Franklin Barreto Having A Strong Spring

Oakland Athletics second baseman Franklin Barreto is off to a strong start this spring as he competes for the starting second base job. Barreto has 11 hits and nine RBI in 14 games this spring leading to a cool 1.075 OPS. Obviously the sample size is small, but Barreto has upside based on his 19 […]

Jorge Mateo Making Case For Second Base Job

Oakland Athletics second baseman Jorge Mateo had another solid game Monday night in the competition for the starting second base job. Mateo led off the game with a walk before swiping second and moving to third on an error. He would later score on a shallow sacrifice fly as he flashed the speed that once […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - Injuries, Risers, and Fallers (3/10/20)

Welcome to the Spring Training Notebook for March 10, 2020, where we'll dive into a few of the bigger stories around Major League Baseball's Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. As we head through the thick of Spring Training 2020, players are starting to separate themselves in the eyes of their organizations with hopes of making the […]

A.J. Puk To Throw Tuesday

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk (shoulder) will start throwing again Tuesday or shortly thereafter, according to Shayna Rubin. Puk felt discomfort in his pitching shoulder during a bullpen session last week and has been shut down to rest. Initial reports were that the injury wasn't overly serious, and if Puk can start throwing again […]

ESPN ADP Comparison - Overpriced / Underpriced Players

Average Draft Position (ADP) is a must-have piece of information when it comes to drafting. While every league is different and may have a particularly aggressive or conservative group of owners when it comes to certain players, it’s the best tool we have when analyzing players’ value. Now, instead of just talking about total ADP […]

Finding Over/Undervalued First Basemen Using Expected Draft Values

A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at four "power" hitters, as identified by our site projections. Stay tuned over the […]

Introducing the RotoBaller Points League Ranker Tool

Its time to shine some love down on point league players and help you crush your leagues with easy to understand and easy to leverage information that will put you streets ahead of the average competition. That's right, you over there who was thrilled last year to draft Ronald Acuna Jr. in the first round […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - Injuries, Risers, and Fallers (3/9/20)

Welcome to the Spring Training Notebook for March 9, 2020, where we'll dive into a few of the bigger stories around Major League Baseball's Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. As we head through the thick of Spring Training 2020, players are starting to separate themselves in the eyes of their organizations with hopes of making the […]

Jesus Luzardo Strikes Out Eight

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo dazzled in a Spring Training start against the Mariners on Saturday. The left-hander allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings pitched, but struck out eight in the dominant effort. There was already plenty of hype around Luzardo, and his 97 MPH fastball; this start will kick that hype into […]

2020 Shortstop Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

As the season draws near, we realize suddenly that it's draft season. There is a large portion of fantasy baseball busy with mock drafts, rankings, sleepers, and more mock drafts. The Dynasty community, on the other hand, is looking to continue their dominance, rebuild, or in a worst-case scenario, stick their hands up in frustration. […]

2020 Fantasy Baseball Busts - RotoBaller Staff Picks

As you prepare for fantasy baseball drafts in 2020, it's crucial that you avoid the dreaded bust who could sink your team. As we did with sleepers, our staff came together to share their thoughts on preseason ADP values, this time on their least favorite picks. While you've likely heard some of these names already […]

Matt Olson Homers In Spring Start

Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer in a Spring Training game vs the Reds Friday. Olson also walked and scored in the game. Olson hit 36 homers last season, but there is room for more when looking at his batted ball data. The big first baseman made hard contact […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - Injuries, Risers, Position Battles (3/6/20)

Welcome to the first edition of our Spring Training Notebook, where we'll dive into a few of the bigger stories around Major League Baseball's Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. As we head through the thick of Spring Training 2020, players are starting to separate themselves in the eyes of their organizations with hopes of making the […]

Nothing Structurally Wrong For A.J. Puk

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk (shoulder) has nothing structurally wrong with his shoulder, according to manager Bob Melvin. Melvin said Puk would likely take a few more days for strengthening before playing catch again, and he has no timetable for him to begin throwing. The good news here is it sounds like the top […]

Breakouts Relievers Due for Regression in 2020

The closer role is one of the most volatile positions in fantasy baseball. They can lose their fantasy value with a couple of blow-up performances. Teams are also electing to utilize a committee approach, often using their best reliever in high-leverage situations rather than cementing them to the ninth inning.  This makes it imperative to […]

