Patreon Podcast: It Only Sounds Like Fake News Newshour

June 22, 2020 | All Podcasts | 18 Comments

Appreciate everyone who has taken this multi-month journey with Donkey Teeth and I as we try to figure out exactly what this Patreon podcast will be. We started with interviewing ex-athletes (Lenny Dykstra), filmmakers, comedians, Prospect Itch and just Donkey and I shooting the shizz about what we're watching on TV during a pandemic. Last week, we brought on friend of Razzball and comedian, Billy Hurley, and I secretly fell in love. I think it was our best show and the format seemed to click. Talk about the news that no one else wants to talk about or, rather, no one else should be talking about because they are ludicrous news stories. It's the It Only Sounds Like Fake News Newshour!

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See all of today’s starting lineups

#	MLB Starting Lineups For Sat 5/24
	ARI \| ATH \| ATL \| BAL \| BOS \| CHC \| CHW \| CIN \| CLE \| COL \| DET \| HOU \| KC \| LAA \| LAD \| MIA \| MIL \| MIN \| NYM \| NYY \| PHI \| PIT \| SD \| SEA \| SF \| STL \| TB \| TEX \| TOR \| WSH \| OAK

Top 20 Prospects for 2020 First-Year-Player Dynasty Drafts

by: The Itch

Major League Baseball teams have to draft a lot of young pitchers. You do not. This discrepancy is a big part of what makes dynasty prospect rankings fascinating and fun for me. Simply put, at any given moment, more quality pitching prospects exist than dynasty leagues have minor league roster spots to accommodate. You can always pick up a relevant pitcher. You cannot always add a relevant speedster, and you very rarely add a legitimate bat with stolen base upside. . The TheoCubs tried to build a dynasty the way we would in fantasy baseball: drafting high-floor, well-developed hitters and buying pitchers via free agency and trade. This brought the Cubs a title but has proven difficult to maintain once they started stealing from the future to tread water in the present. I attempted something similar in this space before the draft, building my Top Ten for 2021 First-Year-Player Dynasty Drafts by anticipating which international signings would crack the list on both the amateur and professional sides. A funny thing happened on the way to part two: MLB owners decided they didn’t want to pay up on the July 2 signing date and pushed that all way into January. Just like that, illegal handshake deals worth millions of dollars went poof. Families sacrificing toward this date for a decade were told to eff off, if they were personally told anything at all, and the dynasty draft season went up in smoke, at least in its typical form, at least for the time being. To that end, I’m ranking just the draftees here this time. Can’t really count on January signings or international free agency to actually happen in this climate when MLB just makes shizz up as it goes along. It’s not a coincidence that baseball’s head McDucks waited to see how the $20,000 per player free agent bonanza went before pushing the international deadline. Very dark timeline stuff all over in 2020, including the post-bonanza, post-postponement note from MLB for teams to be miserly with any scholarships connected to the ultra cheap sweepstakes. Just so ironic to bang the drum about pace of play and fan interest for years only to say screw it all in 2020, but here we are. Let’s talk baseball!

Ride the Wave: Preparing for Streaming Chaos

June 19, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Streamers | 10 Comments

by: The Real Joey Bart

Who's ready for a streaming article? It looks like we might finally be looking at some baseball after months of the owners and MLBPA arguing about who’s daddy’s yacht is bigger. The league should be truly embarrassed about how this whole thing has been handled and both parties are at fault here. The owners are definitely the greedier of the two but baseball has really pissed off its fans. A sport like the UFC took advantage of no other sports going on and gained a huge following. MLB has the opportunity to join them and grab some fans in early July but now they’ve pushed it so far back, that they’ll be competing with NBA, NFL and NHL for viewership. That was obviously a major misstep on the MLB’s behalf but I know that all of you dedicated Razzball readers will be following as closely as ever. If you have been following my work, you know that I cover streaming on a week-to-week basis. I will be doing that yet again this season and I’m going to take this opportunity to talk about how to approach streaming pitchers in this shortened season. Without further ado, let's get into it!

