Florio's Bullpen Report: Figuring Out Confusing Bullpens

If you have been in need of saves, playing the waiver wire may be a very frustrating experience. There have been some bullpens that have been tough to figure out from the very start of the season. Just when we think we are starting to figure them out, something happens or the pitcher we like […]

Are You For Real? Surprising Pitcher Starts from Week 10

Welcome back to "Are You For Real?", a weekly column where we take starting pitchers who had surprisingly good starts over the past week and put them under the microscope to determine whether they're legit or just smoke and mirrors. There were tons of different rabbits to chase this week as we saw plenty of […]

Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - xERA For Week 10

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week, I will select one advanced metric, choose two pitchers with strong values and two with poor values, and analyze what those values may mean for future performance. There are many ERA skill indicator metrics that fantasy managers can use to understand how […]

Top Hitter Streamers and Starts for Fantasy Baseball - Week 10

Now that we are two months into the season, we're starting to get a better idea of the MLB landscape. Not only are postseason races becoming more clear, but individual player struggles become more worrisome, while breakouts appear to be more legitimate. As the weather continues to warm up and the sun is shining, it […]

Florio's Bullpen Report: Start Thinking About Trade Deadline, Arms to Stream

Are you in need of bullpen help? Have the relievers you drafted not lived up to expectations or have they suffered a pesky injury? Maybe the arms you tried streaming keep blowing up in your face. Well, you have come to the right place!  Not only will this article give you the latest closer movement, […]

Starting Pitcher Breakouts and Sell Highs for Fantasy Baseball: K-BB% Risers

Now that we're a couple of months into the season, we have the ability to track month-to-month changes to see if any players are making adjustments. Sometimes these changes can manifest in a clear difference in results, while other times we can start to see some changes under the surface that have not yet shown […]

Are You For Real? Surprising Pitcher Starts from Week 9

Welcome back to "Are You For Real?", a weekly column where we take starting pitchers who had surprisingly good starts over the past week and put them under the microscope to determine whether they're legit or just smoke and mirrors. We only had room for two pitchers this week, but we were able to go […]

Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - Brls/BBE% For Week 9

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week, I will select one advanced metric, choose two pitchers with strong values and two with poor values, and analyze what those values may mean for future performance. With two months in the books, fantasy managers can start building more accurate profiles of […]

Hitter Advanced Metrics Risers and Fallers - xSLG for Week 9

Rolling windows are one of the most effective ways to discern who the biggest risers and fallers are in a given area. Since power is at a premium this year, it seems only natural to examine expected slugging. For reference, here's the official definition according to MLB.com: "Expected Slugging Percentage (xSLG) is formulated using exit […]

Catcher Waiver Wire Targets for Fantasy Baseball: ROS Strategy and Landscape

Every year we hear about how awful the catcher landscape is in fantasy baseball. People bemoan having to roster one and laugh at those who play in leagues where they have to carry two. However, catchers are people too. OK, we're actually not going to go down that road this time. Instead, we're going to […]

Top Hitter Streamers and Starts for Fantasy Baseball - Week 9

It is hard to believe that June is already here! We are approaching the part of the season where the weather will warm up, and hopefully, more offense will come. Meanwhile, team's playoff hopes are becoming more clear, while we are starting to get a better idea of what to expect from specific players for […]

Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report - Prospect Risers and Fallers for Week 9

Welcome to RotoBaller’s Recently Promoted Prospects series for fantasy baseball! Here I discuss some recently-promoted top MLB prospects and rookies, making note of what I think their upside could be for fantasy baseball managers, and whether they are potential risers or fallers. In the past two weeks, we have seen a few more high-impact rookies […]

Trevor Rogers: Hunting For Fantasy Value - Catcher's Corner Pitch Mix Exam Room

Eric Samulski of RotoBaller does a deep dive on Trevor Rogers analyzing the Miami starting pitcher and explaining why fantasy baseball managers should be looking to try and buy low if they can. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel 87) - every weekday morning between 6-7 AM ET, Saturdays from 3-5 […]

Florio's Bullpen Report: Mariners, Marlins and Cardinals Bullpen Keep on Changing!

