Scott Evans

2014 Minor League Preview: Kansas City Royals

January 15, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 33 Comments

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Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2013 (18) | 2012 (3) | 2011 (1) | 2010 (16) | 2009 (11)

2013 Affiliate Records
MLB: [86-76] AL Central
AAA: [70-74] Pacific Coast League – Omaha
AA: [59-81] Texas League – Northwest Arkansas
A+: [63-77] Carolina League – Wilmington
A: [68-70] South Atlantic League – Lexington

Graduated Prospect
David Lough (OF)

The Run Down
For fantasy purposes, this Royals farm needs to be considered among the more exciting groups in the game.  There’s big time appeal for the fantasy game from numbers one through eight on this list, and that talent is spread out across the developmental stages, with high-impact prospects at almost every level of the org.  That distribution will make for a steady flow of mixed league-relevant arrivals over the next handful of years, and that includes this year, as front-end arms, Yordano Ventura and Kyle Zimmer, prepare to surface in the bigs.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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See all of today’s starting lineups

# MLB Starting Lineups For Tue 8/5
ARI | ATH | ATL | BAL | BOS | CHC | CHW | CIN | CLE | COL | DET | HOU | KC | LAA | LAD | MIL | MIN | NYM | NYY | PHI | PIT | SD | SEA | SF | STL | TB | TEX | TOR | WSH | MIA | OAK
Grey

Top 20 Catchers for 2014 Fantasy Baseball

January 15, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 244 Comments

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I just went over the top 10 for 2014 fantasy baseball and the top 20 for 2014 fantasy baseball. Most of you know how I feel about catchers. If you draft a catcher any time before the first 100 picks, you don’t know how I feel about catchers. Let me freshen up your cocktail with a splash of insight. I don’t draft top catchers in one catcher leagues. I Reggie Roby them. Last year, Napoli was the top ranked catcher at the end of year. He was the 11th best 1st baseman. The best catcher can’t spray aerosol deodorant on the top guy for another position. Everyone was crazy about Buster Posey last year (everyone except me). Buster Posey did about as much as Kendrys Morales. Lowercase yay. In the top five catchers last year were Lucroy, V-Mart, Rosario and Molina. One guy was drafted in the top 100, and that was barely. No one should draft a top catcher because there are no top catchers. They’re all hot garbage with a side order of stank. Catchers are unreliable to stay healthy; the job is grueling and takes its toll on offensive stats. There’s not much difference between, say, the tenth best catcher and nothingness. Jarrod Saltymochachino, Jason Castro and Salvador Perez were the 8th, 9th and 10th best catchers last year. All of them were on waivers in shallower leagues as late as July. Only the depth of 2nd basemen is worst, and I say punt them too. Yes, I am saying punt the positions that are most scarce. Finally, a reason that is new to this current crop of catchers — they’re actually deep in mediocrity. You can draft the fifth best catcher or the 12th best and they’re tomato-tomato said with a different emphasis. Because I ignore the top catchers doesn’t mean I’m starting the top 20 catcher list at number twenty-one; some of you might want to know the top catchers. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them draft Devin Mesoraco. In two catcher leagues, catchers are a little more valuable, but I’d still prefer to avoid them. You can see other top 20 lists for 2014 fantasy baseball under 2014 fantasy baseball rankings. Listed along with these catchers are my 2014 projections for each player and where the tiers begin and end. Anyway, here’s the top 20 catchers for 2014 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Top 20 for 2014 Fantasy Baseball

January 14, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 321 Comments

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This is one of the most difficult posts to write all year. Why do I find it hard to write the next line? Oh, I want the truth to be said, Spandau Ballet. There’s just so many different ways the top 20 for 2014 fantasy baseball could go. Maybe next year I’ll write a top 10 for 2014 fantasy baseball with a ten way tie for the tenth ranked guy. Last year, I had Kemp crazy low and Posey even lower. Those made sense. I had Adam Jones higher than anyone and Paul Goldschmidt even higher. Score! I also had A-Gon and Josh Hamilton in the top twenty. Hey, they ain’t all gems. Looking into my crystal ball tells me this year is gonna be even harder. Pitchers are dominating the sport. Doesn’t mean I can go completely crackers and just put ten starters in the top twenty. I wouldn’t draft a starter in the top twenty so I won’t tell you to do it. Finding twenty hitters isn’t going to be easy, but, while thinking of me as your weird uncle that you can only talk about baseball with, let’s find them together. There’s many question marks and even an interrobang or two. Does Tulo stay healthy? Does Pujols stop the career decline? Oh, and what the eff do we make of Braun?! Lots of questions to be answered as we continue our 2014 fantasy baseball rankings. There are not as many guarantees as I’d like. Kershaw seems more safe than any of these hitters, but you can find so much pitching later, he didn’t even make the top 20. Remember, one pick does not a team make. Here’s just twenty picks you should make. Anyway, here’s the top 20 for 2014 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Mike

2014 SAGNOF: Outfielders Part 1

January 13, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Steals | 46 Comments

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Time to move on from the 2013 data (quit livin’ in the past, man) and get to the 2014 SAGNOF previews. Just a disclaimer, these posts are mainly focused on guys who will go later in drafts or possibly even undrafted in some shallower leagues – in other words cheap. You won’t see much written about Billy Hamilton or Jean Segura or Jacoby Ellsbury around these parts since their stolen-base contributions will most likely cost you quite a bit. This is all about *not* paying for steals (Steals Ain’t Got NO Face).

