Quick Hit: 2017 Fantasy Baseball Awards

The 2017 season is coming to a close and the 2017 fantasy season has all but concluded here so let’s take a look at who won you your respective leagues and who will be taking home the 2017 Fantasy Baseball major awards.

If you drafted Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton this season you were probably very happy with your pick. Why? Chicks, and fantasy owners, dig the long ball and both players have surpassed 50 home runs this season for their respective teams. One of these two have to win the Fantasy MVP and I think, all bias aside, that Judge has to ultimately take home the award. Judge hits home runs, sure, but he also takes his walks and has a great on-base percentage and RBI total. Sure, Judge is going to strikeout a lot but like in the game and in Fantasy Baseball an out is an out no matter how you record it. Cody Bellinger and Elvis Andrus should also get at least some consideration after strong fantasy seasons.

It is easy to load up your pitching staff with Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Corey Kluber, Chris Sale or other perennial All-Star pitchers but it is usually those diamond in the rough type guys that wins you your league and three names in particular stood out for me this season in fantasy. Alex Wood of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Luis Severino of the New York Yankees and Ervin Santana of the Minnesota Twins. Where would the Twins be without Santana this season? Not in the AL Wild Card Game, you can bet that, and the same may be said for the Yankees and their sudden emerging ace Severino. Wood though may have shocked the world with his start to the 2017 season heading into the All-Star break with an 11-0 record. Wood is now an MLB 15-game winner with a sub-3.00 ERA and a miniscule WHIP making him an absolute steal for any owner that drafted him or picked him up via trade or off of waivers.

The final award we will hand out for Fantasy Baseball this season will be the Rookie of the Year. I am going to cheat a little bit and I am going to leave Judge off the list since I already handed him the MVP award and instead take the time to honor and showcase the season that Whit Merrifield had for the Kansas City Royals. No one knew the name Merrifield before Raul Mondesi Jr. began the 2017 season with a  .114 batting average as the team’s starting second baseman pushing the team to call up Merrifield from Triple-A. Merrifield has done nothing but impress since his late April call up stealing over 30 bases and pushing 20 home runs and 80 RBI keeping the Royals in the playoff chase all season long.

According to the USA Today here are the Top 15 players for your 2018 Draft. Yes, it’s early but it’s never too early for some to start preparing for next season. Enjoy.

1.     OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
2. 2B Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
3. 1B Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
4. OF Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies
5. 3B Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
6. SS Trea Turner, Washington Nationals
7. OF Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
8. SP Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
9. OF Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
10. SP Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
11. OF Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
12. 3B Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
13. 1B Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
14. 3B Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
15. SS Carlos Correa, Houston Astros

The Return of the Saturday Night Open Thread

Well we haven’t done one of these in a while. Say hello to the return of the Saturday Night open thread here on The Greedy Pinstripes. The comments section has been pretty quiet here lately and I take full responsibility for that. I have been quiet on the comments section and throughout the weekends here and that’s my fault and I apologize for that. Let’s turn that around tonight with the Saturday night open thread. Talk about anything you like, just keep it semi-clean and semi-respectful of others like you guys always do.

I’ll start… how’s your Fantasy team doing? Mine is in last place J Also who do you have winning the Yankees game tonight? I’m hoping the Yankees offense finally made it to Progressive Field and they break out in a big way. 

Fantasy Baseball: The Outfield

You know the hardest thing about fantasy baseball, well besides the daily grind of changing lineups and scouring the waiver wire at any second of any day to get that one guy that may or may not put you over the hump, is draft day. Draft day can make or break you if you draft too early or don’t do your research. I’ve seen people draft guys who got injured a day later or the day before and had to miss the entire season and I’ve seen guys just simply pass on great talents, not even sleeper picks, because they didn’t know or see. This can especially be tough in the outfield because you need three starting outfielders and at least one guy on the bench, usually two or more, but have no fear for I am here to help. I hope to anyway.

If you don’t get one of Mike Trout or Mookie Betts then you may be in a predicament this season and chances are that you will get neither. Following those two, in no real particular order because each player brings something different to the table so it depends on your needs, are Bryce Harper of the Nationals, Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies, Trea Turner of the Nationals (who is also eligible in the infield), Starling Marte of the Pirates, A.J. Pollock of the Diamondbacks, George Springer of the Astros, Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins, Nelson Cruz of the Rangers, J.D. Martinez of the Tigers, Gregory Polanco of the Pirates, Yoenis Cespedes of the Mets, Billy Hamilton of the Reds and Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies.

It is also worth keeping in mind that Ian Desmond is eligible at multiple positions including the outfield but will miss the beginning of the season with a broken hand. If your team is pretty well stacked and you feel you can wait a month or so on him and Desmond is there towards the end of the draft I don’t see why you shouldn’t pick him. You can always place him on the waiver wire later if a better fit arose. Take a chance. Chances can win you a league but it can also lose you a league but the eternal optimist in me always leans towards my genius plan unfolding where I win the league… so let’s go with that.

My sleeper pick is going to be David Peralta of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Peralta missed much of the 2016 season after a wrist injury limited him to just 48 games but his 2015 season was strong, especially against a right-handed pitcher. If you can afford a platoon and can afford to take a chance on a player coming back from an injury then Peralta will likely be a strong candidate for your team. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo seems against the idea of platooning Peralta so he should get the at-bats to put up decent numbers, especially for a guy who can be taken anywhere from the 15^th round or later. 

So there you have it, a few suggestions for your fantasy baseball draft when it comes to outfielders. I hope this information helps in some way. Enjoy, bookmark and tell your friends. 

Fantasy Baseball: Second Basemen

We looked at the shortstops of your respective fantasy baseball leagues this morning so it seems only fitting to check in with their double-play combo’s here this afternoon. The second baseman. Second base is generally thought of as a defensive-first and offensively anemic position with a few stars, a few sleepers and a slew of guys stuck in the middle. Here are the stars and the sleepers that could potentially help you win your league in 2017.