Dart Throws: Ryan O’Hearn

June 19, 2020 | Fantasy Baseball Sleepers | 52 Comments

by: Grey

I just read, "On March 6th, manager Mike Matheny said Ryan O'Hearn could begin the season in a platoon at first base with Ryan McBroom," and I cackled multiple times. There's something legitimately funny at just about every third word in that news blurb. March 6th? Was that this year? March 6th was pre-Covid and I don't remember anything about that -- cackle #1. Mike Matheny is just a cackle waiting to happen every time I hear his name because he's such a terrible manager. Imagine even calling him manager. Matheny makes bad managers scratch their heads. Woofity woof woof and cackle #2. There was no cackle #3, then, onto cackle #4: "Could begin the season." Dude, what season? You're making me cackle like a gee-dee fool! Okay, moving on! Cackle #5 was at the thought of a platoon with Ryan McBroom. If McBroom doesn't make you laugh every time you hear his name, you're dead inside. Check your pulse. The only reason O'Hearn and McBroom should platoon is because Matheny is so dumb and can only remember the name Ryan. "Um, yeah, starting at 1st today is...um, that Irish kid...What's his name again? Ryan something." 1st base coach, "McBroom?" Matheny thinks, then, "You wanna clean the bathroom at a McDonald's?" So, what can we expect from Ryan O'Hearn from 2020 fantasy baseball and what makes him a great dart throw?

16 Prospects to Value More Highly in FYPD Than Their MLB Draft Position Indicates

June 18, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 4 Comments

by: Hobbs

Ouch. *cues voice of a young British child named Harry* That really hurt! I can't say I actually know the level of pain Harry felt when his younger brother Charlie bit his finger that fateful day, but I do know this: last Wednesday really hurt. I mean, yes, it was glorious. It was day one of the 2020 MLB Draft, and it was real. It was baseball, or at least something relevant to the product we so desperately wish to see dancing before our eyes on the diamond during these summer months. It was consumable. It was on live television. It was something I needed and I know a lot of you needed as well. But as it related to my 2020 MLB Mock Draft, it was a disaster -- it truly hurt. It was like being brutally bitten by a bald-headed baby (alliteration on fleak!). I won't even hide from it. There's the link. Check it out. There isn't a whole lot that I got right. Then again, most everyone who took a shot at it got it utterly wrong this year. I love Heston Kjerstad and he's an incredible player. I believe he's an excellent prospect to target in upcoming fantasy first-year player drafts (FYPD). But find me a mock that had him going No. 2 overall. Find me a mock that had Nick Yorke going No. 17 to the Red Sox. There were a lot of surprises, even within the top 10. And now, with it all over, we're left to pick up the pieces. Truthfully, it doesn't matter if you watched or not. Even if you didn't, you can look up who was drafted where, get lost in the hype, and decide who you want to target in your dynasty league. I play in a few home leagues where I already know I'll have the most efficient FYPD of anyone in my league. While many people select prospects based on where they were drafted, or what Harold Reynolds said about them on TV, I'll be picking out the future fantasy gems hidden along the way. Just because someone went 30 picks later than another player doesn't mean they should necessarily be drafted later in FYPD. Hopefully, if you're in a high stakes league, you already understand that concept. But the MLB Draft, regardless of your own personal philosophy of how teams should pick players, does not provide an outline for the top 150 players to target, ranked from best-to-worst. If I were you, I would draft Tanner Burns (No. 36) over Jared Shuster (No. 25), just like I would select Daniel Cabrera (No. 62) or Isaiah Greene (No. 69) instead of Hudson Haskin (No. 39). That doesn't mean I don't like Shuster or Haskin, it just indicates I won't be letting MLB Draft position dictate how I draft, and neither should you. That being said, here are 16 players I think should be targeted much higher than their draft position indicates. No one within the first 25 picks was under consideration (I made an exception for Sabato, that incredible hulk of a man), as they likely come with gaudy FYPD stock as is.

Baseball Podcast: MLB Player Interview: RP Jerry Blevins

June 18, 2020 | All Podcasts |

by: Brent

Jerry Blevins (@jerryblevins), 13 year MLB veteran and Met great joins the the show to talk about his career and some of his favorite memories over the years. We talk about how his career got started at the University of Dayton and what he has done over the years to become one of the most reliable left handed pitchers in the game. He also gives us his views on some of the young stars in the game and what it was like getting to know them. We find out about some of his favorite movies, ballparks, and more!