Auction Draft Dollar Day Targets

There are multiple strategies available to drafters in auctions. It is one of the reasons auctions are so much more interesting and fun than snake drafts. They award owners the ability to maneuver their roster the way they see fit. One of the most popular strategies is a stars-and-scrubs alignment, meaning owners pay up for […]

Kyle Bishop's 10 Bold Predictions for 2020

This will be my sixth season with RotoBaller, and consequently, my sixth time participating in this bold predictions series. Over that time, I've amassed a fairly strong record with bold predictions, generally clocking in with a success rate of 30 percent. I correctly predicted Bryce Harper's MVP campaign in 2015 and Kirby Yates leading the […]

Finding Over/Undervalued Power Hitters Using Expected Draft Values

A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at four "power" hitters, as identified by our site projections. Stay tuned over the […]

A.J. Puk Shut Down With Shoulder Strain

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk has a mild shoulder strain and will be shut down for a few days, according to manager Bob Melvin. An MRI showed nothing structural, but he'll take a few days to rest and will be re-evaluated later in the week. Puk is a top pitching prospect and is expected […]

Jorge Mateo Collects Three More Hits Tuesday

Oakland Athletics second baseman Jorge Mateo went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in a Spring Training game vs the White Sox Tuesday. Mateo has been opening eyes in A's camp as he competes for a roster spot. Through eight games the 24-year-old speedster is batting a cool .300 with a .417 on-base […]

Frankie Montas Sharp In Spring Start

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas pitched two scoreless innings in a Spring Training start against the Cubs Monday. Montas hit a batter and allowed a walk, but didn't allow a hit while striking out two. Montas was having a great 2019 before being handed an 80-game PED suspension. He won nine of 16 starts, […]

Sean Murphy Healthy After First Spring Action

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy had two plate appearances in his Spring Training debut Monday against the Cubs, walking both times. More importantly, the A's starting backstop left the game healthy and pain-free as he continues to rehab from knee surgery. Murphy has power, he hit 15 home runs in 51 games between the Majors […]

Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Prospects for 2020 Redraft Leagues (March Update)

The sun is shining in Florida and Arizona, and spring training games are underway. That means it’s time to update our redraft prospect rankings for 2020. We last looked at the key prospects for the coming season back in January when there was a lot of uncertainty around players' roles and potential playing time. 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 […]

Khris Davis (UT, OAK) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 150 CURRENT ADP: ~175 overall ANALYSIS: Davis struggled mightily in 2019 by slashing .220/.293/.387 with 23 HR, 73 RBI, 61 R, and 47 BB in 481 at-bats. He put up career-lows in average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS, most likely all attributed to a nagging hip injury Davis had […]

Mark Canha Walking Into Big Season

Oakland Athletics outfielder Mark Canha has four walks in just 12 plate appearances this spring as the veteran outfielder attempts to back up his big 2019. Canha blasted 26 home runs to go along with 80 runs scored and 58 RBI. His .279 batting average was good, but where Canha really shines is formats that […]

Matt Olson Struggling Early In Camp

Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson has just one hit in his first 10 Spring Training at-bats and has four strikeouts in that span. The sample size is obviously small and Olson should be ready to mash once the games count. Statcast loved Olson last season, he finished in the top-seventh percentile or better in […]

Matt Chapman Off To Slow Start In Camp

Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman has just two hits through 11 Spring Training at-bats as he prepares for the 2020 season. One of those hits was a home run, however, and Chapman should be good to go by the time the games count for real. The Gold Glove third baseman slashed .249/.342/.506 last season […]

Three AL Outfielders Set to Break Out in 2020

The purpose of this article, as the title suggests, is to identify three American League outfielders who have shown the potential to have a breakout season heading into 2020. These will be players who were likely on waivers at some point in your league during 2019 and may or may not have been added down […]

Marcus Semien Collects Two Hits Saturday

Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien went 2-for-3 with two RBI in a Spring Training game against the Indians Saturday. Semien is coming off a career-year where he slashed .285/.369/.522 and finished third in AL MVP voting. He scored 123 runs last season and should score plenty again this year batting leadoff for a stacked Oakland […]