If I were to rank my Top Five second baseman in the league in order of how I would draft them I would have to start with Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros and follow it up with Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals, Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners, Rougned Odor of the Texas Rangers and Brian Dozier of the Minnesota Twins. If I were to expand that list to include my 6^th – 10^th best second basemen in the league I would include Matt Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals, Jason Kipnis of the Cleveland Indians (although a recent injury will likely keep him on the disabled list to start the season), Daniel Murphy of the Washington Nationals, Jonathan Villar of the Milwaukee Brewers (who is also eligible at shortstop) and Ian Kinsler of the Detroit Tigers. Sorry Yankees fans, Starlin Castro would not make this list but the “homer” in me would likely make Robert Refsnyder an honorable mention just for the whole shock value and comedic aspect of it all.

If you want a solid player that can play all over the board you may want to look at Ben Zobrist, although he is far from a sleeper or an unknown commodity at this point so good luck, as he is eligible at the position. If you’re looking for a true sleeper though then look no further than Devon Travis of the Toronto Blue Jays. When healthy Travis can hit .300 with plenty of extra-base hits, RBI and runs scored in that deep Toronto lineup. Travis could give you 10-15 home run power, or more depending on how friendly the Rogers Centre is to him in Toronto, along with a ton of stolen bases if healthy. The best part about Travis is that you can get him at the end of your draft in the 16-18^th round or maybe even later depending on the pool of competitors.

If all else fails you can just take a Dee Gordon of the Miami Marlins or a Starlin Castro of the Yankees and fill in the gaps where they lack elsewhere. Castro should still give you 20-home run power and Gordon should get on base and steal bases with Giancarlo Stanton behind him looking to knock him in. It’s not ideal but sometimes you have to simply do the best you can with what you have.

And that’s that. Now go grab you a fantasy baseball second basemen! Good luck!

Fantasy Baseball Top 50 for 2017

The USA Today is a publication that I frequent pretty much every day, a publication that I even frequented when I was on my extended break and hiatus from the site and from the world here a few weeks back, because I like what the cast of writers over there brings. They bring opinions, they bring the news, they bring weekly power rankings that we showcase here on the site every Tuesday and they think outside the box more than most I’ve read. One other thing the USA Today brings is some great Fantasy Baseball advice and this week they brought the Top 200 Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings for the 2017. Now while I won’t bring you the entire Top 200 list here on the blog, you can head over to those guys and give them a much deserved click and view or two to see the entire list, I will bring you the Top 50 and the notable Yankees inclusions. Enjoy.

1.    Mike Trout, Angels    OF
2.    Mookie Betts, Red Sox    OF
3.    Jose Altuve, Astros    2B
4.    Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks    1B
5.    Kris Bryant, Cubs    3B/OF
6.    Nolan Arenado, Rockies    3B
7.    Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers    SP
8.    Manny Machado, Orioles    3B/SS
9.    Bryce Harper, Nationals    OF
10.    Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays    3B
11.    Anthony Rizzo, Cubs    1B
12.    Miguel Cabrera, Tigers    1B
13.    Max Scherzer, Nationals    SP
14.    Trea Turner, Nationals    OF/2B
15.    Starling Marte, Pirates    OF
16.    Madison Bumgarner, Giants    SP
17.    Carlos Correa, Astros    SS
18.    Edwin Encarnacion, Indians    1B
19.    Corey Seager, Dodgers    SS
20.    Charlie Blackmon, Rockies    OF
21.    Joey Votto, Reds    1B
22.    Francisco Lindor, Indians    SS
23.    Freddie Freeman, Braves    1B
24.    Robinson Cano, Mariners    2B
25.    Corey Kluber, Indians    SP
26.    Noah Syndergaard, Mets    SP
27.    A.J. Pollock, Diamondbacks    OF
28.    Chris Sale, Red Sox    SP
29.    Jonathan Villar, Brewers    SS/3B
30.    Ryan Braun, Brewers    OF
31.    Daniel Murphy, Nationals    2B/1B
32.    Trevor Story, Rockies    SS
33.    Jon Lester, Cubs    SP
34.    Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins    OF
35.    Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox    SS
36.    Brian Dozier, Twins    2B
37.    Jake Arrieta, Cubs    SP
38.    David Price, Red Sox    SP
39.    Christian Yelich, Marlins    OF
40.    Nelson Cruz, Mariners    OF
41.    Rougned Odor, Rangers    2B
42.    Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies    OF
43.    Dee Gordon, Marlins    2B
44.    George Springer, Astros    OF
45.    Johnny Cueto, Giants    SP
46.    Buster Posey, Giants    C
47.    Justin Verlander, Tigers    SP
48.    Andrew McCutchen, Pirates    OF
49.    Kyle Seager, Mariners    3B
50.    J.D. Martinez, Tigers    OF

62.    Aroldis Chapman, Yankees    RP
81.    Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees    SP
83.    Gary Sanchez, Yankees    C
181.    Dellin Betances, Yankees    RP
194.    Brett Gardner, Yankees    OF
199.    Michael Pineda, Yankees    SP

With September Call Ups It’s Not Too Late to Win Your Fantasy League

The calendar says September which means time is running out both on the 2016 regular season and in your fantasy league which ends a bit before the regular season does. Things may look grim for some teams right now and they may look equally as grim in your fantasy league but have no fear, September call ups are here. What does that mean for you? Well it’s simple, all 30 MLB teams went from having 25 players at their disposal to having 40 options now giving you more opportunities to mix and match. Need stolen bases? Well teams like the Yankees have players like Eric Young Jr. whose sole purpose on the roster is to steal bases and pinch run. Need home runs? Pick up a guy like Aaron Judge who should hit plenty with more than a few strikeouts thrown in the middle. These are just two of many examples of how September call ups can aid you in pushing and potentially winning your fantasy league this season. It’s not too late but it’s getting late, early.

Need Power?

