Ian Desmond Continues To Struggle

Colorado Rockies outfielder/first baseman Ian Desmond continues to have an abysmal spring after he went 0-for-3 against the Dodgers on Sunday. Colorado's coup of the 2017 free-agent class is now 1-for-17 this spring. Desmond's terrible opening frame likely won't cost him playing time, but it's certainly not an encouraging sign to fantasy owners after he […]

Matt Olson (1B/OF, OAK) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~95 CURRENT ADP:  123 ANALYSIS: Prior to Matt Olson’s 2017 debut, Fangraphs slapped a 40 hit tool and a 45 game power tool (with 50 potential) on Olson. He proceeded to make them and just about every other prospect ranking site look absolutely silly. In only 216 PA, Olson triple-slashed .259/.352/.651 with 24 HR! […]

Jose Abreu Off To A Slow Start This Spring

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu has come out of the gate cold so far in spring training. Over his first 28 at-bats, the slugger has only five hits. The good news is that three of his five hits have gone for extra bases and he has scored six runs. There isn't much to […]

Matt Olson Has Productive Day At The Plate

Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson went 2-for-3 against the Cubs on Sunday. He also pitched in an RBI and a run. To date, Olson is batting .310 with two home runs and six runs batted in this spring. He has also struck out seven times in his 29 at-bats. Olson will provide plenty of […]

Trey Mancini (1B/OF, BAL) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~142 CURRENT ADP: 151 ANALYSIS: Baltimore Orioles 1B/OF Trey Mancini turned heads last season by hitting .293 with 24 HR, 78 RBI, and 65 R. Still only 25-years-old, Mancini is poised to take his game to the next level in 2018. Sporting a ground ball-heavy profile, Mancini still managed to pop 24 […]

Hanley Ramirez Has Multi-Hit Game Against Orioles

Boston Red Sox designated hitter/first baseman Hanley Ramirez was 2-for-3 in Sunday's game against the Orioles. Ramirez has made some bold proclamations this spring. While a 30-30 season might not be a reasonable expectation, Ramirez can still recover some value in an improved lineup. Ramirez is expected to bat third and will see plenty of […]

Tommy Joseph Doing All He Can At The Plate

After almost leaving for Asia during the offseason, first baseman Tommy Joseph arrived at spring training with his role for the Philadelphia Phillies not exactly defined. After all, the club signed Carlos Santana to take over first base duties, and Joseph has even seen time in an already packed outfield in a bid for playing time. […]

Carlos Santana Still Adjusting To Phillies

The new first baseman of the Philadelphia Phillies, Carlos Santana, appears to be set at the second spot of the lineup. Manager Gabe Kapler appears intent on having him bat there when the season begins, having hit second in eight of his 10 games played this spring. During this spring, the 31-year-old has hit .208, […]

Joey Votto Having Slow Spring

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto is off to a slow start this spring. The star first baseman is hitting .056 in 18 at-bats, notching just one hit while scoring three runs and driving in one. Despite the slow spring, there's no reason to get concerned about Votto. He got off to an extremely slow […]

Chris Davis Feeling Better But Orioles Being Cautious

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (forearm) says he feels much better after his cortisone shot, but the timetable dictates he rests for 72 hours after receiving it. The club is not so much worried about his spring training at-bats, but they want him up and ready for the regular season.

Logan Morrison Will Return To Lineup Tuesday

According to reports, Minnesota Twins designated hitter Logan Morrison (gluteus) is expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday. Morrison has been out since last Wednesday after straining his glute on a hard slide into home plate. Morrison's expected return to the lineup shows that his injury was never considered serious. Morrison will play his […]

Greg Bird Struggling Mightily At The Plate

Last season, New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird enjoyed a monstrous Spring Training, hitting .451 with eight home runs and 15 RBI in 51 plate appearances. He appeared set for a terrific season with the Yankees, but he actually suffered a terrible opening month of the season before losing most of the year with […]

First Base H2H Points Rankings - March Update

Welcome back RotoBallers. With the MLB season just a few short weeks a way, it's time to update our rankings and analysis to account for injuries, free agent signings, spring training risers/fallers and more. We kick off our updated March rankings today with the first base position. Bill Dubiel breaks down each tier and provides analysis […]

Ryan Braun Not Comfortable At First Base

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, who was playing left field in spring training Saturday, said he's "not remotely comfortable" playing at first base yet. Given Milwaukee's plethora of outfielders in 2018, the team would like Braun to move to first base and share time with Eric Thames. Injuries always remain a concern for Braun, too, […]

Trey Mancini Drives In Two Runs In Laugher Over Pirates

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini, who was playing first in place of the injured Chris Davis, had an excellent day on Saturday. He went 1-for-2 while driving in two runs. He also hit a solo homer during an inning that saw three Orioles go deep. Mancini now has three homers and is hitting a respectable […]

Chris Davis Receives Cortisone Injection In Arm

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (forearm) received a cortisone shot to help him heal faster. Manager Buck Showalter said that this won't change the timetable for Davis' return. Davis must be itching to get back onto the field in a regular capacity. Outfielder Trey Mancini got the nod at first base Saturday.

