Lorenzo Cain Feeling Right Physically

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain (ankle, knee) said he's finally feeling right again physically after it took until December for his knee and ankle injuries to subside. Cain might receiver another injection for his thumb before the season as a precaution, but he should be healthy entering the 2020 season. The 33-year-old (34 in April) […]

Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta Will Provide Rotation Depth

Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell said that the plan is to enter spring training treating pitchers Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta as starting pitchers as protection for the team's rotation. The hard-throwing Burnes made only four starts in 2019, and he was awful overall with an 8.82 ERA and 1.84 WHIP, although he did fan […]

Ryan Braun Could Consider Retirement After 2020 Season

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/first baseman Ryan Braun, who is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, acknowledged that the 2020 season could be the final season of his career. The 36-year-old continues to be an injury risk for fantasy owners, but he has remained productive when on the field, slashing .285/.343/.505 with 22 home runs, […]

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 […]

Luis Urias Dealing With Wrist Injury

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Luis Urias (wrist) is heading back to the U.S. to have his wrist injury checked out after developing soreness at the end of the winter ball season in Mexico, according to general manager David Stearns. The team expects to know more by the middle of next week. The Brewers are hoping for […]

Fernando Tatis Jr. - 2019 Season in Review

A year ago, though he was highly valued in dynasty leagues, Fernando Tatis Jr. was viewed merely as a late-round flier in redraft formats. At just 20 years old and with only 450 plate appearances above Single-A, there was a large degree of uncertainty around his 2019 outlook. Would San Diego's front office manipulate his […]

Josh Donaldson to Twins - Fantasy Impact

The Minnesota Twins recently signed third baseman Josh Donaldson to a four-year contract worth $92 million. The contract also has a fifth-year option that can take the total value to $100 million. The Twins finished 101-61 in 2019 en route to their first AL Central Division title since 2010. The addition of Donaldson will add […]

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 […]

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 […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: BABIP for Hitters

The most accessible of the fantasy-relevant advanced stats is BABIP, or Batting Average on Balls In Play. It simply measures a player's batting average on balls in play, with outcomes such as strikeouts and home runs removed from consideration. In general, the league average hovers around .300, a nice round number to remember. Many know […]

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 […]

Is Mike Trout Still the #1 Pick in Fantasy?

Pierre Camus and Nicklaus Gaut debate whether Angels outfielder Mike Trout should still be the consensus number one pick in 2020 fantasy baseball drafts or if Ronald Acuna Jr. or Christian Yelich should be taken higher. Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on […]

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 […]

How To Win Your Fantasy Baseball Leagues on Draft Day

I hate intros. Nobody takes the time to read these things. I could say whatever I wanted and it would literally pass zero sets of eyes. Watch.... I have hemorrhoids! See? No one. But in the rare occasion that one of you sad saps does in fact read this paragraph before jumping to the meat […]

Don't Doubt Mike Trout: Why He's Still #1

It has become fashionable for fantasy owners to suggest that perhaps this is the year that Mike Trout should be supplanted as the consensus first overall draft pick. Not one, but two other players - Ronald Acuna and Christian Yelich - are being regularly selected in early NFBC drafts ahead of the 28-year-old Trout, who […]

Brewers, Omar Narvaez Avoid Arbitration

The Milwaukee Brewers and catcher Omar Narvaez avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.725 million deal. It was Narvaez's first season being eligible for arbitration. He'll essentially be replacing Yasmani Grandal as Milwaukee's backstop in 2020 after breaking out to the tune of a .278/.353/.460 slash line with 22 home runs, […]

Brewers Agree With Jedd Gyorko

The Milwaukee Brewers agreed to an undisclosed deal with infielder Jedd Gyorko on Friday, according to a source. Gyorko played in only 62 games last year with the Cardinals and Dodgers and hit an embarrassing .174/.248/.250 with two home runs and nine RBI. At this point in his career, Gyorko is more of a utility […]