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Top 10 for 2014 Fantasy Baseball

January 13, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 273 Comments

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I sure wish Grey would do his 2014 fantasy baseball rankings. Wait, I am Grey and this is those rankings. Holy crapballs, this is the greatest day ever! Now, only 400,000 words more until I finish my top 400 and I’ll be done. Worst day ever! Damn, that excitement was fleeting. Well, not for you because you don’t have to write all the rankings. You lucky son of a gun! I wish I were you… *wavy lines* Hey, why am I balding and wearing sweatpants? *wavy lines* Hmm, maybe we’re okay with how we are. Now before we get into the top 10 for 2014 fantasy baseball (though I imagine every single one of you has skipped this intro paragraph), I’m gonna lay some ground rules. First, keep your hands and legs inside the trolley. Second, send me all your money. Damn, tried to trick you! Okay, here’s our fantasy baseball podcast. Here’s where you follow us on Twitter. Here’s where you follow us on Facebook. Here’s our fantasy baseball player rater. Here’s our fantasy baseball team name generator. Here is all of our 2014 fantasy baseball rankings. Here’s the position eligibility chart for 2014 fantasy baseball. And here is a picture of my son. What a punim! You may not get all of those links in such a handy, easy-to-use format ever again this year, so make proper note. Now my expositional half insists I breakdown some generalizations about these 2014 fantasy baseball rankings. The 2014 fantasy baseball rankings will be an ever-evolving mass like the blob. This fantasy baseball top 10 for 2014 list is as of right now and could potentially change with a big injury or Mike Trout quitting baseball because he’s bored with being the best and wants to play competitive Mahjong. So while it is the 2014 fantasy baseball gospel, take it with a tablet of salt. Tomorrow we will cover the rest of the top twenty for 2014 fantasy baseball, then we will go around the horn with a top 20 list for every position. Then for pitchers and outfielders, I’ll turn the dial to 100. Listed next to each player are my 2014 projections. Did I consult with whoever else does projections? It would be ignorant not to, but in the end they are my projections. Players need 10 games at a position to get included in the positional rankings. Finally, as with each list in the 2014 fantasy baseball rankings, I will be mentioning where I see tiers start and stop. I look at tiers like this, if Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout are in the same tier, it doesn’t matter if one guy is ranked 1st and one guy is ranked 2nd, they’re both very close. It comes down to personal preference. I would prefer the guy at number one better than the guy at two, but you do you, I’ll do me and let’s hope we don’t go blind. Anyway, here’s the top 10 for 2014 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Christian Yelich, 2014 Fantasy Sleeper

January 10, 2014 | Uncategorized | 168 Comments

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There’s a benefit to playing for the Marlins besides learning the value of having to buy your own equipment and refreshments. “Guys, money’s tight, you’re gonna have to bring your own Gatorade from now on.” That’s a Marlins exec on the first day of the spring. The other benefit is the Marlins don’t care what the hell you do as long as you’re playing for the salary minimum. You know that guy who always brought Popov back to the dorm room? Did he return from the liquor store saying it would go best with orange juice? Nope. Popov was proven to cause cancer in vermin, but it got you drunk and was cheap. That’s the Marlins team. And sometimes the Marlins, like Popov, cause projectile vomiting and lead you to wonder how you ended up with so much orange and teal in your closet. The Marlins don’t care if Christian Yelich hits. He will play every day because he’s cheap. Since we don’t need to collect every 20% off Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon we’ve ever received in the mail when we put together our fantasy team, the cheap thing doesn’t matter to us. It does matter when you’re wondering if Yelich will get 550 ABs and hit in a relatively good spot in the lineup. Who else are they moving up in the order? Ed Lucas? You throw Lucas the ball because he can’t hit it. Casey McGehee? I just vomited onto my bathroom mirror and it spelled out, “Gross.” Adeiny Hechavarria? More like Adon’tthinkso Hereallysucks. So, what can we expect from Christian Yelich for 2014 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Jedd Gyorko, 2014 Fantasy Sleeper