Randal Grichuk had a productive August and it should continue in September for the power hitting Red Birds. Ryan Schimpf has also handled hitting in Petco Park well and has put up impressive power numbers as a second baseman. He, like Aaron Judge, will strikeout a ton though so it’s a double-edged sword.

Need Stolen Bases?

Take your pick. Keon Broxton of Milwaukee steals a ton of bases and gets on base at a .360 OBP clip while Ender Inciarte is a contact hitter with a lot of speed for Atlanta. Nick Franklin of the Tampa Bay Rays is doing enough to remain in the conversation while the Yankees should give Eric Young Jr. plenty of base stealing opportunities with Brian McCann and others in the lineup.

Need Veteran Pitching?

Ivan Nova has been terrific for the Pittsburgh Pirates posting a 2.87 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. Where was this guy when he was with the Yankees? Alex Cobb is also back and will be making his second start in almost two years tonight for the Rays.

Need Rookies?

Byron Buxton has been disappointing to date in his MLB career but he has impressed since his latest call up. Yoan Moncada has impressed as well and should play every day for the remainder on the season. Moncada will strikeout a lot but he adds a lot to almost every other category.

So Your Fantasy Teams Needs a Little Power?

So you have a plan. Spend the All-Star break wheeling and dealing and scouring the free agent market looking for talent for your fantasy baseball team. The team hasn’t lived up to the preseason hype. Injuries have happened and so have down seasons and you, like a lot of your league mates, need power. I may not have the sleeper that you can get as an unknown that will turn your season around and bring you a championship but I just may have a couple guys you can maybe buy low on and watch as they turn around their season in the second half. What do you have to lose? You wouldn’t be reading this if you were in a good position now would you?

Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox is a better hitter and a better home run hitter than he has shown thus far in 2016. In Abreu’s first two seasons in the big leagues the slugger had at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI or more but to date Abreu has just 11 home runs in 2016. Abreu still has a ton of protection in that White Sox lineup and his contact, line drive and power indexes are still above average so sabermetrics suggest he is due to break out in a big way very, very soon.

Brian McCann is one that I watch on a daily basis. For that reason I don’t feel the need to throw fancy sabermetric stats at you but instead I will use the eye test. I know the back of his baseball card says he is a 25 home run type guy every season, especially inside Yankee Stadium, but he has been anything but that this season. I’m thinking he will wake up a bit in the second half and climb much closer to 20 than he is now and anyone can use that sort of power at the catcher position.

Finally you have Justin Upton. Yes I know he plays in a big yard in Comerica Park and yes I know his home run numbers have been down but hear me out. He is hitting fly balls over 40% of the time and he’s hitting them hard, some of them have to start falling in and falling over the fence soon. It’s simple mathematics and science. Upton is used to playing in pitching friendly ballparks in Atlanta, San Diego and Arizona and that never slowed him down. Comerica won’t either.

Trade from a strength, fill a hole and win your league. You’re welcome in advance. 

Fantasy Baseball: Summer Prospect Call Ups

So you want to win your Fantasy Baseball league but you’re struggling right now? Have no fear, the season is still young and there is plenty of young talent toiling in the minor leagues just chomping at the bit to get called up to the majors. If the trade waiver or free agent waiver have yet to bear any fruit for you this season then maybe you should watch these teams transactions pages and lookout for these players that are likely coming up to the Major Leagues this season. All of them could have huge impacts on their teams, the playoff races and your fantasy teams. 

We’ve already seen the Cubs kick off the summer prospect call up frenzy with the call up of Willson Contreras so if he’s still sitting out there on your free agent market then he may be worth the look. It’s unlikely though that the Cubs #2 prospect is still on the board as a catcher and for good reason. He’s an intriguing prospect that can field his position as well as knock the cover off the ball as we saw in his first game Sunday night against A.J. Schugel. If he’s there snatch him up, especially at his position and especially if you’re in a keeper league. 

Speaking of the Cubs they have another guy who is likely to come up this season and stay up in Albert Almora. When Jorge Soler went down with an injury Almora was the first to be called up and the sixth overall pick in 2012 and the Cubs sixth best prospect according to Baseball America may hit enough to force Soler to the Yankees or another team in a trade this summer. Almora is just 22-years old but to watch him play you would think he’s been in the show for 22 years. Snatch him up if you have an extra outfield slot on your team. 

Another position that is traditionally thin in fantasy baseball but has a pair of players that are slated to make big impacts and last impacts in the bigs is the shortstop position. The Chicago White Sox have already designated Jimmy Rollins for assignment to begin the Tim Anderson era while many in Washington are wondering when the Trea Turner era will begin for the Nationals. Both are big stars and impactful stars not only to their teams but could be to your playoff push in fantasy baseball as well.  

That’s enough with the position players, what if you need pitching? Well Jameson Taillon is likely already off your boards after the Pittsburgh Pirates called him up but he may stick around even after Gerrit Cole returns off the disabled list. Francisco Liriano, Jeff Locke, Juan Nicasio and Ryan Vogelson are all struggling or injured leaving Taillon the opportunity to snatch a starting rotation spot for the remainder of the season.

So there you have it. Some impact names that can help you this season and beyond if you’re in a keeper league. Grab them now though if you have a slot you can play around with because they won’t be there for long once everyone else catches on. Hope this helps. 

New York State Says Goodbye to DraftKings & FanDuel

After much speculation and rumors and after a long battle in court the state of New York has won their court case against online daily fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel. Both DraftKings and FanDuel will halt paid contests in the state of New York as a part of a deal reached between the sites and the state’s attorney general. No more daily fantasy for many of the people reading this right now, bummer.

New York Attorney general Eric Schneiderman agreed to drop all the claims and charges against the sites minus the claim of false advertising in the agreement. The state of New York believes these sites violated the state’s gambling laws although this injunction is still under appeal at this time.

New York is now the ninth state where the daily sites will no longer offer paid contests because of state gambling laws joining Arizona, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Washington and surprisingly Nevada. Texas will become the 10^th state on May, 1 2016 when their own lawsuit against DraftKings and FanDuel comes to an agreement.