Dart Throws: Jarrod Dyson

June 18, 2020 | Fantasy Baseball Sleepers | 91 Comments

by: Grey

SAGNOF is gonna be something in the blink they're going to call this MLB season. I was tempted to write up a Billy Hamilton dart throw, and, if this delay lasts until August, I may just do that. I'm not one hundred percent sure what to do with fantasy baseball strategy for a 50-game season, but that could be the fun. What do we punt? What do we focus on? Still hoping for a 70-game season, but that might be deliriously optimistic at this point. Do we throw steals and saves out the window completely and focus on homers? Okay, but someone is going to Tuffy Rhodes up in here, have a 14-homer August, and we're gonna see something like, "Jesus Aguilar leads the majors in homers." Steals might actually be the most predictable stat this year, which brings me to Jarrod Dyson. If a guy can steal 20 bags in 60 games, that doesn't just go away. Whereas someone who can hit 20 homers in 60 games could get ice cold and end up with a five-homer season. Shizz is gonna be weird this year. I've come to peace with what will be an absurd season. We play fantasy baseball for fun and as a distraction, after all, and what's more fun and distracting than seeing Kurt Suzuki in the hunt for a batting title or something similarly goofy? "Bring on the madness," is what I mumble through my pandemic mask. So, what can we expect from Jarrod Dyson for 2020 fantasy baseball and what makes him a great dart throw?

Taxi!! Follow That Bus!! (40-man Scuba Dive: American League East)

June 17, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 6 Comments

by: The Itch

At the end of my last post, Baseball is Back with a Whimper: Pandemic Draft Week Recap, a Razzballer named Homer’s got the runs asked if Austin Martin might spend some time in the majors this year, and I had no idea. Well, I had some ideas, but they mostly circled the spires of HellifIknow Mountcastle, the official building of Major League Baseball in 2020. We got another noise out of Manfart this week completely disagreeing with the sounds Manfart made last week. Now he says there might not be baseball at all after saying there would definitely 100,000 percent be baseball in 2020. Hindsight, man. Farts. Main reason he said anything is the players were like, okay, we’ll play, let’s get started, and ownership was all, but wait, we’re not ready, and you might sue us because we don’t know if what we’re doing is legal. The players wouldn’t sign waivers that said it didn’t matter if the owners were street legal or not, so the owners trotted out this fool who gave away leverage on national television because he momentarily forgot every syllable is a war aimed at the 2021 Competitive Balance Agreement.

Dart Throws: Yoenis Cespedes

June 17, 2020 | Fantasy Baseball Sleepers | 66 Comments

by: Grey

For players who only played in 38 or fewer games since 2018, Yoenis Cespedes leads that group in home runs, RBIs, runs--I'm kidding. That is what we're about to walk into though, if/when this season gets going. People are going to be talking about how great a player is in 40-or-less games. What a jizzoke. Also, anyone that says, "This is going to be more of a sprint than a marathon." Tell them to buy The Giant Book of Metaphors & Similes, which is like...um...what's a giant book of metaphors and similes like? Damn, should've bought that book when I saw it the last time I was in a bookstore in 2002. This baseball season is going to be as long as the line at your nearest Barnes & Noble. Bookstore employee, "Just this one book for today?" Customer, "Yeah, that's it." Bookstore Employee, "Would you mind filling out a survey?" Customer, "Um, yeah, sure." Employee, "Great, 1st question is: Why are you in a bookstore? Second question: Do you not have internet?" Customer, "This survey is tough!" Any hoo! With the delayed season, we have a chance to ACKSUALLY see Yoenis Cespedes. So, what can we expect from Yoenis Cespedes for 2020 fantasy baseball and what makes him a great dart throw?

Fantasy Baseball Podcast: Interview With Shelly Verougstraete

June 16, 2020 | All Podcasts, Razzball Podcast | 2 Comments

by: Geoff

Baking, Baseball, and Baseball not being played that's the theme for this week's show as Shelly Verougstraete of several websites (Rotographs, Dynasty Guru, Pitcher List, Prospects 365, and Over the Monster) and the best baking Instagram you'll ever witness joins us. We indulge in our virtual sweet tooth as Grey and Shelly talk baking and I just drool at Shelly's Instagram. Boy that sounds different when read aloud. No matter, we get into last week's draft and some of the top fantasy names to look for, as well as discuss a little of the current MLB versus MLBPA drama. It's another can't miss episode of the Razzball podcast.