January 9, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 138 Comments

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I am most excited about drafting Jedd Gyorko. I am most confident that first sentence sounds best if said in an Apu or Balki Bartokomous voice. Surprised that Gyorko feels like he’s under the radar still even though he had 23 homers in only 125 games and for about a month after he returned, he was playing hurt. Playing Hurt was also the lead single off my 2nd album, “My Heart Goes Poof When You Smoke Out My Hormone Juice.” It didn’t sell well, let’s move on. 23 homers in 125 games at 2nd base. Let that sink in for a second. Sunk yet? Not stunk? No. Sunk. As in sunkpendous. How is he under the radar?! Seriously, I interrobang that. It makes no sense. Or no cents if you only deal in paper money. Oh, and he’s eligible at 3rd base in some leagues. Do you people have any idea what a wasteland 2nd and 3rd base is this year? Well, you’ll have a better idea on Monday when I release my rankings, but take my word for it right now — it’s a wasteland like New Jersey after a good rain. Anyway, what can we expect from Jedd Gyorko for 2014 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Scott Evans

2014 Minor League Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

January 8, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 48 Comments

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Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2013 (19) | 2012 (23) | 2011 (12) | 2010 (21) | 2009 (23)

2013 Affiliate Records
MLB: [92-70] NL West
AAA: [76-68] Pacific Coast League – Albuquerque
AA: [59-80] Southern League – Chattanooga
A+: [65-75] California League – Rancho Cucamonga
A: [67-72] Midwest League – Great Lakes

Graduated Prospects
Yasiel Puig (OF); Tim Federowicz (C); Scott Van Slyke (OF/1B); Hyun-jin Ryu (RHP); Stephen Fife (RHP); Paco Rodriguez (LHP)

The Run Down
After a holiday hiatus, we have returned to our MiLB preview series.  To get us back into prospect mode, let’s all scream Puig on three.  One, two, three, PUIG.  Good, we’re back.  We’re talking about the Dodgers today, a top-heavy farm, but a group that offers plenty of fantasy intrigue.  There’s a lot going on here from spots one to six, but things take a turn toward the boring when we reach the last four names of the top ten.  Still, Seager, Pederson, and Urias are all of the high-impact variety, while Lee, Guerrero, and Anderson should all develop into relevant fantasy pieces in their own right.  Combine those six with recent grads like Yasiel Puig and Hyun-jin Ryu, and this Dodgers org begins to take shape as one that develops well and spends wisely in the international markets.  That’s a particularly effective model for sustainable success.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Rudy Gamble

Book Review: Winning Fantasy Baseball By Larry Schechter

January 7, 2014 | Book Previews | 64 Comments

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I do not review baseball books very often.   I have managed more ‘fake’ book reviews on this site than real ones (see here).  Even books that have been in print for years that I meant to belatedly review end up unreviewed – like The Book or Ball Four – because I’m usually in one of three states (pre-season stat-crunching/writing, in-season management/writing or off-season/vegging).

But I made an exception with Winning Fantasy Baseball (officially out Jan 7 – click preceding link to buy it on Amazon) since the author (Larry Schechter) is far and away the best performing ‘expert’ in Tout Wars so I could definitely learn a couple things from him.  (It didn’t hurt that his PR person sent me a free copy as professional courtesy – if only I had such sway with European car companies or bacon of the month clubs).

I polished this nearly 350 page book in 2 days.  Kudos to the author for his eminently readable prose.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Brad Miller, 2014 Fantasy Sleeper

January 6, 2014 | Uncategorized | 185 Comments

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Last year, Brad Miller hit 20 homers and stole 11 bases while hitting over .300. Right now, you’re thinking how is this guy even a sleeper? He should be a top five guy at shortstop. I know what you’re thinking because I’m sitting in your head. Sorry about that whole spilling my Jamba Juice on your medulla oblongata. My bad! There’s one little problem with that 20 homers, 11 steals, .300+ average stat line. That’s adding together his minor and major league numbers. That’s wrong. Or as they say in North Korea, that’s un-Jongy. In 102 games between Triple-A and the majors, Miller had 14 homers and 7 steals. Still not really bad. Unless bad is not bad but bad is good–Scratch that, if bad is good then it’s still not really bad. It’s solid, better than decent — or becent to be more portmanteauy. Fortunately for us, Miller only had 8 homers and 5 steals in the majors. That’s not going to raise too many eyebrows about drafting this guy. Then you throw in that going after a Mariner hitter not named Cano is about as appealing as Carol Channing sans makeup, and people shouldn’t be that crazy excited about Miller, so that makes him a sleeper, but what can we expect of Brad Miller for 2014 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Kole Calhoun, 2014 Fantasy Sleeper

January 3, 2014 | Uncategorized | 164 Comments

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The Sciosciapath, Arte Moreno and Arte Moreno Jr., played by Scott Schwartz (Flick from A Christmas Story and later the porn movie, A Trystmas Story), got together and declared their starting right fielder.  You know what they say:  just about half of opportunity and fortunately are ortun.  They make a good point.  Oddly enough, Scott […]

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