Hitters Primed for Comebacks After Injury-Plagued Seasons

Injuries can be tough to manage for fantasy managers, especially coming off of a 2020 season that saw coronavirus have a significant effect. Additionally, injuries can sometimes be freak accidents, and it can be difficult to separate concerning injuries from noise. Still, there are general truths about injuries that can help fantasy managers properly value […]

Pierre Camus' Bold Predictions for 2021

Can any prediction really be considered bold after 2020? We hope for a return to normalcy but we also have to remember that the very definition of normal is constantly changing. I've never shied away from pushing the envelope when it comes to this bold predictions column, so this year will be no exception. I […]

Which Batters Are Being Overlooked in 2021?

Pre-season analysis has achieved peak velocity, and at this point, we've started to hear certain names mentioned again and again: Jarred Kelenic, Andrew Vaughn, Randy Arozarena. Those three examples follow the expected pattern: young, exciting players whose potential outstrips the established knowledge. Put more simply, there are interesting things to say about Kelenic, Vaughn, and Arozarena. But […]

Finding Breakout Power Hitters Using Barrel Rates

In part one of this article, I explained how important Statcast is to determining surface stats and the usefulness of barrel rates. Before continuing, I would recommend checking out that article if you're interested in learning how Statcast metrics affect surface stats and player outcomes, and which Statcast metrics are the best predictors of success (hint: […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Goes 0-for-2 Sunday

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 0-for-2 in Sunday's 4-4 tie with the Detroit Tigers. It was a rare down day for Vlad as he is still slashing .444/.533/.778 with two home runs, 10 RBI, and nine runs scored across 36 at-bats. It has been a fine spring for the young star […]

Updated Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Prospects for 2021

Opening day is just around the corner. So what better way to celebrate the occasion than to refresh the Top 50 prospects list for 2021 redraft leagues. If you're a habitual prospect watcher then you could have a leg up on your fantasy competition in 2021. Managers around baseball will heavily rely on rookies like […]

John Nogowski Makes Cardinals Opening Day Roster

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman John Nogowski was informed that he had made the Opening Day roster, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Sunday. After making his major league debut in 2020, Nogowski was on fire throughout Spring Training, slashing .379/.526/.586 with two home runs and a 3:9 K:BB ratio in 20 games. […]

Matt Carpenter Sinks Even Deeper

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter continued to sink even deeper into his spring slump in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Washington Nationals. Carpenter got the start at third base and went 0-for-3 with a walk, lowering his spring batting average to .028. That's not a typo. That's .028. Carpenter has one hit in […]

Jesus Aguilar Falls A Triple Shy On Sunday

Miami Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar fell a triple shy of the cycle in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the New York Mets. Aguilar went 3-for-3 with a double and a home run, driving in two runs and scoring two of his own. This was the final spring training game for the Marlins, so Aguilar […]

ATC Projections Volatility for Multi-Category Players

One year ago, I penned my very first article on RotoBaller. I am truly honored that the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) awarded the piece as the 2020 Baseball Article of the Year. “Finding Combo-Player Values Using Z-Scores and ATC Projections” provided a new perspective on how to find helpful multi-category players to fill out […]

2021 ATC Projections: Hitter Surprises

By their nature, projection systems don’t typically offer many big surprises. Outside of Lucas Giolito’s ZiPS projection, there aren’t many player projections that jump off of the page this season. Still, even seemingly small surprises can have significant fantasy implications, and it’s worth exploring those surprises. To add an element of objectivity to this analysis, […]

2021 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers - RotoBaller Staff Picks

As the 2021 MLB season approaches, it's time for the RotoBaller staff to once again reveal their favorite preseason draft sleepers. We recently asked some of our top fantasy baseball writers to get their take on which hitters and pitchers they are targeting the most in the later rounds of fantasy drafts. While you've likely […]

Analyzing the Theory of Hot and Cold Streaks

You hear it all the time. "This pitcher is really locked in right now" or "this hitter is just seeing the ball so well recently." Looking for patterns and explanations is part of human nature. This manifests itself in sports by people picking up on hot and cold streaks and making quite a big deal […]

Pete Alonso Continues His Red Hot Spring

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso went 1-for-4 with a two-home run on Saturday against the Houston Astros in Grapefruit League action. Alonso continues his hot hitting this spring, giving credence to a potential, imminent bounce-back campaign in 2021. Alonso now has four HR to go with a .333/.418/.688 slash line and 14 RBI […]

Dominic Smith Blasts Two Home Runs On Saturday

New York Mets first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith went 2-for-4 with two home runs on Saturday in Grapefruit League action against the Astros. Smith, who had been dealing with a wrist issue earlier in spring training, is finally heating up at the plate just in time for Opening Day. He now has four HR in Grapefruit […]