Fantasy Baseball: So You Need Some Saves?

Opening Day 2016 is right around the corner and most of you I see are already getting your drafts done for Fantasy Baseball. If the drafts have already been done I doubt that I can help you much but if you haven’t drafted yet and you are worried about having enough saves to stack up with the rest of your league then this is the post for you. Keep it bookmarked, read and enjoy.

I have said it many times this winter but I really want to drive home the emphasis that even on the worst teams you are going to be able to compile anywhere from 30-50 saves or more in a 162-game season. Sure you can draft Craig Kimbrel of the Boston Red Sox, Aroldis Chapman of the New York Yankees or any of the top closers in the league but once one goes, they all go. It’s a mad scramble and it snowballs, I’ve seen it in almost every single draft that I’ve been a part of and if your luck is anything like mine it starts about a pick or two after I make my pick in the 8^th-10^th rounds. If you mess up and miss the top closers in the league maybe one or two of these pitchers can help.

The San Francisco Giants are going to win the World Series in 2016, at least recent history would suggest it anyway with the even year thing, and every World Series team has to have a good closer. Take your pick, the Giants have three to choose from in Hunter Strickland, Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo, but I think the Giants will pick Strickland before the spring is said and done.

The Seattle Mariners will no longer have the man who shoots arrows in the air after a save trying to close the door in the 9^th and it looks like Tony Zych may get the call from Opening Day on. Zych only has 18.1 innings pitched in his MLB career but he impressed with 24 strikeouts and looks ready for the big stage.

Another team who may only win 60-70 games this season but will likely have 30-50 saves is the Cincinnati Reds. Tony Cingrani might not have the repertoire to start but he could be a potential closer for the rebuilding club in 2016. He will have competition from JJ Hoover and Jumbo Diaz but both have question marks and flaws giving Cingrani the open door.

There’s three options for you to get your saves this upcoming fantasy season, I hope it helps. 

Rebound Players, Fantasy Baseball & the New York Yankees

There’s good things about being on the rebound and there is bad things about being on the rebound. Some of the bad things could be you make stupid decisions in life and questionable hookups in search of affection and a feeling of being wanted while some of the good things, as they pertain to baseball and fantasy baseball specifically, is when you can buy low on a player and maximize his value that season. Here are a few rebound hookups that you should actually consider this season if you haven’t already done your draft and if you need the other rebound hookup advice, well I’m probably not the one you need to be talking to. Have fun and enjoy.  

We have a couple members of the New York Yankees who made the list so it only seems fitting that we start there. Both Starlin Castro and Michael Pineda have talent oozing out of their pores but neither had an exceptional 2015 campaign. Both may fall down lower than they should be drafted leaving you with a few diamonds in the rough in the later rounds. Pineda showed complete and utter dominance at times last season and at other times he looked completely lost. Pineda has shown up to camp ready and in shape and it has shown thus far in his pitching and his workouts according to his coaches. He may be the best pitcher on the Yankees staff and many people won’t even know it until you’ve already drafted him. Castro meanwhile struggled in Chicago and was benched as a shortstop due to his defensive concerns but turned things around in the latter part of the season as a second baseman. A change a scenery, a new team and a new position can do wonders for some and Castro may be in line for an offensive spike this season, especially at an offensively anemic position like second base. 

Garrett Richards is likely the ace of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim but he definitely did not pitch like it at times last season. Richards finished the 2014 season with a 2.61 ERA and a8.75 K/9 ratio before following that season up last year with a 3.65 ERA and 7.64 K/9. While his 2015 stats were far from terrible he has shown to be a much better pitcher, an ace actually, and he may show those numbers again given some offensive run support in 2016. 

Matt Wieters is in his second year removed from Tommy John surgery and that alone should help. Sure there have been plenty of offensive players to come back without any ill-effects of the surgery a year later but every surgery is different and every recovery is different, especially in such a complicated surgery. Wieters should be much better both offensively and defensively than he was last season and at a position like catcher that is extremely top heavy Wieters could slip into that second tier but still give you first tier production if he’s finally healthy. 

The final piece that could be set for a bounce back season is Jeff Samardzija. Samardzija was pretty much the worst pitcher, stats wise, among qualifying pitchers in 2015 with Chicago but a move to the West Coast should help. Instead of pitching in Chicago the man they call “Shark” will be pitching inside the spacious AT&T Park in San Francisco and should benefit from it. Samardzija will have speed, defense, an actual offense that can score runs and a team that wins the World Series every other year (and this is the “other” year of every other year) behind him giving you huge win and strikeout totals. 

The Yankees Offensive Players in Fantasy Baseball: Draft 'Em or Ditch 'Em

March is Spring Training but it is also fantasy baseball time. I do four fantasy baseball leagues a year, one head to head and three rotisserie leages. I'll admit I'm prone to valuing Yankees players higher when there are comparable players on the boards. That being said after my first draft I went through the Yankees roster on FantasyPros to see if they players should be drafted or ditched.

C: Brian McCann - McCann is ranked as the 3rd best catcher even with a slight drop of in statistics (home runs and RBI's) but he still has the best power of any catcher and will again be a solid pick. 

Verdict: Draft him as a starter

1B: Mark Teixeira - Teixeira had a bounce back season until a broken leg sidelined him late in the season. FantasyPros has him ranked as the 17th best First Basemen and his Zeile Consensus has him taking a step back in home runs, average, and RBI's. First base is one of the deeper positions in fantasy and sleepers and breakouts can be found throughout the league.

Verdict: Draft him in the late rounds, if he's your starter you're in trouble

2B: Starlin Castro - Castro is actually ranked higher as an SS than as a 2B (14 to 17). He is projected to have better stats across the board but none of them high enough to stand out as major reasons to draft him. Shortstop and second base are two fantasy positions without a ton of depth but there are still players you can acquire as starters before drafting him.

