Jordan Walker, 2023 Fantasy Outlook

November 4, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies, Featured | 29 Comments

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Some players seem like they are MLB The Show “Create a player” players. Here I call them Lab Babies. Jordan Walker? Oh, he’s definitely a Lab Baby. You see him and think, “Well, that guy’s 28 years old and has been destroying minor leaguers for years, right?” Then you hear he’s 20 years old and you start stumbling around humping fire hydrants because you’re drunk on rookie nookie. You’re hitting the hooch on that 151 Rum of Sexy Prospect Liquor. You’re drunk all right, but on all natural 80-grade sativa. It’s a strain that grows in prospect journals and gets nothing but shine, no shade whatsoever. Here’s what Prospect Itch has said previously, “I made the trip to see Walker in High-A, but he was on the bench that night, or rather, atop the dugout steps cheering on his new teammates, looking like a human giant. I have no reason to argue against his listed 6’5” 220 lbs, but I can say he dwarfed everyone else on the team. I can also say I saw enough of Walker’s work on MiLB.tv that I want to be driving that bus in dynasty leagues. He features double-plus athleticism for a big man, a controlled swing that explodes through the zone, and plenty of foot speed to make himself a pest on the basepaths. He’s looking like a consensus top ten prospect sooner than later, and I’d like to punch Grey in his head.” Okay, putting aside that last part, this was from Itch last year! Think Itch would be the first person to tell you that Jordan Walker has only got better! So, what can we expect from Jordan Walker for 2023 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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Grayson Rodriguez, 2023 Fantasy Outlook

November 3, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies, Featured | 32 Comments

by: Grey

Orioles’ GM Mike Elias on Grayson Rodriguez, “I hope he makes the opening-day rotation.” Hey, Mike, that makes two of us. Elias Sports Bureau asked of Mike Elias, “Are you our father?” Grayson Rodriguez is the biggest pitfall for fantasy baseball rookies posts. I’ve been here already. I thought he’d be up last year. Was very disappointing to not see Grayson Rodriguez. I’d love to lay it all at the feet of the Orioles. “Hey, what are you wearing, Lake Placid Summit Boy’s Adjustables?” That’s me seeing the cheapskates that the Orioles are fitted in. (I googled cheap ice skates, if those aren’t cheapskates, I don’t know. Leave me alone.) Any hoo! It wasn’t all their fault, Grayson had a severe lat strain from about May until September. So, yeah, that sucked. At least he didn’t win Minor League Pitcher of the Year three years in a row. Yes, he won it the previous two years, which is such a jizzoke. The Orioles are cheap eh-eff. This kind of bee ess really needs to end, so I can stop spelling out cuss words. There should be zero incentive for a MLB team to keep a prospect in the minors if he’s ready. Grayson Rodriguez prolly could’ve had a season as good as Alek Manoah last year, if he stayed healthy and was actually in the majors, but he’s throwing darts in the minors. So, what can we expect from Grayson Rodriguez for 2023 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Chicago Cubs Top 10 Prospects for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

November 2, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 8 Comments

by: The Itch

Hey Chicago, whaddya say?

Mervis is gonna mash today!

1. 1B Matt Mervis | 24 | AAA | 2023

The 6’4” 225 lb Mervis hit 36 home runs in 137 games across three levels and keeps on hitting them in the Arizona Fall League, where he’s got five homers in 13 games. He has struck out and walked thrice a piece, continuing the case of the disappearing strikeouts after K-ing in just 14.6 percent of his Triple-A plate appearances. Should open 2022 in the major league lineup.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Gunnar Henderson, 2023 Fantasy Outlook

November 1, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies, Featured | 26 Comments