Garrett Cooper Gets Three Hits On Saturday

Miami Marlins first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper had another excellent game on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals. He started at first base and went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored. Cooper lifted his spring batting average to .432 and his OPS to 1.191. He should get plenty of at bats once the season […]

Nate Lowe Named Starting First Baseman For Texas

Texas Rangers first baseman Nate Lowe was informed on Saturday that he would be the primary starter for the Rangers this year, beating out 2020 starter Ronald Guzman, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Lowe was acquired from Tampa Bay this offseason in a six-player trade, as he comes off a 2020 campaign […]

Jay Bruce Makes The Yankees

New York Yankees outfielder Jay Bruce will be on the team's Opening Day roster, according to manager Aaron Boone. In a somewhat surprising turn of events, first baseman Luke Voit (knee) is the roster casualty for now as the 30-year-old appears to be on track to miss time early this season with a knee injury. […]

Miguel Sano Belts First Home Run Of Spring

Minnesota Twins first/third baseman Miguel Sano went 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk, and a strikeout in Friday's loss to the Braves. Sano's homer was a rocket, a 458-foot blast that left his bat at an exit velocity of 110.7 MPH. The 27-year-old does have a relatively alarming 18 strikeouts compared to just four […]

Jamie Steed's 10 Bold Predictions for 2021

Bold predictions can be the key to fantasy seasons. Predicting players who will outperform or underperform expectations by extreme amounts can win leagues. Bold predictions can also be entirely unhelpful, speculative thoughts that are just fun to consider. With that in mind, I do think that each of these predictions has a legitimate chance of occurring […]

Eric Samulski's Bold Predictions for 2021

It's bold prediction time! Everybody's favorite time of year. Last year I put out my bold prediction article, and it was a doozy. Obviously, publishing it before the shutdown which delayed the MLB season impacted some of the claims, but, actually, no, I'll just blame everything on that. Anyways, I'm back again to plant my […]

Todd Frazier Opts Out, Becomes Free Agent

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Todd Frazier exercised the opt-out clause in his contract and will become a free agent, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Friday. Heyman adds that the Pirates had informed Frazier he was not going to make the team out of Spring Training, which led to Frazier opting out. Frazier had looked good […]

Cubs Make Offer To Anthony Rizzo

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network is reporting that the Chicago Cubs are looking to extend first baseman Anthony Rizzo and have made an offer. Rizzo, 31, will be a free agent after this season and has previously expressed interest in remaining with the team. Heyman says that there is a gap and with Rizzo […]

Jake Bauers Will Be Opening Day First Baseman

Cleveland Indians first baseman Jake Bauers has won the starting job and will be the Opening Day first baseman, The Athletic's Zack Meisel reports. Bauers was competing with prospect Bobby Bradley for the starting job at first this spring, and despite Bradley (.303/.314/.636) outperforming Bauers (.200/.429/.280), Bradley was the odd man out by virtue of […]

Andrew Vaughn Could Be Opening Day Left Fielder

Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn could be used as the Opening Day left fielder, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports on Friday. According to Van Schouwen, manager Tony La Russa said, "If he's the best choice for Opening Day in left field, I'd play him," just one day after Vaughn got […]

Advanced MLB DFS Strategy: Sneaky Stacks Against Reverse-Splits Pitchers

With Opening Day of the MLB season right around the corner, it's time to start getting your mind right and preparing for a full season of MLB DFS action. Last summer we missed out on several months of MLB games due to the COVID pandemic, but we are going to get 6 months worth of […]

Leody Taveras, Eli White Make OD Roster

Texas Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras and utility player Eli White have both made the club's opening day roster. The switch-hitting Dominican is expected to be the regular centerfielder. He has produced a .736 OPS but with a modest BB-K of 1-9 in 13 spring games. Last season in the majors, Taveras had a 93 wRC+ […]

Brandon Belt Hopeful He'll Be On Opening Day Roster

San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt (heel) felt good in his start on Thursday, and is hopeful he'll be ready to be on the Opening Day roster, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Making just his second appearance of the spring as he recovers from offseason surgery to remove bone chips […]

Garrett Cooper Hits A Home Run On Thursday

Miami Marlins first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper had a nice game on Thursday in Grapefruit League play against the Washington Nationals. Cooper got the start in right field and went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in the third inning. He's hitting a robust .382 with a 1.064 OPS in the spring and should see somewhat […]

Nicklaus Gaut: Bold, Bolder, Boldest Predictions

Ahh, the time-honored tradition of making bold predictions is upon us. We hem and we haw; we make outrageous claims like Adalberto Mondesi invented the question mark, and bicker about the proper definition of "bold". In the NotBurtatorium (totally a real word), however, we worry not about this or that definition. Our goals are simple […]