Jarred Cosart Under Investigation by MLB

Marlins starting pitcher Jarred Cosart is under investigation by MLB for alleged gambling activities, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. Cosart, who was acquired from the Houston Astros last July, has found himself in hot water with MLB investigators because of messages exchanged with a “gambling authority” on Twitter. Crasnick says it is unclear whether […]

Collin McHugh (SP, HOU) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Analysis

CURRENT ADP: 180.3 RANKING STATUS: Undervalued ANALYSIS: The Astros have quietly developed a very solid, young rotation and it all starts with their number one: Collin McHugh. McHugh last season was dominant, pitching to a 2.73 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP and 157 strikeouts in 154.2 innings. McHugh also limited the walks (2.39 BB/9) and […]

Auction Draft Strategy: How to Manage Your Budget

We previous looked at Part 1 (How to Prepare for Auction Drafts) and Part 2 (Five  Key Mistakes to Avoid Making) of our Auction Draft Strategy series. Today we look at how to budget your team's salary. The most important strategy for auction drafts is how to budget your allowance. Keeping track of how your dollars are […]

MLB Podcast on RotoBaller Radio: Injury Updates & Spring Training Standouts

MLB Injury Updates & Spring Training Standouts RotoBaller is very excited about the launch of our very own radio station. You can now find our new shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, and on iTunes under podcasts. Every Wednesday night at 9:30 PM EST, RotoBaller co-founder Real Talk Raph and co-host Anthony Aniano of DraftSmashers Radio […]

Fantasy Baseball Spring Training Stock Watch: Veterans On The Rise

Earlier in the week here in the RotoBaller Stock Watch, we took a look at some fantasy prospects on the rise, who have a legitimate shot to break camp with a starting gig in-hand. A pair of prospects who we didn’t mention in that space, who went out and dominated on Wednesday night were Carlos […]

10 Bold Predictions for the 2015 Fantasy Baseball Season

  For the last few years, the staff over at RotoGraphs has been publishing their "10 Bold Predictions" series. These are typically among my favorite reads in the realm of fantasy baseball - and considering how much content I devour, that's saying something.   Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and all, I'm […]

2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 300

Back in February, seven of the RotoBaller writers put together their consensus fantasy baseball rankings. Today, I'm branching out on my own to bring you RotoBaller's Top 300 for the 2015 fantasy baseball season. There's a number of players whom I like or dislike more than the expert consensus, so I'll add in a little bit of my […]

Top 5 Starting Pitcher Breakouts - 2015 MLB Fantasy Draft Prep

  Hunting for Treasure Most of us in the industry say this every year: starting pitching is the easiest asset to add during the season. There are several reasons for this, not least of which is the number of starters who break out from nowhere on an annual basis.   Among last season’s top fantasy arms were […]

Wait. On. Pitchers. (Until Rounds 7-8) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Strategy

When creating a Fantasy Baseball team, there are many reasons to consider waiting on pitchers. The position is easier to fill than hitting roster spots, starters are more injury prone than position players, and a starting pitcher pitches only once every five days meaning their impact is limited to a much smaller sample size than […]

Michael Wacha (SP, STL) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target ~14th Round ANALYSIS: Much was expected from Michael Wacha last season after he posted a 9.05 K/9 rate and 2.78 ERA in nine starts during his 2013 rookie campaign. Unfortunately, a stress reaction in his right shoulder forced the Cardinals to shut him down for seven weeks in 2014. Once he came back […]

Francisco Liriano (SP, PIT) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Rounds 11-13 in All Leagues ANALYSIS: We've all seen the miserable numbers Liriano is capable of putting up in seasons past. But in his previous two campaigns, while battling through injuries, he's managed to gain some control on the mound. Liriano posted an attractive 3.02 ERA in 2013 and a palatable 3.38 ERA in […]

Top 10 Projected WHIP Finishers for Relievers: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

In 1979 New York Times writer and inventor of rotisserie baseball Daniel Okrent created a statistic then-known as IPRAT, or “innings pitched ratio.” At a time when ERA and wins were all the rave, Okrent created a simple formula that would form the foundation of sabermetrics and eventually work its way into regular fantasy baseball […]

Five Sabermetric Overperformers: 2014 Studs Due for Regression

Hitters and pitchers will disagree on the ratio - but there is a general idea in baseball that for every hard-hit out you make, a blooper will fall in for a hit. This idea that chance plays a part in the game is the concept underlying the definition of regression. A hitter can sting the […]

Five Starting Pitcher Sleepers for 2015

With pitchers having gained the upper hand over batters in recent years, many fantasy baseball owners have adopted a strategy in which they put off drafting the majority of their starting pitchers until the later rounds. On paper it’s a sound strategy. However, every draft has its own rhythm, and as a fantasy owner you […]

Top 5 Pitchers: MLB Prospects & Impact Rookies for 2015

It's All About Youth The key to sustained success in keeper and dynasty leagues is identifying and acquiring the right young players. This much is clear, and obvious. In redraft leagues, however, cultivating this skill is also important and often overlooked. Much is made of the value of minimizing risk. It's true that boring veterans often […]

Auction Draft Strategy Part One: How to Prepare for Auction Drafts

Going Once, Going Twice... An auction is the most exciting way to draft in fantasy baseball, but it can also be the most difficult. For this article and the three to follow, I will be using the assumption that your league’s standard settings give you a $260 allowance. For those unfamiliar with the process, that is […]

