Anthony Rizzo Optimistic About Extension

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is optimistic about the chances that he'll reach a long-term contract extension with the team. Without a new deal, he will be eligible for free agency next offseason. Rizzo is now 31 years old and is entering his 11th season in the major leagues, but he'd like to chase […]

Brandon Belt Logs Batting Practice Session Friday

San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt (heel, illness) got back into the swing of spring camp Friday, taking batting practice on the field. Belt has yet to appear in a Cactus League contest as he attempts to ramp up in time for Opening Day. The left-handed hitter is coming off a career year in […]

Jesus Aguilar Gets Two Hits On Friday

Miami Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar had a solid game on Friday in Grapefruit League action against the Mets. Aguilar went 2-for-3 with an RBI while batting third and playing as the DH. He is certainly deserving of an everyday role, but he'll likely be sharing at bats with Garrett Cooper at first base since […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Batting Order

You may be wondering why there aren't any advanced stats aimed at predicting a player's counting stats like runs and RBI. The answer is simple: modern sabermetrics reject the idea of a "clutch RBI guy" and therefore do not bother inventing predictive metrics for it. Runs and RBI are team-dependent stats and are unhelpful in ascertaining […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/12) - Severino Beginning Build Up

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're officially through the first week of spring training games […]

Stolen Base Draft Sleepers

Which players can you target later in fantasy baseball drafts to help with stolen bases? Pierre Camus shares his favorite SB draft targets for 2021. Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as well! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller […]

Jose Abreu Continues Spring Struggles

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu went 0-for-3 in Thursday's 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Abreu recently recovered from Covid-19 and that could be a reason for his early struggles this spring as he is just 2-for-17 to start. He had an outstanding 2020 where he won the AL MVP by slashing .317/.370/.617 […]

Ryan Mountcastle Breaks Out Of Mini-Slump

Baltimore Orioles prospect Ryan Mountcastle went 1-for-3 with a double on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The hit broke a mini-slump that had seen the rookie go 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Mountcastle is hoping to make the opening day roster either in left field or at first base in place of injured veteran Chris Davis. […]

Alex Kirilloff Hits First Spring Homer

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff broke out of a slump with a 1-for-2 day that saw him clear the outfield fences in the second inning. The blast came against a very good pitcher in Eduardo Rodriguez of the Boston Red Sox. Kirilloff is just 3-for-16 with five strikeouts this spring as he chases a […]

Best-Ball Late-Round Values - Infield

Fantasy Baseball draft season is in full swing, and that goes for more than just redraft leagues; we are talking best-ball formats. Best-ball leagues have been gaining traction in recent years and for good reason. Drafts start almost immediately after the previous season ends for those looking for an offseason fantasy fix. Best-ball drafts are […]

Wil Myers Posting Gaudy Spring Numbers Again

San Diego Padres outfielder Wil Myers has posted some big Cactus League numbers in springs past, and he's doing it again in 2021. Myers went 2-for-2 with a walk on Thursday against Cleveland and hit his second home run in as many games. He's hitting .389 with a 1.310 OPS in spring training action. We […]

Pete Alonso Hits Second Homer Of Spring

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso hit his second spring home run on Thursday against the Houston Astros. He went 1-for-3 in the game with two strikeouts. His solo shot was the only run scored in the game. Alonso has had a solid spring, slashing .313/.450/.813. He had an inconsistent sophomore campaign in 2020, […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/11) - Hiura Endures Spring Struggles

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're officially through the first week of spring training games […]

C.J. Cron Continues To Rake This Spring

Colorado Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, one RBI, and a run scored in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old first baseman has been mashing this spring for the Rockies. He's now batting .316/.350/.579 with a home run and a pair of RBI over 19 […]

Marwin Gonzalez Homers Twice

Boston Red Sox utility man Marwin Gonzalez homered from each side of the plate on Wednesday, knocking in four in the Red Sox's 5-4 win over the Twins. Gonzalez, along with Kike Hernandez, Michael Chavis and Danny Santana, is one of the many utility players fighting for playing time in a crowded Red Sox lineup. Gonzalez […]

Dominic Smith To Play Left Field Friday

New York Mets outfielder/first baseman Dominic Smith is scheduled to play left field for the first time in Grapefruit League action Friday. The Mets had reportedly been holding Smith back from playing in the outfield this spring to avoid injury and/or burning him out coming off the shortened 2020 season. With no designated hitter in […]

