Bases Loaded Podcast: Starting Pitcher Rankings Risers, Fallers and More!

Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland)and Sp Streamer revisit their starting pitcher ranks and discuss how their evaluations may have changed on a few players. Subscribe to the Bases Loaded podcast, part of RotoBaller Radio's Podcast Network. Like and Subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as […]

ADP Reflections - National League Starting Pitchers

The draft season is in full swing. The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational (TGFBI) has commenced on the NFBC site, and more and more draft data is filtering through to the masses. We’re now at the point where draft data is shaping draft strategies as people look for value against ADP. There are lots of great […]

Nick Senzel Close To Making Cactus League Debut

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel (shoulder) is close to making his spring debut after undergoing right shoulder surgery back in September. Senzel is expected to be in the lineup as the team's designated hitter for a Thursday game against the Milwaukee Brewers. While Senzel's return to the lineup is encouraging, there is some question as […]

2020 Third Base Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

The pool of third basemen for the 2020 dynasty season is jam-packed with talent. From budding stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Rafael Devers, to productive veterans like Justin Turner and Mike Moustakas, no one should have trouble finding a useful bat to hold down the hot corner. That said, depth can breed confusion and […]

Evaluating OAA for Pitchers Changing Teams (AL and NL-Only)

Earlier this preseason, I looked deeper into Statcast’s new Outs Above Average (OAA) leaderboard, which identifies the best defensive infielders in the league. I used 2019 OAA to look at how a pitcher's new defense will affect his value in the 2020 season. The first article evaluated pitchers drafted inside the top 300 picks, so this […]

ADP Showdown: Keston Hiura vs. Ketel Marte

Heading into 2020 drafts, we see that second base is a relatively deep position. Of course, in terms of elite options, there are roughly seven choices at second base at the top of draft boards. As a result, you want to make sure you choose correctly to get the best value for one of your […]

2020 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers - Yandy Diaz

The Tampa Bay Rays took a chance when they traded for Yandy Diaz last year. He is a Cuban-born player that broke into the MLB in 2017 with the Cleveland Indians. After two years of developing with partial playing time, he was traded to Tampa Bay in a three-way package deal. Diaz will break camp as […]

Eugenio Suarez Making Progress In Rehab

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (shoulder) is making progress in his rehab from offseason shoulder surgery. Suarez began some light throwing on Thursday and was able to swing the bat with both arms for the first time on Friday. Suarez told reporters, "My arm, my shoulder feels OK, feeling better. I just want to […]

Mike Moustakas Leaves Camp

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Mike Moustakas has left camp to be with his wife, who is close to giving birth. The veteran infielder shouldn't be away from the team long as the couple expects to welcome a new addition to their family in the next couple of days. Moustakas signed a four-year, $60 million contract […]

Nicholas Castellanos Scratched With Illness

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nicholas Castellanos was scratched from Friday's Cactus League game due to an illness. He was replaced in right field by Phillip Ervin. Castellanos was originally slated to bat third in the game before getting sick. Look for the veteran outfielder to be back in action in the next day or two. Castellanos […]

Trevor Bauer Throws Two Scoreless Innings

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Trevor Bauer tossed two scoreless innings in a Cactus League start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. Bauer didn't allow a baserunner and notched two strikeouts in his Cactus League debut. The start is an encouraging sign for Bauer after he struggled through a 2019 season which he split between the Reds […]

Eugenio Suarez Cleared For Light Throwing

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (shoulder) began some light throwing at the team complex on Thursday. Suarez is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and remains without a timetable for a Cactus League debut, but at least he is starting to show some progress in his rehab. While Suarez is finally throwing, he has yet […]

Elite Starters and Pitching Trends Revisited

Last year I wrote a series [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3] on whether we were properly valuing elite starting pitchers. The basic premise was that we were likely to see fantasy-relevant starters (not openers) throw fewer innings again in 2019. I hypothesized that if there were fewer and fewer starting pitchers providing 200 innings […]

Evaluating OAA for Pitchers Changing Teams (12-Team Leagues)

Last week, I looked at Statcast’s new Outs Above Average (OAA) leaderboard, which they’ve used to identify the best defensive infielders in the league. My initial exploration of the metric was designed to identify pitchers who might have been lucky or unlucky last year as a way of mining for bounceback value or avoiding potential […]

Amir Garrett Working On Improving His Fastball

Cincinnati Reds reliever Amir Garrett is working on improving his four-seam fastball this spring. Already armed with an elite slider, Garrett is looking to add another wipeout pitch to his arsenal as he attempts to ascend to elite-reliever status in the league. According to Statcast, Garrett notched 68 strikeouts with his slider last season, compared […]