MLB Podcast on RotoBaller Radio: Top Minor League Prospects For 2015

Preseason Analysis: Impact Dynasty League Targets RotoBaller is very excited about the launch of our very own radio station. You can now find our new shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, and on iTunes under podcasts. Every Wednesday night at 9:30 PM EST, RotoBaller co-founder Real Talk Raph and co-host Anthony Aniano of DraftSmashers Radio will […]

Top Five ERA Surgers for 2015: Fantasy Baseball Predictions

Scour the Pitching Peripherals It’s not a category in your typical fantasy league, but Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) is a useful metric to uncover undervalued assets on draft day. FIP attempts to isolate the factors under a pitcher’s direct control to determine whether he was a victim of poor defense or rotten luck. Intuitively and […]

Masahiro Tanaka (SP, NYY) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Analysis

  CURRENT ADP: 89   RANKINGS STATUS: Undervalued ANALYSIS: After a sensational start to his major league career, there is a lot of speculation surrounding Masahrio Tanaka and his slightly torn UCL. Tanaka burst onto the scene last year but was shut down in the second half of the season so that his arm could heal and […]

Dillon Gee To Replace Zack Wheeler In Mets Starting Rotation

Dillon Gee will step back into the New York Mets rotation now that news broke about Zack Wheeler being done for the season as the young right-hander will undergo Tommy John surgery. Matt Harvey is ready to rejoin the rotation after missing all of last season while recovering from the same surgery.  It’s Wheeler’s turn […]

Zack Wheeler Tears UCL, Tommy John Surgery Likely

Mets right handed pitcher Zack Wheeler has a torn ligament in his pitching elbow, and is likely heading for Tommy John surgery, the team announced Monday morning. Wheeler is heading back to New York to get a second opinion before going under the knife. Wheeler was complaining of tenderness in his arm after giving up six […]

Reds Share Details on Rotation Plans: Cingrani to the Pen

After Latos and Simon were traded and Bailey was injured and deemed unable to start by Opening Day, the Reds have 3 rotation spots open with Cueto and Leake manning the top two positions. Early in the offseason, it looked as if Tony Cingrani and newly-acquired Anthony DeSclafani would be the choices for the spots […]

Jake Odorizzi (SP, TB) - Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target Late in Mixed Leagues ANALYSIS: Jake Odorizzi started and finished his rookie season poorly, and consequently, his overall surface numbers (4.13 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) weren’t eye-popping. He had issues his second and third times through the batting order, and his release point was inconsistent. His OPS against was 345 points higher on the […]

MLB Podcast on RotoBaller Radio: Breakout Players Coming Out Of Spring Training

Potential Breakout Pitchers & Hitters For 2015 RotoBaller is very excited about the launch of our very own radio station. You can now find our new shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, and on iTunes under podcasts. Every Wednesday night at 9:30 PM EST, RotoBaller co-founder Real Talk Raph and co-host Anthony Aniano of DraftSmashers Radio will […]

Cuban Defectors That Will Have Most Fantasy Impact In 2015

Cuba lost some of its top players as they signed blockbuster deals to come over and play in the MLB. Each team hopes their guy follows in the footsteps of last year’s Cuban defector Jose Abreu, who hit 36 home runs, 107 RBI and a .317 batting average, winning the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2014. There […]

Eye On The Minors: Top Redraft MLB Pitching Prospects (# 21-30)

Welcome to the third installment of “Top 50 Pitching Prospects for Redraft Leagues.” Last week we looked at 2015 fantasy baseball pitching prospects ranked 41-50 and ranked 31-40. The players on this week’s list, numbers 21-30, are rated for potential and opportunity. If we are talking about redraft leagues, the only value you’ll find is for guys who […]

5 AL Players Whose New Teams Will Impact Their Performance

Who Will Be Helped or Hurt by a Change of Scenery? J.A. Happ, Seattle Mariners Let’s be honest: Happ did not post Cy Young-caliber numbers in his most recent campaign. A 4.22 ERA and lackluster 7.6 K/9 IP made Happ one of many problems for the Blue Jays in 2014. That’s exactly why a transition […]

Pitch Framing Metrics: Impact On Fantasy Baseball Pitchers

I’m obsessed with Chuck Shaw wine from Trader Joe's. It’s a $3 bottle of hooch that smells like paint thinner mixed with alcohol. It stings the nostrils. But after a glass or two, it’s the best damn bottle of wine you can get for under $5. I happened to be drinking some of this wine […]

MLB Podcast: Starting Pitcher Sleepers & Value Picks

Preseason Fantasy Baseball Analysis: Starting Pitchers RotoBaller is proud to present a unique new take on fantasy sports. With his tongue firmly placed in his cheek your host, the “Living Legend” Joe Gallina, provides you with a great blend of baseball talk featuring sabermetrics and fantasy analysis. Editor’s Note: Be sure to check out all […]

Kyle Hendricks (SP, CHC) - Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target Late in Deep Mixed and NL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: Kyle Hendricks posted a 2.46 ERA in 80.1 innings with the Cubs last season, despite a fastball that averages 89.2 mph and a strikeout rate of 14.6%. Hendricks has always had outstanding control, decent ground ball numbers and a tendency to limit home runs, […]