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
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
Statcast Hitter Leaderboard - Second-Half Exit Velocity
We're a month removed from the All-Star break so it's time to narrow our focus on second-half stats. In other words, it's time to look the players on your roster in the eye and ask, "What have you done for me lately?" They won't respond, but it's a good mental exercise for you to practice.... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - Barrels/Batted-Ball Event For Week 21
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 the rate of barrels per batted-ball event a pitcher allows (Brls/BBE %). Barrels are... Read More
Statcast Hitter Leaderboard - Launch Angle
One of the most basic components of Statcast metrics is launch angle, which is incorporated in Sweet Spot% and Barrel rate among other things. While launch angle alone doesn't tell the entire tale of a batted ball, much less an entire season's worth of offensive stats, it can serve as an entry point to a... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - wOBA-xwOBA Difference For Week 20
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 the difference between pitchers' weighted on-base average (wOBA) and expected wOBA (xwOBA). wOBA is... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - Chase Rate For Week 19
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 metric that can have interesting implications for fantasy production: chase rate. Chase rate... Read More
Statcast Hitter Risers, Fallers - xwOBA Rolling Windows
After an insane trade deadline that saw pretty much everybody in the league changes teams (hyperbole intended), we must collect ourselves and focus on the numbers again. The intent of this series is to identify the top risers and fallers for various Statcast metrics each week, not focus on the players who are in the... Read More
Statcast Hitter Leaderboard - xHR Underachievers/Overachievers
We're not far removed from the Home Run Derby so it seems like an appropriate time to examine the Statcast side of home run production for some big-name players. As with most counting statistics, there is an expected version of home runs, appropriately labeled xHR. By comparing xHR to HR totals, we can identify the... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - BABIP For Week 18
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. With the second half now under way, I will get back to picking specific metrics to dive into. This... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - Second Half Preview
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. I have covered both Statcast and Fangraphs metrics to help identify hidden value as well as sell-high candidates. The... Read More
Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - xBACON Leaderboard
Who doesn't love xBACON? Rather than the extra crispy version of your favorite breakfast meat, it's actually an expected statistic that measures Batting Average on CONtact, but you already knew that. The purpose of using xBACON is to get a better sense of whether a player's BABIP is truly "deserved" or not based on the... Read More
Pitcher Advanced Metrics Studs and Duds - Midseason Review
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. I have covered both Statcast and Fangraphs metrics to help identify hidden value as well as sell-high candidates. With... Read More
Statcast Leaderboard - Exit Velocity Midseason Review
It's All-Star time, sadly. I say that because there is precious little baseball to watch this week. This presents the opportunity for reflection, so we will once again look back on the first half leaderboard for Statcast. This time, we will review the top players in average exit velocity, hard hit rate, and barrels. As... Read More
Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - WAR for Week 15
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. As we near the All-Star break, I thought it made sense to focus on an all-encompassing metric for... Read More
Statcast Leaderboard - Expected Statistics Midseason Review
Although the All-Star break is still a week away, Major League baseball has crossed into the second half of the schedule. Rather than focusing on one metric, it might be useful to examine leaderboards for all expected statistics in the Statcast realm. In this iteration of Statcast hitter analysis, I will review the top players... Read More
Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - xBA Analysis for Week 14
It's been a while since we delved into xBA. We're now halfway through the season so it's a good time to see whose batting average is due for course correction, whether it be positive or negative. Often, although not always, players with sizeable discrepancies in BA-xBA are due for regression. Identifying these outliers can be... Read More
Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - Relievers Swinging-Strike Rate for Week 14
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. In week 9, I wrote an article about starting pitchers' swinging-strike rates (SwStr%) and this week I will show... Read More
Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - Fastball Run Values (Week 13)
The news regarding MLB's unexpected crackdown on foreign substances has been well-documented by now. It will surely have a negative impact on pitchers, but the effect on hitters may largely depend on their batted-ball profile. The pitch that has seen the biggest discrepancy for the top aces due to increased spin rates is the good... Read More
Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - ERA-SIERA for Week 13
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. In week 6 I wrote an article about SIERA Studs and Duds and alluded to a future article... Read More
Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - Slider Profiles for Week 12
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. For the past two weeks I have looked at pitchers' various movement profiles for curveballs and changeups using Statcast's... Read More
Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - xSLG Analysis for Week 12
Slugging is a fairly simple metric by baseball standards but once Statcast gets into the mix, it's a bit more complicated. According to MLB.com, "Expected Slugging Percentage (xSLG) is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed." Base hits are still weighted with home runs being four times... Read More
Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - Changeup Profiles for Week 11
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. Last week I started taking a look into pitchers' relative success of certain pitches using Statcast's pitch movement... Read More
Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - Barrel Rate Analysis for Week 11
Believe it or not, this will be our first foray into barrels this season. Certain statistics take longer to become significant, so it made sense to accumulate more data before digging into barrels. Those familiar with this series already know that the obvious names like Aaron Judge, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Nelson Cruz won't be... Read More
Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - xBA Analysis for Week 10
Death, taxes, regression. These are inevitable. Eschewing the first two topics, fantasy baseball managers may be interested in identifying batters who are experiencing regerssion, both positive and negative. Once summer hits, we have enough data that season-long stats can be deceptive on the surface. That said, let's dive back into expected statistics with a look... Read More
Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - Curveball Profiles for Week 10
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. As I mentioned last week, I am going to start taking a look into pitchers' relative success of... Read More
Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - Sweet Spot Analysis for Week 9
Barrel rate is one of the best measures of a hitter's power. In order to earn a barrel, a player needs to have enough exit velocity, which we measured last week, and the proper launch angle. Specifically, a ball can travel anywhere between 8-50 degrees depending on how high an exit velocity was produced. Although... Read More
Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds - Swinging-Strike Rate Analysis for Week 9
Welcome back to RotoBaller’s Statcast pitcher Studs and Duds article series! Each week I will select an advanced stat, choose two top performers and two under-performers, and analyze what those stats could mean for future fantasy output. Some metrics may seem simpler than others, but that does not mean that they are less informative. One... Read More