MLB Monopolists Change Rules To $140 For Passing Go And Two Houses Equal A Hotel

June 16, 2020 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 47 Comments

by: Grey

Prior to be doing my fifteen-hundredth dart throw, Bartolo Colon. "Hey, listen, if you can get him cheap and with the NL DH--" *smoke rises from RoboGrey's ears* Seriously, could someone unplug the MLB season, blow into the cartridge and plug it back in? On phone with AppleCare, "For the last few weeks, I've only seen the pinwheel on the baseball season, and the big brains at the Genius Bar have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?" For those not following too closely, the MLB owners are imitating Wimpy and saying, "We will kindly pay you next Collective Bargaining Agreement for a hamburger today," and the players, crazily enough, are saying, "Hold up, you want us to play for 80% of our salary?" And the MLB owners are replying, "Yeah, c'mon, you crooks, you have so much money." Then the players are like, "You're paying us but claiming to have less money than us? Ain't that some shizz?" I expected this to be resolved by now, but resolution at this point seems like it's going to come down to Head Idiot Rob Manfred, and him forcing the season into existence. If I'm reading all of the negotiations correctly, Head Idiot can force a 48-game season, but can't force players to play. Make sense? No, of course it doesn't! The Head Idiot said last week there would 100% be a season, and this week said there wouldn't. In other words, the Head Idiot doesn't even know what the Head Idiot can do because, get this, he's an idiot. Some have speculated that MLB will force a 48-game season, but it's way too early now since they have to play until September 27th, because of TV schedules, so they're stalling for another week or two. All of that led to this breaking news yesterday:

BREAKING: MLB
— Razzball (@Razzball) June 15, 2020

If a season is forced, I wouldn't be shocked if some big names opt out like Mike Trout, Christian Yelich and, really, anyone who has plenty of 'eff you' money. Once we have a set number of games, we will update our rankings and possibly remove players who aren't playing. Also, as we talk about on today's podcast, coming later today, I was against redrafting leagues, but if a lot of players are sitting out and we're playing a 50-game season, then, yeah, it becomes unfair to try to play out a league drafted prior to all of this. On the other hand, maybe it'll be fun to just play it out. I'm saying that last line in case any MLB owners or players are reading. Play it out! Anyway, here's what else I saw for 2020 fantasy baseball:

Points Leagues: I’m Too Sexy For Your Rules

June 15, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues | 2 Comments

by: malamoney

The word on the street is that there will definitely be a 2020 season. In fact, Rob Right Said manFred said he guarantees that there will be a season. In its worst form it will be a 48-game season. The players want 89 games and the owners want 76 games. Or something along those lines. As most of you might know, the sticking point is, of course, salaries. The salary dispute is mostly irrelevant to us. All we care about is if there will be a season. Both the NHL and NBA are returning. MLB will follow suit. MLB actually has the authority to impose a 48-game season if a deal cannot be reached. The timeline on this is not clear yet, but I've got to think by next week a decision has got to be made. With that in mind, we've got to start being proactive about what a 2020 fantasy season might look like. After a bit of soul searching, here is what I am proposing to my primary head-to-head points league. Just to set the context our league is a ten-team league where we play two matchups each week. Our season consists of 22 weeks of regular season followed by two rounds of two-week playoff matchups. Our roster size is 30 and we can keep six players for as many years as we want. For the sake of this discussion our scoring system is irrelevant, but I do believe that it's a bit skewed towards starting pitchers. Nonetheless it does not impact my proposal. First order of business is the draft. Fortunately we did not hold our draft before the season was shutdown. Truth be told, no league should have held a draft. I'm a firm believer that a draft should not be held more than ten days prior to opening day. I actually prefer the seven day threshold, but ten is the max. And let's face it, it's 2020 and just about every draft is hosted online. There's little to no excuse to not being able to find a day that works for everyone. We're all busy, I know. Yadda freaking yadda.