MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/5) - Buehler Building Up For Big Season

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We've finally made it to (real?) baseball games. […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/4) - Realmuto Nearing Return

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We've finally made it to (real?) baseball games. […]

Which Yuli Gurriel Will Show Up This Season?

Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel will have plenty to prove heading into the 2021 season. Gurriel struggled mightily last season after a breakout campaign in 2019, posting only a .658 OPS through 211 at-bats in a shortened season. His diminished fantasy returns was a huge disappointment after slashing .298/.343/.541 in 2019 with 31 home […]

Pete Alonso Blasts Grand Slam In Spring Action

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso crushed a grand slam in Grapefruit League action on Thursday against the Washington Nationals. Alonso went 1-for-3 on the day, including the grand slam which was his first home run of the spring. Alonso did not hit a single HR last spring prior to a disappointing 2020 season […]

Danny Santana Reaches Deal With Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox signed free-agent super-utility man Danny Santana to a one-year deal with a base salary of $1.75 million on Thursday. He'll receive $1 million in incentives and a $100,000 bonus if he starts in Triple-A to allow him extra time to get ready for the season. The deal also includes an opt-out […]

Colin Moran Batting Cleanup Thursday

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Colin Moran is batting cleanup Thursday against the Atlanta Braves. Moran will look to stabilize himself and become the anchor in the middle of the Pirates' order in 2021 after they traded away Josh Bell during the offseason. Moran's strong suit comes against right-handed pitching as he slashed .252/.338/.512 with nine home […]

Dominic Smith Making Spring Debut On Thursday

New York Mets outfielder/first baseman Dominic Smith will be making his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday against the Nationals. Smith will be batting third as the Mets' designated hitter. In 2020, Smith broke out with a .316/.377/.616 slash line, 10 home runs, and 42 RBI. He finished tied for second in the National League with […]

Anthony Rizzo Homers Wednesday

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo had a solid day at the plate Wednesday, going 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in an 8-8 tie against the Seattle Mariners. The home run was Rizzo's first hit in five at-bats to begin the spring, but he should settle in as March continues. Rizzo was also hitting […]

Christian Walker Homers in Diamondbacks Win Wednesday

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker had a big day at the plate on Wednesday, finishing 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI against the Indians. Walker followed up his breakout 2019 campaign with another solid effort at the plate last year where he finished with a .271/.333/.459 triple-slash line along with seven home […]

Top 10 First Basemen - Dynasty Prospect Rankings

If you’re hunting for an impact bat for your fantasy baseball team, first base is often a good place to find a strong offensive contributor. In 2019, the last full season, 25 out of 37 first basemen with a minimum of 350 plate appearances had a 100 wRC+ or better. Of those, 13 players topped […]

2021 Keeper Value Rankings - First Base

Many many years ago, I noticed the managers in my long-time keeper league were consistently making terrible keeper decisions year after year. Instead of taking their money every year thought I would help them out and find a good set of Keeper League Rankings to share with them. What I found was quite disturbing. There […]

Lineup Takeaways - An Early Look at Spring Training Trends

As many of you know, tracking lineups is what I am all in on this 2021 season and with it comes an influx of data and information right away. Going forward, a weekly article will occur - especially as we get into more tangible information and data. However, I wanted to get ahead of the […]

Aaron Boone Taking A Leave Of Absence

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is taking a medical leave of absence from the team to receive a pacemaker in his heart. The Yankees are optimistic that Boone can return to the team within the next few days so his absence shouldn't have much of an impact on the team's lineups during the regular […]

Twins Showing Interest In Danny Santana

Free-agent infielder/outfielder Danny Santana is drawing interest from the Minnesota Twins. It's unclear what kind of deal Santana would be seeking, though the Twins are reportedly only interested in minor league deals at this point, per Dan Hayes of the Athletic. The 30-year-old struggled with an elbow injury in the shortened 2020 season but is […]

Chris Davis Dealing With Strained Back

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (back) was held out of the team's spring training lineup on Tuesday after he strained his lower back in Sunday's spring opener, according to manager Brandon Hyde. Davis is considered day-to-day. After hitting just .115 without a home run in 16 games last season, Davis needed to earn at-bats […]

