Max Scherzer Throws 48 Pitches Wednesday

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer faced teammates for three innings on Wednesday, throwing 48 pitches, as teams ramp up their activity in preparation for the 60-game season beginning July 23. Scherzer only made 27 starts last year due to injury, his first year since 2008 with fewer than 31 starts. When he did pitch, […]

Mason Denaburg Making Good Progress

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Mason Denaburg (shoulder), the team's first-round pick in 2018, is making good progress from an arthroscopic shoulder surgery he had over the winter. Because he's rehabbing his shoulder, Denaburg is not in camp with some of the Nats' other top prospects, including Cade Cavalli, Jackson Rutledge and Seth Romero. The 20-year-old […]

Juan Soto Isolating From Nationals Park

Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto is currently isolating himself from Nationals Park after coming into contact with a teammate who tested positive for COVID-19. As of now, Soto is not participating in team drills, but that is the extent of the situation. As long as nothing changes for Soto, the 21-year-old outfielder looks to be […]

Philadelphia Phillies: Top 10 Dynasty Prospects

The Philadelphia Phillies will be our next stop on the farm to evaluate the best prospects on each MLB team. Once the 2020 MLB season begins, it may turn out that Minor League systems will be more important than usual. Franchises are losing money during the pandemic layoff, so many teams will be looking for […]

A Crash Course for MLB's Sprint Season

In true 2020-style, baseball is about to get funky. Maybe you’re excited about the idea of getting some strange baseball, or maybe the word “fluid” reminds you of the morning after your last visit to Taco Bell. Either way, it’s time to start sorting the chalupas from the chimichangas. Let’s acknowledge that we’re venturing into […]

Nationals Cancel Workouts On Monday

The Washington Nationals have canceled their workouts on Monday because the results from their Friday coronavirus tests have still not shown up, according to sources. The Oakland Athletics also canceled a workout on Sunday because they hadn't received the results of their COVID-19 tests. MLB testers didn't show up to Angels camp on Sunday either. […]

Can You Punt Categories In A Shortened MLB Season?

Punting categories in a roto league is something I've always shied away from. After all, you're willingly lowering your team's overall points ceiling on the hope that sacrificing a category benefits your team elsewhere. In general, punting should not be pre-planned and, if used, it should be decided while drafting based on your team so far and […]

Carter Kieboom Named Starting Third Baseman

Washington Nationals third baseman Carter Kieboom will be the team’s starting third baseman this year after beating out Asdrubal Cabrera for the job. Kieboom struggled in a brief major league stint last year with a 24 OPS+ over 11 games, but the 22-year-old is a consensus top-25 prospect and posted a .303/.409/.493 slash line in […]

Mock Draft Review - Bases Loaded Podcast

Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland), Jorge Montanez (@Roto_Nino) and Zach Braff (@braffz) are jopined by Brent Herzog of the Exit Velocity Podcast all get in on this one as back up a draft strategy episode with an episode discussing a mock draft they just put on. Subscribe to the Bases Loaded podcast, part of RotoBaller Radio's Podcast […]

Cade Cavalli Joining 60-Man Roster

Washington Nationals first-rounder Cade Cavalli will join the team's 60-man summer camp roster. Cavalli was the 22nd overall pick in last month's draft. The 6-foot-4, 226-pounder produces easy velocity (92-96 mph) and tops out at 98 mph with minimal effort. The right-hander out of Oklahoma also gets hitters off-balance with a low-80s curveball and a […]

Max Scherzer Throws 65 Pitches On Friday

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer threw 65 pitches to live hitters on the first day of summer camp on Friday. Scherzer was battling through an injury to his right side back in March, but it looks as though he's past that and ready for the start of the regular season later this month. The […]

Welington Castillo Opts Out Of 2020 Season

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that catcher Welington Castillo has opted out of playing in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Castillo will join teammates Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross in opting out this year. The 33-year-old was on a minor league deal that he signed in January and was unlikely to make much, if […]

Indians Sign Steve Baron, Jake Elmore, David Hernandez

The Cleveland Indians have signed catcher Steve Baron, infielder Jake Elmore and relief pitcher David Hernandez to minor league deals on Friday. Baron will report to the club’s Lake County camp, while Elmore and Hernandez will report to Progressive Field in Cleveland. Hernandez should be used regularly early on as starters begin to build up their […]

Short-Season Draft Risers and Fallers: RotoBaller Staff Picks

Recently, the RotoBaller MLB staff provided their thoughts on the best draft strategies for a shortened season. You can read that article right here. The fantasy baseball season is ready to kick up (finally) but things won't be the same as usual. Some players may be more appealing now that they've had time to work […]

