Biggest Fallers: K-BB%, Part 1

K-BB% is a valuable metric because it shows which pitchers can combine strikeout ability with pinpoint control. Pitchers with high K-BB% possess high floors and ceilings because even when they’re not accumulating strikeouts, they are still usually able to pound the strike zone. The list below shows pitchers with the highest drop-off in this rate […]

2020 RotoBaller Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Reactions

Over the last couple weeks, RotoBaller's roster has grown with several new faces to join our esteemed veteran corps. We figured it would be nice to roll out the welcome wagon with a February fantasy baseball mock draft, putting six "RotoNewbs" with six RotoVets. It was a snake draft hosted on Fantrax, a traditional 5x5 format with […]

Analyzing Fly Ball Metrics: 2020 Negative Regression Candidates

Last week, I uncovered a few pitching casualties from the record-setting 2019 season, which saw an unprecedented amount of home runs hit and a "juiced" ball theory come into light. While the use of the defensive shift has caused more players to change their swing into a fly ball-oriented approach, this monumental increase in dingers […]

2020 Early Bullpen Outlooks - N.L. Central

We've covered all of the American League and the NL East, and next week we'll wrap things up with the National League West. This week, it's the National League Central's turn though. There are plenty of players with fantasy importance in the Central, and that rings true in the bullpens as well. The National League […]

Bases Loaded Podcast - All Things Fantasy Baseball w/ BatFlip Crazy (@batflipcrazy)

Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) is joined by Toby of the BatFlip Crazy Podcast to 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 […]

Analyzing Fly Ball Metrics: 2020 Positive Regression Candidates

A once intermittent and revered event, the home run ball has now engulfed baseball to extraordinary levels, which has theorists convinced that the ball is tampered with or "juiced." For a good reason, as last year we saw four teams shatter the single-season home run record previously held by the 2018 Yankees, with the Minnesota […]

Fall Flashes: Arizona Fall League Top Prospect Risers

Every year, some of the best minor league prospects head to Arizona to take part in the Arizona Fall League. It features six teams of prospects, sent by their organizations to get extra game reps against top-flight competition, sometimes including players at higher levels in the minor league system. Given the high level of competition, […]

Reds Agree With Pedro Strop

The Cincinnati Reds agreed to a one-year, $1.825 million deal with relief pitcher Pedro Strop on Thursday. Strop can earn an extra $1.5 million in incentives. The 34-year-old right-hander had a down year in 2019 with the Cubs, posting a 4.97 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 20 walks in 41 2/3 innings […]

Nick Castellanos to Reds - Fantasy Impact

The winter of the Cincinnati Reds keeps rolling on. They already added some pitching in Wade Miley, a journeyman to play shortstop in Freddy Galvis, a power-hitting monster in Mike Moustakas, and a Japanese leadoff man in Shogo Akiyama. Now, they have secured one of the top outfield targets on the market in Nick Castellanos. […]

2020 First Base Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

We're not far from the start of spring training and draft season is almost afoot! In re-draft leagues, a ton of preparation and research goes into building a new squad for 2020. Dynasty owners scoff at this because they already have their core players established. The question then becomes of relative value. Who is still […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Plate Discipline

No matter how high a particular player's BABIP may be, his average will be mediocre at best if he strikes out too much. This is why fantasy owners have known for years that players like Chris Davis are potential drains on a fantasy team's batting average. Furthermore, players that whiff a lot tend to continue […]

Reds Close To Landing Pedro Strop

The Cincinnati Reds are close to reaching an agreement with relief pitcher Pedro Strop, according to a source. Despite a poor 4.97 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 10 saves in 50 relief outings for the Cubbies last season, Strop is one of the better relief arms available at this stage of the offseason. The 34-year-old Dominican […]

Nick Senzel Not Expected To Be Traded

Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said that he expects outfielder Nick Senzel to remain with the team for the 2020 season. "I like what he brings to our club. He’s one of our own. He’s an impact, young offensive player. They don’t come along very often. The flexibility he brings to the […]

Bases Loaded Podcast - Relief Pitcher Preview

Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) is joined by Jorge Montanez, Zach Braff and Mike Simione as they jump into their relief pitcher preview! 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! […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Batted Ball Distribution (Hitters)

Fly balls can turn into home runs. Ground balls never do. It would seem as though fantasy owners want their batters to hit nothing but flies, yet this is not always the case. Why would this be? The answer, of course, comes down to batted ball distribution and the manner in which batters make contact. […]

Eugenio Suarez Recovering From Surgery

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (shoulder) had surgery to remove loose cartilage in his right shoulder this offseason. He will be limited to start spring training but is expected to be ready near the start of the regular season. It doesn't sound like a major operation, but it's something to take note of in […]

Nick Senzel On The Trade Block?

