Patrick Wisdom Misses Monday's Game

Chicago Cubs infielder Patrick Wisdom (groin) was a late scratch from Monday's Cactus League matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander slugger is dealing with left groin soreness, so the organization decided to take the cautious approach here. It wouldn't be surprising to see Wisdom miss a few games because of this issue. The 31-year-old […]

Miguel Vargas Won't Swing Monday

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) will play in the Cactus League game on Monday against the San Diego Padres, but he won't be hitting. Manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend that Vargas has regained his grip strength and that he's been doing more work in the batting cages, but he's not ready […]

Eduardo Escobar Could Play Left Field Tuesday

New York Mets manager Buck Showalter said that third baseman Eduardo Escobar might play left field in a Grapefruit League game on Tuesday. The Mets are preparing Escobar in the outfield because Team Venezuela might use him in the outfield in this year's World Baseball Classic. The 34-year-old veteran is unlikely to see any time […]

Josh Donaldson Feels Different This Spring

New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson began his offseason work earlier than usual and cited a new "intensity" and "focus" in ensuring he was ready for spring training this year. He went 1-for-2 with a single, walk and strikeout in his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday and is ready to bounce back after posting […]

Miguel Rojas Exits Early On Sunday

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas (foot) was forced to exit early during Sunday's Cactus League matchup against the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old was noticeably limping as he was running around first base after hitting a single. The organization decided to remove Rojas from the contest as a precaution. It sounds like the issue is […]

Third Base Draft Values for Fantasy Baseball - EDV Finds Undervalued, Overvalued Picks

Baseball is coming, so it is time for another year of the FSWA-award-nominated Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify both overvalued and undervalued players of all types. Whether you're targeting power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, we've got you covered. Today, we'll look at third basemen […]

Padres, Manny Machado Finalizing 11-Year Extension

The San Diego Padres and star third baseman Manny Machado are finalizing an 11-year, $350 million contract extension on Sunday, according to sources familiar with the deal. Machado has helped turn around the franchise and was planning on opting out of his previous deal after the 2023 season. The 30-year-old All-Star had six years and […]

RotoBaller Staff Mock Draft Analysis: 12-Team Roto League Draft

Mock drafts remain an integral piece of fantasy baseball prep in 2023. Some of RotoBaller’s top minds joined up for a 12-team 5x5 Roto mock draft over on Fantrax. I’ll be delivering a round-by-round breakdown of the draft and highlighting some noteworthy picks along the way. Then I'll point out some trends, including how third […]

Barrels and Brls/BBE: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Previously, we looked at how the exit velocity is only one piece of the fantasy baseball analysis puzzle. Baseball broadcasts will commonly cite Launch Angle (LA) to complement their EV figures, but it is given in terms of degrees. LA is basically a fancy way of saying things that the fantasy community has used for […]

Miguel Vargas To Be In Saturday's Lineup

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) will be in the team's lineup for the Cactus League opener on Saturday, but "you can tell the Brewers he won't be swinging." Vargas still isn't cleared due to a finger injury, but the Dodgers want him to continue playing on defense. The […]

Tommy La Stella Likely Out 5-6 Days

Seattle Mariners infielder Tommy La Stella (arm) is dealing with a sore right arm in camp and will likely be out for five to six days. He was originally set to serve as the team's designated hitter in their Cactus League opener on Friday. The Mariners will take it easy on La Stella early in […]

Miguel Vargas To Play Some Defense Thursday

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) will play defense in camp on Thursday, but he's not cleared yet to hit. Vargas is still recovering after suffering a hairline fracture to his right pinkie last week while fielding ground balls. When healthy, the 23-year-old should see most of his playing time for the Dodgers at […]

Manny Machado Is Padres' "Top Priority"

While not going into much detail, San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler said Tuesday that third baseman Manny Machado is the team's "top priority." Machado recently informed the team that he intends to opt out of the remaining five years and $150 million of his contract after the 2023 season unless an extension or restructuring […]

ADP Fallers to Buy for Fantasy Baseball - 2023 ADP Comparisons

"Buy low, sell high." The age-old advice. Simple but powerful. It is perfectly applicable in the fantasy baseball world as well, so that is what we're talking about today. I am going to explore the players that have seen the biggest drops in their ADP when comparing 2022 to 2023. Now, there are plenty of […]

Statcast Exit Velocity: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

If you've watched a baseball broadcast in the Statcast Era, you have undoubtedly noticed the broadcasters commenting on a batted ball's exit velocity, or EV. Many have taken to using stats like Hard% and Soft% to forecast how a player should be performing, expecting larger Hard% rates to produce larger BABIP and HR/FB figures. There […]