2019 Breakout Starters Who’ll Continue to Improve

Breakout starters are one of the great joys of fantasy baseball. There are few things more satisfying than adding or drafting a player who emerges as one of the season’s best values. Starting pitchers are particularly prone to come out of nowhere and propel a team to a championship. However, that volatility makes it difficult […]

Washington Nationals: Top 10 Dynasty Prospects

The Washington Nationals will be our next stop on the farm to evaluate the best prospects on each MLB team. Once the 2020 MLB season begins, it may turn out that Minor League systems will be more important than usual. Franchises are losing money during the pandemic layoff, so many teams will be looking for […]

30 Burning Questions (and Answers) for 2020 Fantasy Baseball

Upon hearing that Major League Baseball was finally set to return to action and the fantasy season was back, a million questions popped in my head. Sadly, I forgot most of them by the next day so I'm left with just 30, coincidentally a nice even number. Actually, my initial plan was to do 60 […]

Top DH Options for National League Teams

There is finally a plan for Major League Baseball in 2020! After months of negotiations and discussions, baseball is tentatively scheduled to open up in late July, and with it, a couple of new rules. The most notable new rule for 2020 is the implementation of the designated hitter in the National League, which certainly […]

Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross To Skip 2020

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and pitcher Joe Ross have decided not to play in 2020. Zimmerman, 35, had written recently that he was considering this course of action, but has also made a point of saying he may play in 2021 and is not retiring. This news changes little for either player from […]

Jackson Rutledge, Seth Romero Included In 60-Player Pool

Washington Nationals 2019 first-round pick Jackson Rutledge and 2017 first-rounder Seth Romero were both included in the team's 60-man player pool for the 2020 season. Rutledge, a right-hander, started 10 games last year in the minors, going 2-0 with a 3.13 ERA. Romero, a left-hander, is healthy after missing all of last year. He's made […]

Draft Season 2.0 Strategy Discussion - Bases Loaded Podcast

Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland), Jorge Montanez (@Roto_Nino) and Zach Braff (@braffz) all get in on this one as they dive into fantasy baseball draft season strategy. 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 […]

New Draft Strategies for 2020 MLB: RotoBaller Staff Picks

Baseball is coming back and it's about time! The announcement of a 60-game season comes as a blessing and a curse. It's barely over one-third of a normal MLB season and will come with several modifications to the rule book. Then again, at this point we are just happy to have baseball (or any live […]

The King's Insider Guide To the 60-Game MLB Season

Since the spring, I have been conducting interviews with many notable and well-informed MLB sources on the 2020 season. On the condition of anonymity, current and former players, scouts, executives, media members and others have shared their unfiltered insights, and I have supplied my in-depth fantasy baseball takes on the information they have shared. As […]

Ryan Zimmerman May Not Play In 2020

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman is still debating whether to play this season. Among several other issues, he cited the risk the novel coronavirus would pose to his mother, who has multiple sclerosis, and a three-week-old child. From a fantasy perspective, Zimmerman was already a fringe player due to his age, an 89 wRC+ […]

How To Draft Saves In A Shortened Season

Now that Major League Baseball and the MLBPA have finally come to an agreement and locked in a plan for the upcoming season, the RotoBaller staff is churning out content to try and get you ready for the 2020 fantasy baseball season. A lot of us have questions about how the shortened season, new league […]

Three NL Outfielders Set To Bust in 2020?

A good portion of busts each year are the result of freak injuries, but some players are particularly risky. Spotting those bust candidates and avoiding them early in drafts can be a difference-maker for fantasy teams.  Although a delayed and shortened season has helped some players recover from injuries and boost their fantasy values, it’s […]

Howie Kendrick One Of Many Options For DH Role

The Washington Nationals used second baseman Howie Kendrick as their designated hitter last year in the World Series against the Astros. Kendrick is back for his 15th season, and while he's expected to be a backup infielder, he's now the top candidate to serve as their DH with National League adopting the rule for the […]

Outfielders Ready to Break Out Late

Finding value is crucial on draft day and finding just one or two players later in drafts that provide better numbers than projected can give you a significant edge on the competition as you bid for fantasy glory. All too often, we look for the new shiny object in drafts thinking they’ll come up to […]

Fantasy Value In a 50-Game Season: Starting Pitchers

Having now passed the ides of June, there is still no start date for the 2020 season and no guarantee that we'll even ever get one. MLB and the MLBPA continue to pass proposals back and forth, with each side taking their turn at rejection. This puts baseball in a situation where Commissioner Rob Manfred is […]

WPC+ Videocast: Hitter Values for a Shortened Season

Pierre Camus and Nicklaus Gaut review stats from the first 50 games of the 2019 MLB season to find notable differences from final season totals for top fantasy players. How much will a small sample size of a shortened season affect fantasy value? Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all […]