Jose Israel Garcia Impressing In Camp

Cincinnati Reds shortstop prospect Jose Israel Garcia is impressing in his first big-league camp. Garcia's blend of tools at the plate and in the field has been on display throughout camp, catching the eye of none other than Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. “I think he has all the tools to do it,” Larkin said. […]

RotoBaller Friends & Family Industry Mock Draft: What the Experts Were Thinking

The RotoBaller Friends & Family Mock Draft has become an annual tradition where we gather some of the biggest names from the fantasy baseball world and put together a mock draft just as spring training has commenced. Thanks to RT Sports for once again hosting and providing a custom draft site where readers could follow […]

H2H Points League Draft Strategy

Points leagues are essentially the rawest version of fantasy baseball. These are not players, these are stat-lines and you want to put up as many points per week as possible. Do not get too attached to underperforming players who have name-value and potential. There is a stark difference in draft strategy when it comes to […]

2020 Catcher Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

Spring Training is upon us! Pitchers and catchers have reported and we finally have some box scores to desperately over-analyze. The catcher position can really be a headache for dynasty owners trying to plan for the future. Needless to say, it is not a position that many MLB teams count on for offense, leaving fantasy players […]

Jesse Winker Likely To Return Soon

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker (hand) appeared to be a full participant in Wednesday's team workout. Team manager David Bell told reporters that Winker is likely to return to action in a couple of days. Winker suffered a bruised left hand on Sunday when he was hit by a pitch in Cactus League action but […]

Kyle Farmer Working At Shortstop

Cincinnati Reds utility man Kyle Farmer got the start at shortstop on Sunday in Cactus League action. Farmer can play all over the diamond for Cincinnati as he made appearances at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and catcher during the 2019 season. That being said, his stint at shortstop was limited as he […]

X-Rays Negative on Jesse Winker

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker (wrist) said his X-rays came back negative after he was hit on the wrist by a pitch during Cactus League action on Sunday. Winker took a pitch off his left wrist and was immediately removed from the game and checked out by team trainers. He does have a large bruise […]

2020 Outfield Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

We've been breaking down rankings for points leagues over the last couple of weeks in order to prepare fantasy owners for draft day. To check out previous analysis articles by position, click the following links: first base, second base, third base, shortstop, catcher, starting pitcher, relief pitcher. Outfield is obviously the deepest of all positions […]

Nick Senzel Remains Limited

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel (shoulder) remains limited after having shoulder surgery in September to repair his labrum. The Reds remain hopeful that he will be ready for Opening Day but they have not yet set a date for when he will start to play in Cactus League games. The talented youngster is expected to […]

Freddy Galvis Dealing With Shoulder Soreness

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Freddy Galvis is dealing with shoulder soreness and won't participate in spring training games for a few days. Galvis has been in camp, taking batting practice and participating in fielding drills that don't require long throws. The veteran infielder is only a few days behind, according to team manager David Bell. Look […]

Eugenio Suarez To Test Shoulder This Week

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (shoulder) plans to throw and take two-handed swings this week as he works his way back from shoulder surgery last month. Suarez injured his shoulder at home in a swimming pool accident earlier in the offseason. Despite the injury, Suarez has been active during camp, taking ground balls, participating […]

Jesse Winker Hit on Left Wrist During Spring Training Game

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch on his left wrist during Cactus League action on Sunday. Winker was removed from the game, although it appears to have been a precautionary move. He left the field early but he did tell reporters that "he's fine". The 26-year-old is expected to battle for […]

Dylan Cease (SP, CHW) - Fantasy Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~250 (around Adrian Houser, Anthony DeSclafani, Sandy Alcantara) CURRENT ADP: ~283 overall ANALYSIS: The White Sox have a few young arms of intrigue in Cease, Michael Kopech and Reynaldo Lopez. However, Cease may have the most upside for 2020. He has elite stuff, with a curveball that seemed electric last season and, according to […]

Bases Loaded Podcast - All Things Fantasy Baseball w/ Nick Pollack (@PitcherList)

Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) is  joined by Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) and they discuss all things fantasy baseball! Subscribe to the Bases Loaded podcast, part of RotoBaller Radio's Podcast Network. Like and Subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as well! Be sure to also tune […]

Finding Combo-Player Values Using Z-Scores and ATC Projections

Towards the end of last season, I asked the question – “Draft Speed or Pound the Power?” Loaded in this seemingly simple query are two contradictory approaches – one for power and one for speed. Power Approach 1: Home run totals are dramatically up in baseball these days. Therefore, there are many power bats available […]