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Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (xSLG) - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball
HR/FB: Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball
Using BABIP to predict a player's batting average is great. Batting average is a category in many league formats, and every hit is an opportunity to steal a base or score a run. Most fantasy managers find the long ball sexier. Every HR comes with a guaranteed run scored and at least one RBI. Many... Read More
Batted Ball Data Analysis - How Consistent Are GB%, LD%, and FB% Year To Year
When we are evaluating hitters, we talk a lot about batted ball profile. When we're talking about this, things like launch angle and ground ball rate are cited quite often. I wanted to make a post to go over these things a bit more in-depth, giving our readers more complete knowledge of the subject at... Read More
Exit Velocity Leaders - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball
As we wait for MLB and the MLB Player's Association to work through the lockout issues and move forward with the 2022 baseball season, we've been digging into a few players that stand out as good fantasy investments based on their 2021 Statcast numbers. As with evaluations of any metric, these should be taken as... Read More
FIP/xFIP: Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball
While we've only examined how to evaluate hitters using advanced stats thus far, sabermetrics are at least as useful for pitchers. The first advanced pitching stat most fantasy owners encounter is FIP. FIP stands for Fielding Independent Pitching and attempts to measure a pitcher's actual skill instead of the effects of luck or his supporting... Read More
Pitcher BABIP: Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball
While FIP is a useful tool to predict a pitcher's future ERA performance, fantasy managers should remember that ERA, not FIP, is what matters in most formats. This means that we are interested in the "luck" that separates the two statistics. While some of this luck is unpredictable, we can and should predict some of... Read More
Plate Discipline: Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball
No matter how high a particular player's BABIP may be, his average will be mediocre at best if he strikes out too much. This is why fantasy managers have known for years that players like Mike Zunino are potential drains on a fantasy team's batting average. Furthermore, players that whiff a lot tend to continue... Read More
Biggest Brl/BBE% Fallers - Hitters
Welcome to part two of my pre-season series on 2021 barrel rate risers and fallers. In the first part, I looked at the players who showed the biggest barrel rate improvement in 2021 and broke down whether or not we should believe that success will carry over into 2022. In this article, I'll look at... Read More
Batter BABIP: Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball
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... Read More
Hitter Batted-Ball Distribution: Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball
Fly balls can turn into home runs. Ground balls never do. It would seem as though fantasy owners want their batters to hit nothing but flies, yet this is not always the case. Why would this be? The answer, of course, comes down to batted ball distribution and how batters make contact. The league average... Read More
Introduction to Advanced Stats - Sabermetrics Fantasy Baseball Analysis
Hello, fellow RotoBallers! Sabermetrics have become an integral tool for fantasy baseball draft prep, but a concise resource for understanding the basics can be difficult to find. This series will attempt to define and explain all of the metrics fantasy owners may find useful, citing examples of how to use them in the process. Multiple... Read More
A Seam-Sifted Ranger Suárez Looks to Quantum Leap
He was a starter throughout his minor league career but Philadelphia's Ranger Suárez had only seen action from the bullpen in the big leagues before 2021 and again started this past year as a reliever. Suárez dominated from the jump, posting a 1.12 ERA (3.32 FIP) over 40.1 IP, starting as a multi-inning fireman role and... Read More
K-BB% Fallers for Fantasy Baseball - Starting Pitchers to Watch in 2022
We opened up this two-part series in this post, where we went over the K-BB gainers in 2021. Now, it's time to look at the other side of the coin and some of the most notable fallers. In the first part, I reviewed why I believe this statistic to be the most important metric to... Read More
2021 MLB Reflection and League Trends
Here at RotoBaller, we give you fantasy baseball coverage twelve months a year. The playoffs are still in full swing, which means it's probably not quite time to shift our focus to the 2022 season, but it won't be long before we're there. In the meantime, we want to spend some time reflecting on the 2021... Read More
Champ or Chump: Me!