Anthony Rendon Healthy, Committed For 2023

Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin said Monday that third baseman Anthony Rendon is "in a really good place" coming into spring training. The 32-year-old dealt with wrist and hip surgeries throughout the 2021-22 seasons, resulting in just 442 plate appearances across the two seasons with disappointing results. Rendon has been a solid fantasy contributor […]

DJ LeMahieu "100 Percent With No Limitations"

According to a tweet from Newsday's Erik Boland on Monday morning, New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (toe) said he enters camp "100 percent with no limitations." Boland also noted in his tweet that the infielder was "limited much of last year by a toe injury." LeMahieu hit .261 with a .357 on-base percentage, 12 […]

Miguel Vargas Has Hairline Fracture In Right Pinky

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Vargas (finger) reportedly has a hairline fracture in his right pinky finger, according to a tweet from The Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett on Monday. Per Plunkett's tweet, the infielder "took a ground ball off the pinkie on his right hand." Plunkett also noted in his tweet that "Activity will […]

Jose Ramirez Feeling Great After Hand Surgery

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (hand) said he's feeling great following offseason hand surgery. Cleveland's first full-squad spring training workout will be on Tuesday. Ramirez actually had surgery on his thumb after he injured it in the middle of June, but he played through the issue. He wasn't nearly as dangerous with the bat […]

MiLB Stats: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Once you've grown accustomed to having advanced tools to help make fantasy decisions, it can feel disorientating to be without them. Prospects are increasingly becoming a focal point in both real and fantasy baseball, but the minors simply don't have all of the data available for MLB players. For example, advanced plate discipline stats, Pitch […]

Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (xSLG) - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball

After diving into the xBA leaderboard last week, I'm continuing my look at Statcast metrics by turning our eye to the xSLG leaderboard. We'll go through some of the leaders in the hopes of not just giving you Statcast numbers but explaining how I believe those numbers impact the projections I have for the given […]

Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (xBA) - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball

While the fantasy baseball prep work has been ongoing for months for some, many fantasy managers are turning their attention over in more earnest as the calendar flips to February and the NFL season winds down. While there will be many prep strategy articles, the most basic starting place is to familiarize yourself with the […]

Manny Machado Plans To Opt Out Of Contract

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado publicly confirmed that he's told the team that he plans to opt out of his contract. He declined to get into negotiations on a potential long-term extension with the team, but he did say that he'd still like to play for the organization as long as new teammate […]

Analyzing the MLB Rookies - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Prospects

One great way to win your fantasy league is to get your hands on the MLB rookie of the year. Julio Rodriguez and Michael Harris II were two of the biggest keys to success last year, as they went on to return first-round value after being very cheap to acquire on your fantasy team. There […]

Hitter Busts at Every Position - Comparing ATC Projections vs. ADP for Fantasy Baseball

With the big football game officially behind us, the official "official" start of fantasy baseball season has nearly dawned. It's easy to start obsessing over finding this year's biggest hidden jewels, dreaming at night that your fantasy groundhog will see its shadow and bring you six more weeks of sleepers. But don't forget about their […]

Indefensible: Bad MLB Defenders Who Could Lose Playing Time And Fantasy Baseball Value In 2023

The Super Bowl is over and it's time for everybody to turn their attention over to the joys of fantasy baseball. At this point in the preseason, fantasy baseball managers should be working through their projections, whether it's making their own or going through the projections given by their favorite system, like the ATC projections […]

Yoan Moncada Taking Better Care Of His Body

Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada has impressed new manager Pedro Grifol so far. Moncada is scheduled to play for Team Cuba in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, which is a risk for a player that has had his fair share of injuries over the years. He hit just .212/.273/.353 with 12 home runs […]

Diamondbacks Win Arbitration Case Over Josh Rojas

The Arizona Diamondbacks won their salary arbitration case against infielder Josh Rojas on Thursday, according to a source. Rojas will earn $2.575 million in 2023 instead of the $2.9 million that he filed for. In his fourth MLB season with the D-backs in 2022, Rojas hit .269/.349/.391 with a .739 OPS, nine home runs, 56 […]

Alec Bohm Gains 5-10 Pounds Of Muscle

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm said that he gained five to 10 pounds of muscle during the offseason. Bohm had his best season in his third MLB campaign in 2022 on the way to helping the Phillies to a World Series appearance. He slashed .280/.315/.398 with a .713 OPS and career-highs in home runs […]

Rockies, Bud Black Agree To One-Year Extension

The Colorado Rockies and manager Bud Black have reportedly agreed to a one-year extension through the 2024 campaign, per a tweet from The Gazette's Danielle Allentuck on Wednesday. Entering this season, Black has led the Rockies to a 417-453 record in his six seasons in Colorado, including 87 and 91-win campaigns in his first two […]