the first 11 years […]

Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene Not Locks To Make Roster

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that top prospects Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene aren't locks to make the team's Opening Day roster. "They still have things to do to make this team. I can't put it any more simply than that," Hinch said. Torkelson, a corner infielder, and Greene, an outfielder, are the Tigers […]

Padres Acquire Matt Beaty From Dodgers

The San Diego Padres acquired first baseman/outfielder Matt Beaty from the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday in exchange for right-handed pitcher River Ryan. The Dodgers designated Beaty for assignment last week, and now he'll land in the same division with the Friars. The 28-year-old definitely need some more outfield help, but at best, the […]

Pierre Camus' Bold Predictions for 2022 Fantasy Baseball

Normally, I would begin this annual column by saying how grateful I am for the opportunity to be able to take up space on a major website like RotoBaller with my predictions for the upcoming season and follow with the number of years running I've done this. Truth is, I don't remember. Not that it's […]

Justin Upton Playing First Base

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Justin Upton is starting at first base and hitting fourth in Monday's Cactus League game against the Oakland Athletics. It's the first time that Upton will play first base in a major league game, although he's been working at the position this spring. If the Angels actually decide to use the […]

C.J. Cron Clears Concussion Protocol

Colorado Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron (head) cleared the league's concussion protocol after leaving the Cactus League game on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to manager Bud Black. Cron was hit in the head by a pitch, but it luckily hit his shoulder before hitting his helmet. The 32-year-old slugger will likely be back […]

Later-Round Fantasy Baseball Hitter Targets: Home Runs

Today, we will be highlighting some hitters that can help your team in the home runs category without costing you tons of your draft capital. We have gone through several categories already, so check out those posts if you've missed them. These analyses are vital to having a successful fantasy baseball draft in rotisserie-style leagues. […]

Cardinals Finalize Deal With Albert Pujols

The St. Louis Cardinals finalized a one-year, $2.5 million deal with free-agent first baseman Albert Pujols on Sunday, according to sources. Pujols is expected to arrive in Jupiter, Florida, this week. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer has come full circle and will sign with the team that he began his illustrious career with. Now […]

Hitters Under $10: Salary Cap League Draft Targets for Fantasy Baseball - Yoan Moncada, Josh Donaldson, Brandon Belt, and more

It's a cliché to say that those managers who finally dip their toe into salary cap leagues never go back to snake drafts. Snake drafts have their own charm. There is simply more going on, and thus, more fun to have when participating in a salary cap draft. There become no bounds on how one […]

Giants Acquire Luke Williams

The San Francisco Giants have acquired infielder and outfielder Luke Williams from the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league infielder Will Toffey and cash considerations. Williams hit .245 with a .315 on-base percentage, one home run, and a pair of stolen bases in 108 plate appearances for the Phillies last season. Capable of playing all four […]

Frank Schwindel Returns To Lineup Sunday

Chicago Cubs first baseman Frank Schwindel (back) returned to the team's Cactus League lineup on Sunday and is hitting third and playing first base. Schwindel has been out of the spring lineup since he was scratched with back tightness on Wednesday, but the injury wasn't very serious and he may not have missed a game […]

Giants Not Ruling Out Brandon Belt, Tommy La Stella

The San Francisco Giants aren't ruling out first baseman Brandon Belt (knee) or infielder Tommy La Stella (Achilles) for Opening Day, even though neither has appeared in a spring game yet. Belt and La Stella have been simulating game action by taking plenty of at-bats in live batting practice. Belt, 33, had surgery in September […]

Updated Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings for Roto Leagues - Ronald Acuna, Randal Grichuk, Luis Castillo, Dylan Floro, Shane Baz and More

Welcome back RotoBallers! Spring Training is upon us, and fantasy baseball drafts are about to get busy. Below are our updated 2022 fantasy baseball draft rankings and tiers for roto leagues. We will be updating these rankings constantly, and releasing updates every few days along with relevant injury updates to be aware of. Five of […]

Jon Anderson's 2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide

Baseball is happening in 2022, and it is happening in full force. With the excellent news of the lockout ending, we are ready to dive full steam ahead into the fantasy baseball draft season! I have had my head deep in baseball data since before Christmas, so I wanted to come out with a miniature […]

Jesse Winker Takes Reps At First Base

Seattle Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker wore a first baseman's glove and fielded grounders from infield coach Perry Hill on Sunday, according to Ryan Divish. Acquired from the Reds earlier this month, Winker has never played the infield before, let alone first base. However, it appears the Mariners are exploring their options at the position now […]

Evan White Diagnosed With Sports Hernia

Seattle Mariners first baseman Evan White (hernia) has been diagnosed with a sports hernia, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. Also per Divish, the first baseman wants to have surgery "as soon as possible." White hit .144 with a .202 on-base percentage and a pair of home runs in 104 games in the […]

Josh Bell (1B, WAS) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 105 CURRENT ADP: ~121 overall ANALYSIS: As many as 31 players are projected by Steamer to reach more HRs than Bell next year (32+). I said players, not first basemen. First basemen: six of them, all with ridiculous strikeout projections that come out at an average of 151+ per man, a […]

Nathaniel Lowe (1B, TEX) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 190 CURRENT ADP: ~237 overall ANALYSIS: I promise this isn’t because Lowe went a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen-base attempts in 2021. It’s neat, but please don’t pencil those again! Anyhow, Lowe should be a beneficiary of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien hitting up top, with a chance at 100 RBI near the heart of […]

Frank Schwindel (1B, CHC) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 190 CURRENT ADP: ~226 overall ANALYSIS: During the month of September, Schwindel produced a 160 wRC+ and a 1.2 fWAR across 134 plate appearances. The plate appearances are just as noteworthy as the production. Schwindel, 29, had seen a total of 15 career plate appearances prior to 2021. However, he […]

Jesus Aguilar (1B, MIA) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 260 CURRENT ADP: ~285 overall ANALYSIS: Aguilar built off his success in the shortened season and enjoyed another strong campaign in his first full year with the Marlins. The slugger hit 23 doubles and 22 homers while posting a .788 OPS. He also recorded a .329 OBP and struck out […]

Brandon Belt Dealing With Knee Inflammation

San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt (knee) has been dealing with right knee inflammation in camp, but he has been participating in full baseball workouts and will be re-evaluated next week for spring training game activity. Belt is also returning from a fractured thumb last year. The 33-year-old missed over a month with a […]

Brandon Belt (1B, SF) - 2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 195 CURRENT ADP: ~223 overall ANALYSIS: Over the last two seasons, Belt's barrel rate has spiked to near 17% in both seasons and his hard-hit rates are at career highs. That's part of the reason Belt hit 29 home runs in just 97 games last year and has 38 home […]

Michael Florio's Hitters to Target in Points Leagues

Points leagues are becoming more and more popular in fantasy baseball. They have long been my favorite format because they are great both for the newcomer and the seasoned vet. The thing about points leagues is that while the scoring can vary based on platform, they tend to reward more outcomes than traditional Roto leagues, […]