Luke Voit’s Knee Issue Not Major

New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit (knee) has been dealing with a knee injury, and his knee appeared to bother him on the bases during Thursday's game. Manager Aaron Boone seems to view Voit's knee injury as a minor issue, and it doesn't seem like Boone expects Voit to be in any danger of […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Hits First Spring Homer

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. slugged a three-run homer and went 3-for-3 in Thursday's 10-6 win over the Detroit Tigers. He's now 5-for-10 with a BB-K of 3-1 this spring. Guerrero Jr., who turns 22 in a few days, came into camp after losing more than 40 pounds since last year and […]

Rhys Hoskins Feels Healthy After Playing First Base

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins said his surgically repaired elbow is, "All systems go," after playing the field for the first time this spring. Hoskins was one of the hottest hitters in baseball last season before a September elbow injury cost him the last two weeks of the season. Before the injury, Hoskins blasted […]

Michael Chavis Will Not Play In The Outfield

Boston Red Sox first baseman Michael Chavis will not get a shot at playing in the outfield if Franchy Cordero is not ready for Opening Day, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Cordero had missed most of camp due to testing positive for COVID-19, and Browne reports that manager Alex Cora says Chavis will not […]

Bobby Dalbec Hits Grand Slam

Boston Red Sox infield prospect Bobby Dalbec slugged his fourth home run of the spring on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves. The big fly came in the sixth inning with the bases loaded against former big-league reliever Victor Arano. Dalbec is looking to win the starting first base job and he's off to a promising […]

2021 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers - Rowdy Tellez

Rowdy Tellez is entering his age-26 season and looks primed for a breakout year. This is an intriguing hitter with tantalizing power and impressive Statcast metrics. He hits in a stacked lineup and favorable ballpark, but fantasy baseball players have shied away because of playing time concerns. In this article, we'll take a look at […]

Joey Votto Tests Positive For COVID-19

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto has tested positive for COVID-19, according to C. Trent Rosencrans of The Athletic. The Reds had announced earlier in the day that Votto was being placed on the injured list with an undisclosed ailment, but Rosencrans reports that Votto has allowed the team to announce his diagnosis through official […]

Jake Cronenworth Starting Hot In Spring

San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth is off to a .364/.417/.455 this spring across 12 plate appearances. The 27-year-old enjoyed a sensational rookie campaign, posting a .831 OPS while popping four homers, swiping three bags and tallying 46 runs-plus-RBI in 192 plate appearances. With the offseason addition of Korean infielder Ha-Seong Kim, Cronenworth's playing […]

Bobby Bradley Slugs Two Doubles

Cleveland Indians first base prospect Bobby Bradley went 2-for-3 with two doubles on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers. He's now 4-for-13 (.308) this spring and all four of his hits have gone for extra bases with two doubles and two home runs. He's also driven in eight runs. The rookie first baseman appeared in 15 […]

Michael Chavis Continues Strong Spring

Boston Red Sox first baseman Michael Chavis continued his strong spring with two more hits on Tuesday, raising his spring average and OPS to .429 and 1.429, respectively. There was a lot of buzz around Chavis upon his call-up, but most of that excitement has since been tempered due to an injury plagued, up-and-down 2019 […]

Danny Santana Builds Up Arm Strength In Camp

Boston Red Sox utilityman Danny Santana (arm) has not yet appeared in Grapefruit League action as he continues to build up his arm strength. Santana was able to work out with the club Tuesday, but there has been little update provided as to when he could appear in game action. With the flexibility of his […]

Chris Davis Seeking Specialist For Sore Back

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis is seeking a specialist for his sore back, according to manager Brandon Hyde. Davis has been day-to-day with a lower back strain since last week and currently there is no timetable for his return. Davis was limited to just 16 games last season while dealing with patellar tendinitis in […]

Miguel Sano Doubles Tuesday

Minnesota Twins infielder Miguel Sano had an RBI double in Tuesday's 1-0 win against the Baltimore Orioles. Sano is now just 2-for-11 with three RBI across four spring games. Sano should see time at both first base and third base in 2021, which will increase his fantasy value. That being said, he will need to […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/9) - Meadows Returning To Form

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're officially through the first week of spring training games […]