Christian Yelich Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (knee), who fractured his right kneecap last September, said he will be ready for spring training. "If the Milwaukee Brewers had an actual game tomorrow," Yelich said, "then I would be able to participate." The Brewers will be careful with the 2018 National League MVP, but the expectation is that […]

Brewers Agree With Logan Morrison

The Milwaukee Brewers agreed to an undisclosed deal with first baseman/outfielder Logan Morrison on Thursday, according to sources. Morrison slugged a career-high 38 home runs and drove in 85 runs in 149 games for the Rays in 2017, but he has fallen off a cliff since. He hit a miserable .186/.276/.368 with 15 homers and […]

Brewers Give Craig Counsell Contract Extension

The Milwaukee Brewers are signing manager Craig Counsell to a contract extension that will run through the 2023 season, according to sources. It's a well-deserved extension, as Counsell led the Brew Crew to a National League Championship appearance in 2018 before a wild-card showing this past season. The 49-year-old coach started as the head man […]

Top 570: Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings (January)

Welcome back RotoBallers, and Happy New Year! Below you will find our staff's early 2020 fantasy baseball tiered rankings (top 570) for mixed leagues. In case you missed it, you can also see our tiered positional rankings and position-by-position analysis breakdowns as well. Four of our lead fantasy baseball analysts - Nick Mariano, Pierre Camus, Riley Mrack and Nicklaus Gaut - have analyzed the […]

Dodgers Agree With Jimmy Nelson

The Los Angeles Dodgers and starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson agreed to a one-year major league deal on Tuesday with a vesting mutual option for another season, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. He's guaranteed to make $1.25 million in 2020 but could make more than $3 million if he's healthy. Nelson's incentive-laden […]

Nationals Agree With Eric Thames

The Washington Nationals agreed to a one-year deal with first baseman Eric Thames on Tuesday that guarantees him $4 million, according to a source familiar with the deal. Thames will make $3 million in 2020 with a $1 million buyout of a mutual option for 2021. The 33-year-old averaged 24 home runs and an .848 […]

Early 2020 ADP Reflections - Second Base

When a baseball season ends, the following season can’t come here soon enough for some fans, myself included. We start thinking about what we want to see from some players, which includes letdowns, bounce-backs, and even young prospects. Instead of letting them bounce off the brain walls, let’s put these musings into digits. This includes […]

2020 Offseason Starting Pitcher Rankings (Part 1) - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

It's never too early to start looking ahead to the next baseball season, so here we deliver our 2020 rankings to those of you looking to scratch your fantasy itch. Today we are bringing you part one of our 2020 starting pitcher rankings and analysis - you can read part two here. We know you're […]

2020 Offseason Starting Pitcher Rankings (Part 2) - 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. After a record-setting year for offense and a sense among the industry that 2020 likely won't be dramatically different, being able to navigate the ever-murkier waters of starting […]

2020 Closer / Relief Pitcher Offseason Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

It's never too early to start looking ahead to the next baseball season, so here we deliver our 2020 rankings to those of you looking to scratch your fantasy itch. Whether you're searching for a reprieve from a long fantasy football season or you're getting a head start on next year's keeper selections, RotoBaller has […]

2020 Offseason Outfield Rankings (Part 1) - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

It's never too early to start looking ahead to the next baseball season, so here we deliver our 2020 fantasy baseball rankings to those of you looking to scratch your fantasy itch. Whether you're already eliminated from fantasy football contention, or you're getting a head start on next year's keeper selections, RotoBaller has got you […]

2020 Offseason Outfield Rankings (Part 2) - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

It's never too early to start looking ahead to the next baseball season, so here we deliver our 2020 fantasy baseball rankings to those of you looking to scratch your fantasy itch. Whether you're already eliminated from fantasy football contention, or you're getting a head start on next year's keeper selections, RotoBaller has got you […]