With just a week to go this season, most fantasy seasons have come to an end. Managers in weekly formats have set their final lineup, and predicting how teams will distribute playing time based on their ever-changing needs ahead of time is an exercise in futility. The entire premise of this column relies on using... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - End of Season Review
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Every week I have selected an advanced stat, chosen two top performers and two under-performers, and analyzed what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. I have covered both Statcast and Fangraphs metrics to help identify hidden value as well as sell-high candidates. With... Read More
Champ or Chump: Elias Diaz
If you're reading this, your fantasy baseball roster is probably still playing for something. Congratulations! If a positive result hasn't been locked in yet, remember that your league's caps for games played and/or innings pitched should be seen as targets. At the end of the day, the fantasy manager who hits those caps enjoys a... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - SIERA For Week 26
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I have selected an advanced stat, chosen two top performers and two under-performers, and analyzed what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. As the season winds down, I'll revisit one of my favorite metrics: SIERA. SIERA is a great metric... Read More
Champ or Chump: Ranger Suarez
Last week, we discussed how dropping seemingly undroppable players could make sense for fantasy managers in battles that are going to the wire. While that's true, it also means that you could find somebody on waivers who you might not expect to be there. For instance, Ranger Suarez of the Philadelphia Phillies has a 1.38... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - Pitch Run Values For Week 25
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I have selected an advanced stat, chosen two top performers and two under-performers, and analyzed what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. This week I will focus on a stat that describes how particular pitches have performed overall: run value. Run value... Read More
Champ or Chump: Frank Schwindel
Now that the calendar has officially flipped to September, it's time to get weird if it helps you in the standings. If your league is coming down to saves and holds, roster SP-eligible relievers such as Diego Castillo and Ryne Stanek instead of starting pitchers. If you're ready to move on from a big name... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - wOBA For Week 24
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! To those of you who have advanced to the fantasy playoffs or have locked up a spot, congratulations! Each week I have selected an advanced stat, chosen two top performers and two under-performers, and analyzed what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. This... Read More
Champ or Chump: Edward Cabrera
With September call-ups limited to just a handful of players instead of every rebuilding club's entire 40-man roster, fantasy managers may not get as many new names on their waiver wires as they've grown accustomed to. That said, there are still some interesting names coming up. The Miami Marlins got a jump on the competition... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - Strikeout Rate For Week 23
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I have selected an advanced stat, chosen two top performers and two under-performers, and analyzed what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. This week I will focus on another broader stat that can has a direct influence on a pitcher's fantasy value:... Read More
Recent Velocity Decliners - Arms To Abandon
We are about to turn the calendar to September, which means that a lot of the league's starting pitchers have gone through a five-month slog putting a ton of work on their throwing arms. This was possibly even a tougher challenge in 2021 after the shortened 2020 season severely reduced the requested workloads that these... Read More
Most Favorable Schedules for the Stretch Run
We are ramping up for playoff time in fantasy baseball land. Chances are if you're reading this that you're locked into a playoff spot or well in the hunt for one. With so little time left, it can be a benefit to look at your player's schedules to see what you'll be dealing with in... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - WHIP For Week 22
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I have selected an advanced stat, chosen two top performers and two under-performers, and analyzed what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. This week I will focus on a broader stat that can influence other aspects of a pitcher's game: walks and... Read More
Statcast Hitter Leaderboard - Second-Half xBA
As we revisit expected statistics such as xBA, it's only logical to focus on recent performance in the second half. In this week's column, I will evaluate the xBA leaderboard since the All-Star break, using 30 plate appearances as a minimum. Rather than run down the entire leaderboard, we'll skip over the obvious names and... Read More
Champ or Chump: Amed Rosario
With football monopolizing the general media's sports coverage, many fantasy baseball managers begin checking out and thinking more about QBs and RBs than QS and RBI. If you're in the middle of the pack, now could be a good time to make some prudent additions and begin rising up the standings. It's crunch time, folks!... Read More
Champ or Chump: Josiah Gray
Last week, this column took a detailed look at Tylor Megill's performance to date and concluded with a pessimistic take on the sustainability of his current numbers. If your roster needs pitching and Megill isn't the answer, you may be wondering who is. This author would answer Josiah Gray. Gray was always regarded as a... Read More
