Are you following @Rotoprofessor on Twitter? If not you should be, as we Tweet out all the important bullpen notes every morning from the previous day’s games. Who is in jeopardy of losing their job? Who is worth the speculative add? Here are this morning tweets (Please note we won’t be posting these on the website every day, so make sure you follow @Rotoprofessor to ensure you don’t miss a thing):

DET: After Jimenez got W in Game 1 (2 H/1 K), Greene w/2nd BSV in Game 2 (2 R/3 H/1 BB/2 K). Defense hurt him, but he's now blown his last two save opportunities & that is going to lead to a change. Consider Jimenez a must own #MLB #FantasyBaseball #closers

— Rotoprofessor (@Rotoprofessor) April 21, 2018

Read more

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

The Yankees’ Greg Bird has been getting a lot of hype entering the season as a “lower-end” first base option.  Why?  No one is going to doubt the potential and he was being viewed as an “overlooked” left-handed hitter who could help to break up the righty heavy lineup featuring Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez.  He also figured to get ample opportunities to produce, with opponents hoping not to let the “Big 3” beat them.

Yesterday came the news that everyone feared possible, though, as Bird appears to once again be battling foot issues.  After missing most of ’17 due to surgery this tweet from the New York Yankees is going to open some eyes:

Update on 1B Greg Bird: Results from an MRI and CT scan taken earlier today revealed right foot inflammation. Bird is scheduled to be evaluated by foot specialist, Dr. Martin O’Malley, on Monday in New York. Read more

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

With Matt Carpenter looking likely to miss Opening Day due to a back injury it’s impossible to keep him ranked among the Top 15 options at first base (though that’s partly due to the depth at the position).  When healthy his outlook remains high, especially with the potential to regain multi-position eligibility (there’s a chance he settles in as the starting third baseman).  With Carpenter out, let’s take a look at how the rankings currently look:

1. Paul Goldschmidt – Arizona Diamondbacks
2. Freddie Freeman – Atlanta Braves
3. Anthony Rizzo – Chicago Cubs
4. Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds
5. Jose Abreu – Chicago White Sox
6. Rhys Hoskins – Philadelphia Phillies
7. Edwin Encarnacion – Cleveland Indians
8. Cody Bellinger – Los Angeles Dodgers Read more

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

Who are the next wave of superstars in Major League Baseball? That’s what we are about to dive into, as we go position-by-position, looking for the best players who are 25-years old or younger (as of April 1, 2018). Obviously, things will be slightly skewed to those who have already reached the Majors and produced, but minor leaguers and their upside will not be ignored.

Second base is often as a position with little offensive upside, though that’s hardly the case anymore.  There’s also more talent primed to emerge, whether it’s already at the Major League level or coming up through the minors.  Let’s take a look:

Note – Jose Ramirez would be the clear #1 option but he’s expected to be the primary 3B in ’18 with Jason Kipnis playing 2B.  Therefore we have left him off these rankings for now.

1) Ozzie Albies – Atlanta Braves
Age – 21

Albies played the year at 20-years old, so considering the age his SwStr% compared to the levels were impressive:

• Triple-A (448 PA) – 11.7%
• Majors (244 PA) – 10.3%

Read more

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

Who are the next wave of superstars in Major League Baseball? That’s what we are about to dive into, as we go position-by-position, looking for the best players who are 25-years old or younger (as of April 1, 2018). Obviously, things will be slightly skewed to those who have already reached the Majors and produced, but minor leaguers and their upside will not be ignored.

First base a significant infusion of young talent last year, with Rhys Hoskins (though he’s going to shift to the outfield) and Cody Bellinger both emerging in the Majors.  Sprinkle in a few other high upside options and it’s easy to see a bright future at the position.  Who are the options you want to target?  Let’s take a look:

1) Rhys Hoskins – Philadelphia Phillies
Age – 25

We’ve already dug into Hoskins, in detail, which you can read by clicking here.  The obvious key for Hoskins is his ability to pair strong plate discipline with significant power.  Take a look at these SwStr% from ’17:

• Triple-A – 6.4%
• Majors – 7.1%

Read more

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

There has long been high expectations for Jose Quintana, and despite a slow start with the White Sox the trade across the city and into the NL only added to the hype.  However at the end of the day his overall numbers fell flat, though it didn’t come as a complete surprise for us here at Rotoprofessor. T hose who purchased our 2017 Fantasy Baseball Draft saw him labeled as a potential overdraft, when we said:

“There is something to be said about Quintana’s steady approach and he brings elite control.  However his groundball rate fell last season (40.4%) and he doesn’t have strikeout upside (7.6% SwStr% in ’16).  While he got the job done in ’16, can he continue to thrive with just one “true” skill?  Throw in the name recognition, thanks to trade rumors, and the risk outweighs the reward (as the cost will likely be a Top 30 starter).”

Obviously if you paid a top 30 starter price tag you will bitterly disappointed with these numbers: Read more