Justin Bour Scratched With Back Spasms

Miami Marlins first baseman Justin Bour (back) was scratched from spring action Saturday due to back spasms. The injury isn't considered serious, and the Marlins are just being cautious with the regular season quickly approaching. Bour will be the team's cleanup hitter in 2018 after hitting .289 with a career-high 25 home runs in 377 […]

Justin Bour Struggling This Spring

It's been a slow Spring Training for Miami Marlins first baseman Justin Bour, but that shouldn't deter fantasy owners from drafting him this year. The big lefty, who clubbed 25 homers and 83 RBI in just 108 games last season, is batting a measly .190 in 21 at-bats this Spring. When healthy, Bour is one […]

Chase Headley Focuses On Natural Swing

San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley hopes a few mechanical adjustments in his swing will allow him to surpass his recent unexceptional performance. Since a magical 2012 season when he hit 31 home runs, scored 95 runs and drove in 115 RBI (along with 17 steals and an .874 OPS), Headley has settled for […]

Sam Travis Locates Previously Unproven Power

Boston Red Sox first base prospect Sam Travis hit his third home run of the spring Friday against the Marlins. He went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run. Travis has never hit more than six home runs in any season of his minor league career. It became questionable whether Travis would stay at first […]

Best Ball Sleepers and Late Round Targets for Fantasy Baseball

Best ball leagues are one of the latest variations of fantasy baseball that are quickly growing in popularity. Draft day is the only day of the year where owners will have control over their roster. There is no waiver wire and there are no trades. Owners won't even set daily lineups, as they will instead […]

Eric Hosmer Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our long-running series of articles debating fantasy rankings with a player that has ignited a good amount of debate over the last few months within our rankers. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space, we'll hear […]

Logan Morrison Getting Better But Will Miss Friday, Saturday

Minnesota Twins first baseman/designated hitter Logan Morrison (gluteus) is on the road to recovery after straining his glute on Wednesday while sliding in a spring training game. Morrison told manager Paul Molitor that he is improving, but the team plans to be cautious with Morrison and will most likely hold him out of action on […]

Dominic Smith Expected To Play On Sunday

New York Mets first baseman Dominic Smith has been out of action due to an injured right quadriceps, but he’s expected to return on Sunday. Smith has seen only one at-bat in the Grapefruit League this spring ,which is obviously not a good start after entering spring training in a competition with fellow first baseman […]

Adrian Gonzalez Is Feeling Good Right Now

New York Mets first baseman Adrian Gonzalez may not be producing at the plate in spring training thus far, but it’s certainly not for lack of health, according to Gonzalez. Gonzalez has been participating in a new warmup routine this spring, one that’s designed to help his back. If you recall, back injuries limited Gonzalez […]

Christian Villanueva Adding First Base To His Resume

San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva will play first base Friday as he fights for a roster spot. The Padres third baseman was also recently linked to taking repetitions at shortstop. His versatility could supplement a bat that's hitting .435 with three homers and 11 RBI in 23 spring at-bats (1.465 OPS). If he makes […]

Chris Davis Will Resume Baseball Activities Next Week

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (forearm) will be back on the field next week. Manager Buck Showalter told the media that Davis, who has been dealing with a tight forearm, will resume "baseball action" soon. Here's hoping that Davis will be able to stay on the field for the rest of spring training. Pedro Alvarez has […]

Matt Carpenter Begins Fielding and Batting Practice

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter (back, shoulder) began hitting and fielding drills this week. The team is reportedly concerned about both Carpenter's back and his shoulder, which may lead them to sticking him at first base. Originally, Carpenter was being looked at as a super-utility infielder who could play almost any infield position. For […]

No Timeline For Steve Pearce's Return

Toronto Blue Jays utilityman Steve Pearce has been suffering from a calf strain this spring, and while he’s feeling better, there isn’t a timeline as for when he might get back on the field. For a good portion of the offseason, it looked as though Pearce might just have a starting role in Toronto’s outfield […]

Points League Primer - Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy

When discussing fantasy baseball, an often neglected but entertaining format is the points league. These exist in both season-long cumulative and weekly head-to-head leagues. While existential debates about scoring categories and their true depiction of player worth are endless, points leagues arguably get closest to the objective of sabermetrics. Points leagues attempt to define a […]