Verdict: Draft him for his versatility as a middle infield backup

3B: Chase Headley - The only reason Headley wasn't the worst 3B in the AL East was because Pablo Sandoval was horrendous. Headley is projected to have more home runs but his at-bats, average and hits are all projected to take a hit. He is ranked as the 29th best 3B behind Yangervis Solarte and Martin Prado which I found ironic. The only silver lining with Headley is that of the 11 fantasy gurus polled 10 think he'll outperform is Average Draft Position (ADP) of 316.

Verdict: Ditch him

SS: Didi Gregorius - Just like with arbitration defense doesn't pay in fantasy baseball. Didi is ranked as the 39th best shortstop and his projected starts are about the same as his actual 2015 stats. His value isn't in his offensive and that is something to avoid

Verdict: Ditch him

OF: Brett Gardner - Gardner is the 33rd ranked outfielder. In a 12 team league 36 outfielders are drafted for the position so he makes the cut as a starter. However his ranking indicates that he shouldn't be your first or even your second OF pick. 37 of 42 (88%) Fantasy Experts believe that Gardner will outperform his ADP. 

Verdict: Draft him as your 3rd or bench OF

OF: Jacoby Ellsbury - Ellsbury is ranked as the 27th outfielder in FantasyPros which I found surprising considering his past two seasons. He is projected to be better across the board. His average ADP is 90 which would put him in the 5th round. I find it hard to believe that he'll stay healthy the entire year so be sure to draft bench players you'd feel comfortable starting for a month or two.

Verdict: Draft him as your 2nd or 3rd OF

OF: Carlos Beltran - The days of Beltran's fantasy relevance are long gone. Beltran is currently ranked as the 70th OF he is likely to be drafted in some leagues but overall there are better options as back up OF's.

Verdict: Ditch him

DH: Alex Rodriguez - While researching FantasyPros I found it strange that he is projected to have a worse season but all 41 of the Fantasy Experts who reviewed him believe he will outperform his ADP. Rodriguez is currently the 12th ranked DH. The concern with drafting Rodriguez is that he is strictly a DH which means you lose some versatility by having him on your roster, just like the real Yankees!

Verdict: Draft him if you don't mind only be able to use him as a DH

How do you think the Yankees offensive players will do this year?

Fantasy Baseball: The Undervalued & the Unappreciated

By now a lot of you have already had your fantasy baseball drafts but if you haven’t then I have some last minute crunch time additions for you to read over as you prepare. Over the course of the winter we have gone over the players that many don’t know about, many call them sleepers, but today we will go over some of the more recognizable names around the league. These names are recognizable in most households but in my opinion they are truly under-appreciated and undervalued as far as fantasy baseball goes. Well they were before today anyway. 

We begin with Justin Upton who has been playing in some of the most pitcher friendly ballparks in all of Major League Baseball over the past few seasons. While Turner Field in Atlanta is far from the spacious outfield in Petco Park it’s still tough to hit a home run there and Upton still has 26-plus home run seasons in four of his last five seasons. Him moving to Comerica Park in Detroit shouldn’t affect him too much in the power department and shouldn’t affect his 20 stolen base capability per season either. 

Like many positions the first base position is pretty top heavy but near the bottom of the upper tier is Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Quietly A-Gon consistently puts up 20 home run and 85 RBI seasons every single year and not many people talk about it. Must be all those West Coast games. 

We’ve said it many times before and we’ll say it again, even the worst teams in the league that lose 100+ games per season will get you 30-50 saves in a year. While the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox are far from the worst teams in the league and while neither will lose 100 games in my opinion they will both struggle to compete in their divisions. That doesn’t mean Zach Britton won’t strike out another 10 batters per nine innings and save 35 games again and that doesn’t mean David Robertson wont strike out closer to 12 batters per nine innings and save you 40 games in 2016. 

Matt Wieters enters 2016 in his second year removed from Tommy John surgery. I know the surgery doesn’t affect position players the same way it affects pitchers but it also affects everyone differently. I truly believe that many of his struggles in 2015 were due to the elbow ligament replacement surgery and in his second year removed I think we see more of the 22-ish home run power we saw from 2011-2013 and less of the product we saw in 2015 going forward. 

Most people only spoke about the first half Yordano Ventura that struggled with his command and effectiveness and not enough people noticed his second half correction. Ventura went back to striking out guys at an alarming rate during the second half of the 2015 season due in large part to a spike in first pitch strikes. If he can harness some control and keep batters off the base paths his defense and Kauffman Stadium should help him finally harness that huge potential in 2016. 

The final player is Jason Hammel. Hammel is living in the shadow of Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and now John Lackey but Hammel has all the makings of being one of the best fourth or fifth starters in the major leagues this season. He is a consistent 9.0 K/9 ratio and a below 4.00 ERA every single season with a ton of innings. With this Cubs offense behind him he may win 15 games, all he has to do is keep it close. 

MLB, Rookies and Fantasy Baseball

Have you had your Fantasy Baseball Draft yet? If not we have a couple more tips, tricks and potential sleepers to send your way before you do. We slacked off a bit last month on the Fantasy baseball discussion only because I had so much prospects related content to use as a part of Prospects Month that something had to give and these posts got the axe temporarily. Have no fear though as they are back and keeping with the prospect spirit we will bring you a handful of rookies and prospects to keep on your watch list as you prepare for your draft. Some can help on Opening Day and some won’t likely help before July so keep this post bookmarked all season long just in case, you might need it.

Corey Seager is expected to be the Los Angeles Dodgers starting shortstop on Day One in 2016 and like I say with any National League player he should see what I like to refer to as some “cupcake” competition next season. The NL will boast two or three of the worst teams in MLB next season with the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers while teams in the Dodgers own division, the Padres especially, are planning on tearing things down and building back up slowly. Get Seager if you can because he is going to be a great shortstop for you in 2016.

