We made it folks. On Sunday, the news flashed a Chicago forecast without a temperature below 40 degrees on it. March brings warmer air, a clock change, a celebration with green, the anniversary of millions of vasectomies, and opening day baseball. With that last one in mind, I released my top 100 starting pitcher rankings. Rankings bring out a special brand of emotions among fantasy baseball addicts. I’m here to explain as many of my disputed rankings as possible before opening day. I am nothing if not transparent. I’ve detailed six pitchers below that I am significantly higher, or lower, than the market on. In addition, I have linked to every article with a blurb about pitchers in the top 100 that I have written and paraphrased my commentary from a Reddit thread. In the weeks leading up to opening day I will release my top 10 pitching values to complete the finding aces series, a revised version of the top 100, and further commentary on major discrepancies. Feel free to let me know where you would like to see more detailed analysis. I owe a few frequent commenters player blurbs and I haven’t forgotten, just give me a couple of weeks, looking at you Magoo.
Monthly Archives: March 2020
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You might remember ten years ago I drafted in the live LABR NL-Only auction. Okay, you don't remember, but I do, so you'll have to take my word for it. It was the first major league I was in. I was sailing on the wind of doves. I thought my feces smelled like Reese's Pieces. I even joined the Local 564, a railway union, thinking LABR had something to do with that. Ah, the memories...they sure were fleeting! I was booted from the league after one year. Why? I'm not sure, but my money's on I insulted someone. Well, ya boi's back and he's learned his lesson! Though, someone drafted Rhys Hoskins for $28 and I was cackling about that for a good 45 minutes. Yo, just send Rhys flowers and a ball in the dirt for him to swing through; he might respond quicker. For those of you not in the know, this is a 5x5 league with average. (If you want a shallower league, play against me and hundreds others for prizes –> Razzball Commenter Leagues.) Anyway, here’s my LABR 12-team, NL-Only draft recap:
Oh man, the crack of the bat and the sound of the ball hitting leather. It's seamhead heaven, boys of summer katnip, and time to put away the hot stove (well almost). Spring training baseball has just started. Beer is flowing from Florida to Arizona and lazy afternoons at the ballpark are in vogue.
As such, Razzball's 2020 inaugural Top 100 Hitters is here to inform, entertain, and track your favorite sluggers, five category studs and perhaps underappreciated gems. We have to start somewhere, so here are the rules for this first list: They're geared towards 5x5 roto leagues. "Last" is tracking where the hitters were in the last Top 100 of September of 2019. "Change" is a change from that last 2019 ranking.
Draft season is getting into full swing. Unless things break right for you early you're likely to find your team a little light in the steals department. Take a stab at some of these cheaper players to boost your speed.
The 2020 Razzball Commenter Leagues are now open! Free to join! Usual Suspects- Jarrod Dyson - Dyson probably has the most guaranteed playing time coming into the season. Injuries tend to cut into his ABs but when he's in the lineup he's running.
- Delino DeShields Jr. - We've all been there with Delino. He's cheap and has 50 steal speed if he could only play everyday and avoid the litany of injuries that tend to derail his season.
- Dee Gordon - I'm actually interested in Gordon as a speed dart. He's been around a while but is a seemingly young 31. The wheels aren't what they used to be and will likely degrade as the season goes. Still, there's plenty of scenarios that see him leading off in Seattle.
One of my favorite traditions as a young fan was Peter Gammons profiling each team’s spring training focus points.
I loved the spittle and shake of his voice, the depth of his details, and especially how he always shot the segments in front of people playing catch, gloves popping symphonically as Gammons explained how critical first overall expansion draft pick Travis Lee would be to the long-term fate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
It’s in that spirit that I begin our next prospect series—one that works in concert with Razzball’s Gammonsian team previews and one that involves a few nods to some non-prospects. Graduating from eligibility requirements doesn’t mean you’re a known quantity, nor that you’ve graduated to an everyday opportunity. Yesterday's failed prospects are often tomorrow's sleepers, so let's take a lap around the division looking for some fantasy profit.