The Cincinnati Reds are considering trading outfielder Nick Senzel. It makes sense now that the Reds signed outfielder Nicholas Castellanos to add to the team's crowded outfield picture that now includes the likes of Senzel, Castellanos, Jesse Winker, Shogo Akiyama, Aristides Aquino and Phillip Ervin. Senzel, 24, was the team's top prospect coming up through […]

Reds Agree With Nicholas Castellanos

The Cincinnati Reds agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal with outfielder Nicholas Castellanos on Monday, according to sources. The opt-out clause in the contract will be after the first season. This is a great landing spot for Castellanos from a fantasy perspective at hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. The 27-year-old (28 in March) hit .289/.337/.525 […]

Reds The Front-Runners For Nicholas Castellanos

The Cincinnati Reds have emerged as the front-runners to sign outfielder Nicholas Castellanos, according to one source. There are indications that the two sides have made progress on a deal in the last couple of days. The Giants have also negotiated with Castellanos in recent weeks. The 27-year-old would likely continue playing outfield if he […]

Early Mock Draft Analysis: MLB Mixed Leagues

Don't tell us it's not draft season yet! Truth be told, the RotoBaller crew was already planning a mock draft days after the World Series ended. As it turns out, we decided to wait until some free agent moves were made and settled for a slow draft that began shortly after the Winter Meetings. We […]

Top 250 Prospects for 2020 Dynasty Leagues

It’s hard to believe it’s that time again. Major League Baseball’s spring training is just weeks away now, which means it's also fantasy baseball season. This year at RotoBaller, we’re rolling out even more in-depth prospect coverage — starting with a ranking of the Top 250 prospects for dynasty leagues. That’s right. Not 100. Not […]

Bases Loaded Pod - All Things Fantasy Baseball with Bubba

Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) is joined by Bubba of RotoBaller (@bdentrek) and the "Benched with Bubba" podcast. 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 […]

2019 Season in Review: Sonny Gray

2019 was a pivotal season for starting pitcher Sonny Gray, both from a real-game and fantasy perspective. The 2018 season turned out to be a complete dud for Gray, who, in his first full season with the Yankees, posted a poor 4.90 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 130 ⅓ innings pitched. With a move to […]

2020 Saves+Holds Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

To any reader who thinks they don't have a voice here at RotoBaller, let it be known that this article came from a simple Reddit comment about how those seeking Saves+Holds reliever ranks were often overlooked. Poof, and here we are. Allow me, Nick Mariano, 2018's most accurate draft expert and sharer of names with […]

Reds Still In Play For Nicholas Castellanos

The Cincinnati Reds remain in play for outfielder Nicholas Castellanos. The Rangers, among other teams, are also interested in Castellanos as the top available bat on the free-agent market after the Braves inked Marcell Ozuna on Tuesday. The 27-year-old (28 in March) hit a very nice .289/.337/.525 with 27 home runs, 100 runs scored and […]

2020 Offseason Starting Pitcher Rankings (Part 3) - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

We continue with our analysis of the early 2020 fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings by looking at the middle tiers. To read part one, click right here, or right here for part two. After a record-setting year for offense and a sense among the industry that 2020 likely won't be dramatically different, being able to […]

Eric Samulski's Prospects Live Bestball 50 Draft Breakdown

This offseason, Prospects Live announced a new draft format that they were hoping would bring together the dynasty crowd with more redraft-heavy players. The format was simple and also completely complicated. Each league would be a five-year Best Ball Dynasty featuring 30 teams where each owner would draft a roster of 50 players, and the […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Exit Velocity

If you've watched a baseball broadcast in the so-called 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. […]

Using xwOBA to Identify Breakout Pitchers

Heading into a new baseball season, fantasy owners are looking for any leg up on our competition. We turn over stones looking for any stat or training report that might suggest a breakout that few others can see coming. I’m not here to promise some groundbreaking stat, but I do believe that Expected Weighted On-base Average […]

Trevor Bauer Avoids Arbitration With Reds

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Trevor Bauer avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $17.5 million deal. Bauer posted a 4.48 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 253 strikeouts in 213 innings in 34 starts for the Indians and Reds in 2019. The right-hander had an ugly 6.39 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in his 10 […]