The same can be said for fellow shortstop Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals. While Seager will see enough of those teams much of the NL expects to beat up on Turner will see them around 20 times per season each. Turner made a nice debut with Washington in 2015 batting .322/.370/.458 and he possesses 30 stolen base potential as well making him a potential bargain for fantasy owners.

Everything I said about Seager can be applied to the Minnesota Twins future center fielder and top prospect Byron Buxton with the exception of the fact that Buxton will play in the American League in one of the tougher divisions in baseball. Buxton is lightning quick though and you don’t get named top prospect in all of baseball twice if you’re a slouch everywhere else, Buxton is going to be special.

Is Steven Matz still considered a prospect? If so you have to have him on your radar as he fits in with the rest of those aces and #2’s in the New York Mets rotation. He’s finally back and healthy from Tommy John surgery and is primed to make a huge impact in 2016 both in fantasy and in the NL East Division.

I guess the same could be said for Byung-Ho Park of the Minnesota Twins and Hyun-soo Kim of the Baltimore Orioles. They are both technically rookies but at 29-years old and 28-years old respectively Park hit 50 home runs in back-to-back seasons in Korea before coming over to the states and is expected to be either the every day first baseman or DH while Kim will showcase his keen batting eye and outrageous contact skills to channel his inner Ichiro Suzuki.

The final prospect we cover today will miss at least 50 games this season with a drug suspension, the St. Louis Cardinals top pitching prospect Alex Reyes. Reyes is already overpowering hitters with a 95+ MPH fastball that can reach as high as 100 MPH when he really reaches back for it. Reyes failed a test for marijuana and not steroids but either way he could be a bargain and an absolute steal in your fantasy draft.

Spring Training Competitions & Fantasy Baseball

Pitchers and catchers have reported to their various spring camps and first workouts are already underway as we inch closer to the 2016 regular season. As we inch closer to the 2016 regular season we also inch closer to the 2016 Fantasy Baseball season and your fantasy baseball drafts if you haven’t had yours already. I tend to like to wait until March, sometimes even late-March, before having my draft because so many things can happen between the beginning of spring training and the beginning of the regular season with injuries and spring training competitions being at the top of my precautionary list. You can’t predict or analyze injuries for the most part but you can analyze and take a stab at predicting the spring training competitions though and I will attempt to do just that in hopes of helping you with your upcoming fantasy baseball drafts.

We’ll start in the American League East with the Toronto Blue Jays and their closer situation. Will it be Roberto Osuna or will it be recently acquired Drew Storen? Storen could close and the Blue Jays could opt to place Osuna in the starting rotation or they could place Aaron Sanchez in the rotation and let Osuna and Storen battle it out for the 9^th inning. In my opinion I think the team attempts their own dominant back end of the bullpen and at least starts the season, barring one disaster or amazing spring training from either one of these men, with Storen in the 8^th and Osuna in the 9^th.

Sticking with the AL East theme we head down to Tropicana Field with the Tampa Bay Rays to try and sort out their outfield, first base and DH position battle they have going on. As it stands now Kevin Keirmaier is a lock for the team with Corey Dickerson, Steven Souza, Desmond Jennings, Steve Pearce, Logan Morrison and Mikie Mahtook vying for playing time. The team also has James Loney at first base but with capable first base options like Morrison and Pearce his job may be on the line as well. This is going to be one of the tougher ones to predict but you have to think Dickerson gets one of the starting spots with Keirmaier and Jennings while Loney stays at first base and Morrison spends much of his time at the DH position. Pearce should see plenty of time off the bench though and is eligible at multiple positions this season once again.

I’ve said many times this winter that even the worst team is going to have around 30-50 saves throughout a season. Even a team that loses 100 games is going to have 62 wins so giving a team 30-50 saves is not out of the realm of possibilities. The real question is will all those saves go to one person, which is ideal in fantasy, or to multiple people, which obviously is not. This is the question you should be asking if you’re in need of a closer and trying to decide who will close games for team’s like the Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers to name a few. Spring competitions are all over with Will Smith battling Corey Knebel and Jeremy Jeffress in Milwaukee, David Hernandez battling Ernesto Frieri and Edward Mujica in Philadelphia, AJ Ramos battling Carter Capps in Miami and Jason Grilli battling former Yankees prospect Arodys Vizcaino in Atlanta. If I had to pick a winner in each of these competitions I would have to go with Will Smith in Milwaukee, David Hernandez in Philadelphia, AJ Ramos in Miami and Jason Grilli in Atlanta but all will have extremely short leashes on from Opening Day on. If you’re set elsewhere and you absolutely need a closer it may be worth grabbing two options from one team just to make sure you have the saves situation handled, one can easily be traded or passed through waivers to the free agent market later on.

So there you have it, the spring competitions that could impact your fantasy baseball draft and league this season. There are more, the Yankees bullpen, the Washington Nationals shortstop situation, the Tigers center field situation, whether Hanley Ramirez will stick at first base in Boston, various starting pitching competitions around the league and almost the entire Atlanta Braves team is up for grabs. Spring training is close and I can’t say how excited I am to be talking about it and how excited I am to be talking about fantasy baseball. That means real baseball is near and that makes me smile. Hope this information helps and if it does pass it on!

Fantasy Baseball: Who are the Toronto Blue Jays?

The Toronto Blue Jays have easily the best offense in the American League East and may have the best offense in all of Major League Baseball, we all know they did in 2015 anyway, and we also know they have one of the best young starting pitchers on the planet in Marcus Stroman but will it be enough to capture the AL East Division crown once again in 2016? That remains to be seen but the way they will do that is the same way they did it last season, they will use their farm system to bring in the pieces they need via trade and they will use their core of young guys to fill in the gaps. The Blue Jays have plenty of reinforcements up inside Rogers Centre but in the spirit of Prospects Month here on the blog do they have enough reinforcements down on the farm to get by if needed?

