Garrett Whitlock May Not Be Ready For Opening Day

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora admitted on Monday that right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) may not be ready for Opening Day. "He's throwing the ball well, he's moving well. Not yet doing PFPs. We're not concerned. We've got a plan. We'll see where we're at in the upcoming weeks. If he's ready for opening day […]

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

Spring Training is flying and we're off to the races with 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. It's time to […]

Pitcher Statcast: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Statcast metrics such as Barrels and Brls/BBE are great ways to evaluate a fantasy baseball batter's performance, so it is only natural to assume that the metrics would be predictive for pitchers as well. As much as batters want to hit a Barrel every time, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. Yet, there […]

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 […]

Masataka Yoshida Unlikely To Hit Leadoff

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora threw cold water on Sunday on the idea of outfielder Masataka Yoshida hitting leadoff in his first MLB season. Instead, he's likely to hit near the middle of the batting order to open up the 2023 campaign. The 29-year-old was able to get on base frequently while playing in […]

Brayan Bello Back On The Mound Sunday

Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (forearm) is back on the mound on Sunday for the first time since he experienced forearm tightness earlier in spring training. Bello is set to throw 20 pitches in a bullpen session on Sunday. The Red Sox took precaution and shut down the 23-year-old for a week after he […]

First Base Dynasty Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

After years of mostly just top-tier production, first base is making a comeback in fantasy output. There are some intriguing names in re-draft leagues, but we will look at dynasty fantasy baseball rankings here. Most leagues are starting to decide who will be part of their future; some will be looking to draft some of […]

Chris Sale Throws Batting Practice On Saturday

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (wrist) faced live hitters on Saturday during a 23-pitch batting practice session. The left-hander has progressed to facing live hitters for the first time since last July. The organization is hopeful that Sale will be able to make a return to the mound in March. The 33-year-old is […]

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 […]

James Paxton To Make Spring Debut On Friday

Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (lat) is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut next Friday as the Red Sox begin to start mixing regular starters in. Paxton made just one start in 2021 and missed all of the 2022 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and he also dealt with a lat […]

First 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. We'll start at first base and […]

Enmanuel Valdez To Play All Over Infield

Boston Red Sox infield prospect Enmanuel Valdez will start at second base in the team's first spring training game on Friday against Northeastern. The Red Sox like what they have in Valdez, whom they acquired from the Houston Astros for catcher Christian Vazquez last August. The 24-year-old hit .296 with a .376 on-base percentage, .542 […]

Tanner Houck Open To Extension With Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have discussed a long-term extension with right-hander Tanner Houck after locking in Garrett Whitlock to a four-year, $18.75 million deal 11 months ago. The talks with Houck didn't get very far last year, though, and haven't resulted in a deal or offer from Boston. He'll turn 27 in June and is […]

Nick Pivetta Expected To Skip World Baseball Classic

Boston Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta (illness) is expected to have to drop out of the 2023 World Baseball Classic due to an illness that has set him back a few days. Pivetta was looking like a potential ace for Team Canada. The 30-year-old dealt with COVID-19 last week and has been slow to bounce […]

MLB Pitcher Prospect Graduates - Sophomore Fantasy Baseball Outlooks (AL Central)

In the second installment of a six-part series focused on pitchers who exhausted rookie eligibility during the 2022 MLB season, I review how the pitching fundamentals of select 2023 American League Central pitchers have evolved over time and use that information to forecast their MLB futures. Fundamentals will be quantified using my Fielding- and Ballpark-Independent […]

Tanner Houck Competing For Rotation Spot

MassLiveSports' Christopher Smith reported Tuesday that Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck will be used as a starting pitcher during spring training and is one of seven pitchers competing for a starting rotation spot. The 26-year-old served mainly as a starter in 2021 but as a reliever in 2022, making just four starts in 32 […]

Starting Pitcher Rankings and Tiers for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Hello, welcome fantasy baseball friends to an early look at the 2023 starting pitcher rankings. Spring training is right around the corner and leagues are going to start ramping up, so now is a great time to dive into what to expect out of the starting pitcher landscape.   I’ve ranked 75 of the top starters […]

Relief Pitchers for Holds and SV+HLD Leagues - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets

So you've found yourself in a fantasy baseball league that values holds? Diving into the world of unheralded middle relievers can be intimidating, but you've come to the right place. There's no need to fear the middle reliever and it's pointless to delve into the depth charts of all 30 teams. These days, most MLB […]

Brayan Bello Resumes Throwing Monday

Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (forearm) resumed throwing on flat ground at a shorter distance at spring training on Monday for the first time since reporting forearm tightness following his bullpen session a week ago. The Red Sox are being extra cautious with the 23-year-old early in camp, but it's a good sign that […]

First Basemen to Target or Avoid at ADP - Fantasy Baseball Draft Analysis

When I was growing up and really getting into baseball in the 1990s and 2000s, the first base position was chalked full of big-time sluggers that would be counted on to produce gaudy offensive numbers season after season -- especially in the HR and RBI departments. Let's look at 2006 for example. Why? Well, it […]

Chris Sale To Face Hitters Next Week

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (wrist) threw his second bullpen session of spring training on Saturday and seemed happy with the outing. He is scheduled to face hitters for the first time next week and remains in play to be ready to go for Opening Day, barring any setbacks with his surgically repaired […]

MLB Pitcher Prospect Graduates - Sophomore Fantasy Baseball Outlooks (AL East)

In the first installment of a 6-part series focused on pitchers who exhausted rookie eligibility during the '22 MLB season, I review how the pitching fundamentals of select '22 American League East pitchers have evolved over time and use that information to forecast their MLB futures. Fundamentals will be quantified using my Fielding- and Ballpark-Independent […]

Enrique Hernandez, Alex Verdugo Could Run More

The Boston Red Sox have finished among the bottom five teams in baseball in stolen bases the past two seasons, and manager Alex Cora would like to change that. The 2023 makeover of Boston's lineup will put more of an emphasis on contact, getting on base and baserunning. Last year, infielder Trevor Story led the […]

James Paxton Back To Full Health

After being shut down last August with a lat strain, Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (lat) is back to full strength. He threw eight bullpen sessions this winter and had his first bullpen session of spring training on Thursday. Boston turned down a two-year, $26 million club option this winter, but Paxton exercised a […]

Corey Kluber Throws First Bullpen Session

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Corey Kluber threw his first bullpen session of spring training on Friday. The veteran right-hander made 31 starts for the Tampa Bay Rays last season and posted a 4.34 ERA in his first healthy season since 2018. "In that regard, just the mental side of knowing I'm still capable of […]

Garrett Whitlock, Joely Rodriguez Throw On Friday

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) and left-hander Joely Rodriguez (shoulder) threw for the first time in spring training on Friday. Whitlock is coming off a hip injury that required surgery and is expected to be a full-time starter for the BoSox in 2023. The 26-year-old finished his second MLB season in 2022 with […]

Jorge Alfaro Has Not Arrived To Camp

Boston Red Sox catcher Jorge Alfaro has not arrived to camp due to ongoing visa issues. The hope is that the 29-year-old will be able to arrive from Colombia within the next few days. Alfaro signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox over the offseason. The right-hander slugger has a good chance of making […]

Brayan Bello Shut Down With Forearm Soreness

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that right-hander Brayan Bello (forearm) has been shut down briefly due to right forearm soreness that he experienced in his last bullpen session when he threw a lot of breaking balls. Bello is scheduled to resume throwing on Monday. "We're very confident Monday he's back on his throwing […]

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 […]