Triple-A Season Delayed At Least A Month

Major League Baseball will bring back alternate training sites similar to those used in 2020, a long-awaited move that will delay the start of the Triple-A minor league season by at least a month. Games will be pushed back to around the same time as Double-A and Single-A are expected to start in the first […]

Roster Construction Strategies from the End

Drafting a great roster is the vital base for a successful fantasy baseball season. All draft spots are not created equal. There are pros and cons for all of them. You'll find that everyone has their own preference on the best spot to start the draft. The purpose of this article series is to get […]

Shortstop Preview: Fantasy Baseball 2021 ADP Analysis

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller discusses 2021 fantasy baseball shortstop rankings and SS draft sleepers who can be sneaky later-round picks. He breaks down and compares the ADPs of four different MLB players at the shortstop position. Fantasy players should consider picking up these players for their drafts this MLB Season. Be sure to also tune […]

Andrew Vaughn Goes Yard In Second Spring Game

Chicago White Sox first baseman/designated hitter prospect Andrew Vaughn went 1-for-2 with two runs scored, a home run, three RBI and one walk on Tuesday versus the Texas Rangers. Vaughn has now played in two spring games and has drawn three walks. The slugger is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and […]

Todd Frazier Hits Second Homer Of Spring On Tuesday

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Todd Frazier hit his second home run of the spring and accounted for the only run in the Pirates' 6-1 loss to Detroit on Tuesday. It was his only hit of the game as he finished 1-for-1 with a walk in the five-inning matchup. It's been all power for Frazier this […]

Second Base Preview: Fantasy Baseball 2021 ADP Analysis

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller discusses 2021 fantasy baseball second base rankings and 2B draft sleepers who can be sneaky later-round picks. He breaks down and compares the ADPs of three different MLB players at the second base position. Fantasy players should consider picking up these players for their drafts this MLB Season. Be sure to […]

Ryan Zimmerman Homers In Spring Debut

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman began his spring Monday with a home run. Zimmerman sat out 2020 but is back for 2021 and says he feels good. With Josh Bell set to take most of the starts at first base in D.C. this year, Zimmerman is very much a role player this season. When […]

Jose Abreu Will Start On Tuesday

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu will make his spring debut on Tuesday versus the Texas Rangers. The reigning American League MVP had a late start to camp after testing positive for COVID-19. Abreu is coming off of his best season and is consistently a great source of power and average at the first […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/2): Glasnow Struggles, Taillon and Chapman Return

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We've finally made it to (real?) baseball games. […]

ESPN ADP Advantages - Overvalued / Undervalued Players

A quick way to get ahead in your league is to take advantage of bad pre-rankings. In every online draft room, the pool of players is ranked for players to choose from. These pre-ranks have a huge influence on how drafts go. Lots of managers choose when to pull the trigger on the players they […]

Danny Santana Plans To Sign Soon

Free-agent infielder/outfielder Danny Santana (elbow) plans to have one more workout on Tuesday in Miami and plans to sign shortly after that. He is canceling his showcase on Thursday, as he's shown that he is healthy and ready to go in his individual workouts. Santana was the Texas Rangers Player of the Year in 2019 when […]

Ryan McBroom Goes 2-For-2, Homers On Monday

Kansas City Royals first baseman Ryan McBroom came on as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning of Monday's game against the Cleveland Indians. He doubled in a run in his first at-bat, then went on to hit a two-run home run in his second at-bat. McBroom is lined up for a bench role with the […]

Jesus Aguilar Goes Yard On Monday

Miami Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar hit a home run in Monday's 2-0 seven-inning win over the New York Mets in Grapefruit League play. Aguilar ended up 1-for-2 with two RBI, batting third and starting at first base. Aguilar and Garrett Cooper will presumably split time at first base this season. The two (when Cooper […]

Keston Hiura Homers In First Spring Game

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Keston Hiura played first base and went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Sunday's spring opener. Hiura wasted no time socking his first homer of the spring, going deep in the first exhibition at-bat. His punchout problems persisted, though, as he was rung up in his next two at-bats. The Brewers […]

Bobby Dalbec Starts Off Hot

Boston Red Sox first baseman Bobby Dalbec picked up right where he left off last year, homering in his first at-bat of the spring on Sunday against the Twins. Dalbec was fantastic in his rookie season, hitting a home run every 10 at-bats and slugging .600. It looks like Dalbec will win the Red Sox […]