Toronto will get a bit of pass here because during Prospects Month we’ve not only covered prospects but we’ve also covered the young guns on the team as well and showcased how they can help you win your fantasy baseball drafts and leagues this season. Most of the Blue Jays offense will be gone by at least the second round but I’m not sure if people know what to do about Marcus Stroman. Sure he went 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA in September last year after recovering from what was supposed to be a season-ending knee injury but surely he can’t keep up that torrid pace… can he? I’m honestly on the fence about him because part of me feels like he is a true ace in the making and is a 20-game win threat even without the Toronto offense behind him. With it, who knows how many he can win.

Roberto Osuna is another that I’m on the fence about because I’m not quite sure of his position with the club. You have to think the Blue jays acquired Drew Storen from the Washington Nationals to have him as their closer but the young right-hander did struggle after his former team acquired Jonathan Papelbon. Was that because he felt slighted and needed a change of scenery or is the proof simply in the pudding and we’re too busy making excuses for him to see it? That answer won’t only affect Storen himself but it will affect Osuna as well. Osuna isn’t as valuable in fantasy as a set-up man as he is as a closer so keep him on your watch list this spring training and during your draft. If he falls far enough he may be worth it anyway.

Finally you have the combination of Devon Travis and Ryan Goins. Goins will start the season at second base while Travis recovers from a shoulder surgery that derailed his rookie season in 2015. Travis is expected to be ready around the April/May timeframe so if you have the room on the roster he may be worth grabbing and hold onto for a while. If you can’t afford to wait then Goins might be a suitable replacement, but honestly I doubt it. Someone will likely grab up Travis, especially in the deeper leagues, and sit on him and wait so why not make that person you, you know?

Fantasy Baseball: So You Need a Shortstop?

The shortstop position around Major League Baseball is much like the second base position and the catcher position, offensively speaking it seems to either be feast or famine. All three positions are very top heavy with a few average replacements and a whole lot that don’t offer much in the terms of fantasy value. The shortstop position may be the most anemic of the three though which is why so many find it hard to find a suitable shortstop once the likes of Carlos Correa and the other top-tier shortstops come off the board, that’s where I come in to help. 

Carlos Correa is probably the best shortstop in the game right now while Troy Tulowitzki, in his Coors Field days anyway, and Brandon Crawford fill out the top three in no particular order. Behind them is in my opinion a steep fall off in production as far as fantasy goes so if you don’t get these three recognizable faces you may be left wondering what to do. If it was I and I missed out on one of those three I would definitely take a look at Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox or Ian Desmond if he ever finds a home between now and draft day. The longer Desmond has to wait for a job, and especially if it eats up some of his spring training time, the farther away I step away from him. See Stephen Drew the year he was offered a qualifying offer, it could happen to Desmond as well. 

Behind this group of men are some rookies and young guys looking to take the next step forward towards superstardom. These players come with risks of taking a step back or having the sophomore slump but if they continue their production like they did last year they can be notable additions to your team. This list includes Francisco Lindor of the Indians, Addison Russell of the Chicago Cubs and Didi Gregorius of the New York Yankees. Some may think I think too highly of Didi or that I am letting my Yankees fandom get in the way but his stats after the first two months of the season were fantastic. Once he settled in and got comfortable he was one of the most consistent hitters in the Yankees lineup and he’s only going to get better as he matures. Again, he comes with a risk but he is a high risk and high reward type player at least. 

Speaking of Didi his teammate Starlin Castro will be eligible at second base and shortstop next season and is just 26-years old. Castro hit much better after moving to second base last season with Chicago and could be in line for a nice season in the Bronx in 2016. Behind Castro is another fall off that starts with Elvis Andrus and ends with Jhonny Peralta. These players along with Alcides Escobar, JJ Hardy, Marcus Semien and Brad Miller are what they are, you basically know what you are going to get from these players. They are not your last resort but they aren’t your first resort either, they are more marginal players as far as fantasy goes. If you miss out on one of these players, well your draft may be over unless you can find a nice sleeper pick, maybe Ketel Marte of Seattle or Jean Segura of Arizona. 

Shortstops can be a tricky position to draft unfortunately so I tend to personally go high and grab one of the top tiered players. The shortstop can make or break your draft because if you go too high on a guy and he busts or gets injured you are left reeling for the rest of your season but if you wait too long you may be stuck with a Andrelton Simmons or Adeiny Hechavarria and nobody wants that… do they?

Fantasy Baseball: So You Need a First Baseman?

So you want to build a snow… wait, wrong blog. Sorry about that. So you want to build a strong fantasy baseball team this year but you’re not quite sure who to choose as your first baseman? Don’t fret and keep reading as I try to rank and educate on the first baseman across the league much like we ranked the catchers around the league earlier this month. First baseman are usually a lot easier to find than catchers are but the right first baseman can give your offense and team the lift it needs when facing tough competition in a close week. 

Obviously at the top you have the Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt but if you’re not lucky enough to have one of the top two or three picks (FYI he should never fall to three) then you may want to consider, in this order, Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs, Edwin Encarnacion of the Toronto Blue Jays, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers and Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox. Rizzo is something special and may be playing with one of the best offensive teams in the league giving him plenty of RBI and runs scored opportunities while the same can be said for Encarnacion. Encarnacion was fantastic last season and may only be the third best hitter on his team, let that sink in. Meanwhile I like Abreu better than Cabrera if I am building an All-Star team but Cabrera has the better offense and more protection around him while Abreu will get his fair share of intentional walks in 2016. For those reasons these are my Top 5 first baseman in the league.

To take that list one step further I would have to with Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles sixth, especially since he’s hitting in Camden Yard again, Eric Hosmer of the Kansas City Royals seventh, Joey Votto of the Reds eight, Adrian Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Dodgers ninth and Brandon Belt of the San Francisco Giants 10^th. I like Votto, I like him a lot actually, but he has nothing around him in Cincinnati and will likely receive a lot of the same treatment Jose Abreu will receive in Chicago. I also wanted to put Freddie Freeman on this list somewhere in the Top 10 but could not justify it for the same reasons leaving me to add Belt, Hosmer and A-Gon. 