The more things change the more they stay the same. Rumor has it that when Bon Jovi wrote that song he was referencing bullpens in the 2022 MLB season.  Bullpens have changed throughout this season. Some have been for small periods of time when the primary closer is hurt, while some have given us absolutely […]

Are You For Real? Surprising Pitcher Starts from Week 8

Welcome back to "Are You For Real?", a weekly column where we take starting pitchers who had surprisingly good starts over the past week and put them under the microscope to determine whether they're legit or just smoke and mirrors. Memorial Day is seen by many as an unofficial marker for the baseball season, with […]

The Adley Rutschman Effect in Baltimore

The day has finally come, Adley Rutschman is here! The first overall pick in the 2019 draft is one of the most exciting prospects we’ve seen in a time of a lot of exciting prospects. His arrival brings a lot of intrigue to fantasy managers as to what kind of impact he will have on […]

Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - K-BB% For Week 8

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week, I will select one advanced metric, choose two pitchers with strong values and two with poor values, and analyze what those values may mean for future performance. This week, I will take a look at a metric that is not as complex […]

Hitter Advanced Metrics Risers and Fallers - FB/LD Exit Velocity for Week 8

In order to get to stats like barrels and hard-hit rate, you have to start with exit velocity. Exit velocity begins to stabilize after 45 batted-ball events. We're going to get more specific in this edition by focusing on exit velocity for fly balls and line drives because that's where power is found. You could […]

Top Hitter Streamers and Starts for Fantasy Baseball - Week 8

I don't know about you, but I'm in awe of some of the games that have taken place this week. With a weekend full of tight matchups (I'm looking at you, Yankees and Rays), as well as a full slate of action on Memorial Day, more exciting times are ahead for the game of baseball! […]

Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part Four

Welcome to another episode in this FSWA award-winning series Pitchers with New Pitches. We take the simple premise that not every new pitch should be greeted with praise. The new pitch, like the shiny new toy, might be exciting on its own, but it also needs to be a complement to what a pitcher already […]

Florio's Bullpen Report: Add Clay Holmes, Paul Sewald, Devin Williams and Joe Mantiply

I like to start this article each week talking about how fluid bullpens around the league have been. This week is no different as we have seen changes due to performance, injuries and more. But, we are starting to see more and more bullpens start to settle around the league.  Teams that we once questioned […]

Hitter Advanced Metrics Risers and Fallers - xBA for Week 7

Last week, we dove into xwOBA (expected weighted on-base average) to see who is really maximizing their time at the plate. It's time we look at xBA (expected batting average) but with a twist. Some players are experiencing better batted-ball fortunes than others and it's bound to turn around at some point. Rather than examining […]

Are You For Real? Surprising Pitcher Starts from Week 7

Welcome back to "Are You For Real?", a weekly column where we take starting pitchers who had surprisingly good starts over the past week and put them under the microscope to determine whether they're legit or just smoke and mirrors. We're about a quarter of the way through the fantasy season, which means standings are […]

Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - SIERA For Week 7

Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week, I will select one advanced metric, choose two pitchers with strong values and two with poor values, and analyze what those values may mean for future performance. With about a month and a half of data, I think it's time to take […]

Top Hitter Streamers and Starts for Fantasy Baseball - Week 7

Major League Baseball has to be the only sport where the ball not only gets altered constantly, but also with zero transparency. We saw offense start to pick up last week, but, then again, that also coincided with a run of not as great pitching talent, so it is hard to say with conviction that […]

Eric Lauer: Hunting For Fantasy Breakouts - Catcher's Corner Pitch Mix Exam Room

Eric Samulski of RotoBaller does a deep dive on Eric Lauer, analyzing the Milwaukee starting pitcher and explaining why fantasy baseball managers should be cautious about his recent run of success. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel 87) - every weekday morning between 6-7 AM ET, Saturdays from 3-5 PM, and […]

Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report - Prospect Risers and Fallers for Week 7

Welcome to RotoBaller’s Recently Promoted Prospects series for fantasy baseball! Here I discuss some recently-promoted top MLB prospects and rookies, making note of what I think their upside could be for fantasy baseball managers, and whether they are potential risers or fallers. In the past two weeks, we have seen a few more high-impact rookies make […]

Starting Pitchers Breaking Out for Fantasy Baseball: Part II - The New Strikeout Kings

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about pitchers who were striking out a lot of hitters and focused in particular on some pitchers who had seen major increases in their strikeout rates when compared to their 2021 seasons. That article can be found here and I got a lot of great feedback on it, […]

Early Plate Discipline Standouts for 2022

In 2019, I introduced a new (yet simple) index statistic for pitchers – mPDI, which was inspired by a famous quote by Hall of Fame pitcher, Greg Maddux: “The key to pitching is to have the ability to throw a strike when they’re taking and throw a ball when the hitter is swinging.” Maddux’s simplistic […]