If you miss out on any of these Top 10 or 11 first baseman there are still true options out there but the risk factors start to show their ugly heads. Players like Albert Pujols, Carlos Santana and Lucas Duda always have injury concerns following them around while Mark Trumbo of Baltimore and Byung-Ho Park of Minnesota come attached to huge question marks and unknowns. And then, for the Yankees fans reading, there is Mark Teixeira. Who knows what to expect out of Teixeira? Will he need a DL stint or three? Will he push for 40 home runs again or will he miss more games than he hits home runs? I have no idea so unless you just need a first baseman and need to take a chance it may be wise to stay away from Teixeira unfortunately.

And there you have it, your first baseball rankings from across the league. If you are unsure of what first baseman to take in your draft then keep this bookmarked as a point of reference. I hope it helps, enjoy!

Fantasy Baseball: Who are the Tampa Bay Rays?

The Tampa Bay Rays are a team in transition and a team that is constantly rebuilding. The team is absolutely stacked on the pitching side of things with Chris Archer leading the way but injuries set the team back in a major way in 2015. The team will now look to have a healthier and more productive 2016 after adding a couple new faces and after getting a couple old faces back from the disabled list with their eyes on the prize that is the American League East division. While the Rays have their eyes set on October in real life those same Tampa Bay Rays can help you reach the same October playoff goal, just in your fantasy baseball league of course. 

The first new face in Tampa is former Colorado Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson who leaves the friendly confides of Coors Field to come to a more pitching friendly ballpark in Tropicana Field. For that reason alone he may not be worth where he is going to be ranked or taken but he will still likely give you 20-25 home run power at an outfield position and that’s never bad. He’s one that will likely be taken before I feel comfortable taking him but if he’s there and in your comfort level then go for it, he’s a good ball player with a lot to like. 

Another new face is Brad Miller who is not going to put up ungodly numbers at the dish but at an anemic position offensively like shortstop his .258 average, 11 home runs and 13 stolen bases is near the top of the second tier player list at the position. Miller is only 26-years old and is technically entering his prime so you may see those numbers tick a bit higher in 2016. 

A stalwart in the Rays lineup lately is outfielder Kevin Kiermaier who had a solid 2015 campaign that not too many outside of the AL East really knew about. Kiermaier can get you 15 home runs and steal you 20-30 bases in a season while adding Gold Glove caliber defense to the squad. 

Finally you have to look at the prospects currently coming out of the Tampa Bay system. They always seem to have one or two that burst onto the scene in a big way and besides, it’s Prospects Month so we’re almost obligated to talk about them here today. The Rays best pitching prospect in the system is Blake Snell and he just may break camp with the club this season. The Rays will try to piece together a solid rotation behind Archer and Matt Moore until Alex Cobb returns from Tommy John surgery and a combination of Drew Smyly and Snell are likely going to do it for Tampa. Meanwhile the best and closest positional prospect is first baseman Richie Schaffer who is also eligible at third base. Schaffer would likely have to be a DH in Tampa or replace an injured first baseman but in 74 at bats with the club last year he belted four home runs showing off his raw power. If Shaffer gets a shot he could deliver some big home run and RBI numbers for the Rays and your club, just don’t expect a high average or a terribly high runs scored stat to go along with it. 

There you have it, the young guns and the prospects that are likely going to make or break the Tampa Bay Rays season and that can also make or break your fantasy draft this season. I hope the information helped and if it did pass it along to someone else in need. If it didn’t help then I apologize, but I have a feeling that it will. Enjoy and thanks for reading. 

Fantasy Baseball: So You Need a Catcher?

If you have played Fantasy Baseball one time or 100 times you know one thing for sure, there are certain positions you have to get a little bit early or you won’t get them at all. One position that immediately comes to mind is the closer position as there is basically a finite amount of them (unlike an outfield that has three per team and a total of 90 outfielders not counting bench pieces) and another one of them is the catcher position. There just aren’t that many run producing offensive catchers that you can snag for fantasy purposes so you may want to grab them early if you want a good one. Everyone knows the Buster Posey’s of the world as he sits atop the position but what about below him? That’s where I come in, hopefully.

Buster Posey is the best catcher in real life and in fantasy but if I were to fill out a Top 5 list behind him I would have Salvador Perez, Yadier Molina, Kyle Schwarber and Jonathan Lucroy in some order behind him. Brian McCann comes to mind as well only because he possesses 20-25 home run power and plays inside Yankee Stadium where the runs and RBI opportunities are as plentiful as the beer and the suits in the stands. If McCann is 6^th on my list then in some order behind him Matt Wieters, who should be better in his second year removed from Tommy John surgery, Travis d’Arnaud, Russell Martin, for his power only, and Yan Gomes probably fill out my Top 10.

I know many will call me crazy but if I had to stretch the list to a #11 I may go with Francisco Cervelli of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yes I know I am ignoring the likes of Yasmani Grandal, Devin Mesoraco (little protection behind him and no reason to pitch to him), Derek Norris (Petco Park), and Stephen Vogt (see Derek Norris) to name a few but they all have legitimate reasons to worry about their offensive production. Plus I like Cervelli and the player he has become since leaving New York and heading to Pittsburgh, I admit though that I may be higher on him than most. I think I’m also pretty high on Yadier Molina as well and that’s okay.

If you don’t grab one of these catchers you are taking a true risk in your league. You may get something out of J.T. Realmuto in Miami, especially with the fences drawn in a bit, or John Ryan Murphy in Minnesota over the course of a season but if you have to rely on a Wilson Ramos of Washington, Miguel Montero of Chicago, Nick Hundley of Colorado or Blake Swihart of Boston to name a few you may be in trouble just a tad. My strategy over the years, for better or worse, was to grab a catcher early so I knew that I had one. That’s the best advice I can give you, reach for Posey and settle for a guy in the Top 5. If you miss then you’re in trouble. Don’t miss.