by: Grey

I said something in my Corbin Carroll fantasy the other day, that people might take the wrong way, so to clarify. I think Gunnar Henderson can be better than Bobby Witt Jr., especially in real baseball. I think Corbin Carroll can be excellent, a top 25 overall type bat. When I said I thought Julio Rodriguez was better than Carroll, and Witt Jr. was better than Gunnar, I meant their rookie 2022 seasons vs. these rookies’ 2023 seasons. Can’t expect insane years like what Julio and Bobby did every year. It just doesn’t happen. It doesn’t mean Gunnar Henderson or Carroll can’t be great. Gunnar likely has better contact than Witt Jr., which will lead to a better average. He just doesn’t have the speed as BWJ, so his fantasy value isn’t going to be as pronounced. Fahn-tah-see val-ewe, that’s how fantasy value is pronounced. If I’m being honest, I think we’ve been a little spoiled in recent years with rookies. Haven’t had a real stinker since Michael Fulmer in 2016. Ha, Fulmer out here taking strays in his Google alerts for no reason. In 2017, Aaron Judge hit 52 HRs and .284 as a rookie and Cody Belinger went 39/10, and since then we’ve had some incredible rookie years (I’m ignoring 2020, but Kyle Lewis wasn’t bad in a goofy year). All of that is totally irrelevant for today, but also kinda spoiling us, even if it’s subconsciously. I am merely setting your expectations. Gunnar Henderson is going to rosterable and great, but just try to be realistic. The top of the rookie class will just be a bit lower than last year’s top of the class. So, what can we expect from Gunnar Henderson for 2023 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Corbin Carroll, 2023 Fantasy Outlook

October 31, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies, Featured | 26 Comments

by: Grey

A fantasy baseball It Was A Good Day.

Just wakin’ up in tha mornin’, gotta thank Junior Vlad,
I don’t know but today seems kinda odd,
No barkin’ from any pitchers’ elbows makin’ me look for replacements,
And momma cooked a breakfast and left it by my door — her basement’s,
I got my grub on, but didn’t pig out,
My insulin, I didn’t need to dig out,
Rollin’ around in a field of daffodils,
Not even worried about lactose that I can’t metabolise,
Rememberin’ what it’s like to feel alive,
Lookin’ for a prospect who’s got speed, power and line drives,
Forgettin’ that I have allergies, and a doctor-restricted diet of 1500 calories,
Not sneezing, thinkin’ about the best rookies for 2023 fantasy baseball galleries.
Findin’ an empty cola can to use as an ashtray,
Talkin’ about the best 2023 fantasy baseball prospect, gotta say It Was A Good Day.

Last year’s top rookie in my rookie outlook series was Bobby Witt Jr. (Julio Rodriguez was #2 with the caveat that I wasn’t sure if he was breaking camp; he did, and broke the internet). Year before that, it was Randy Arozarena, before that Luis Robert. The year before was Vlad Jr.; the year before–You get the picture! Every year there’s a #1 rookie going into the upcoming season. Ergo/Therego: Welcome to the 2023 fantasy baseball rookie series and Corbin Carroll for 2023 fantasy baseball! This feels a little more precarious than past years because I like my next rookie (Gunnar Henderson) a lot too, and there doesn’t feel like a clearcut HOLY SCHNIKES THIS GUY’S GONNA BLOW US AWAY. I said to Prospect Itch what I was thinking, “Corbin Carroll’s less than Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr. but is better than Gunnar, right?” And he agreed. That doesn’t mean these guys can’t be fantastic. These guys are future superstars in their own right. Gunnar will be in my next post, but today’s: So, what can we expect from Corbin Carroll for 2023 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Washington Nationals Top 10 Prospects for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

October 30, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 10 Comments

by: The Itch

If you’re gonna pull the early plug on a contention window, you better walk away with some future stars. To their credit, the Nationals did that. A better move might’ve been to hold Trea Turner in 2021 and hope for the best in 2022, but that wasn’t the play this team wanted to make, preferring to off-load Max Scherzer’s deferred money along with their star shortstop. 2022 then became an exercise in futility. It’s tough to imagine the front office saw the Turner trade as precursor to a Soto sale. I guess the checks keep clearing when an ownership group opts to quit an entire MLB season, but the cascading impacts of those tank-thoughts will be felt throughout the organization for years. Players might simply stop wanting to play. They didn’t have to move Soto, of course. Could’ve left him malcontent on the roster then watched him walk in free agency, but I don’t think any amount of free agent spending could undo the damage that had been done.

1. OF James Wood | 20 | A | 2025

There’s a lot riding on the broad shoulders of the 6’7” 240 lb center fielder. If he remains a high-contact, big-power bat through the upper minors, the Juan Soto trade could look okay a couple years from now. CJ Abrams has a big part to play in that math as well, and he started hitting better down the stretch with regular at bats. Like Abrams last winter, Wood should be a consensus top ten fantasy prospect this off-season after slashing .313/.420/.536 with 12 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 76 games this year. He also walked 50 times and struck out 75. So far, his game has no apparent weaknesses. Depending on the timelines of Jackson Chourio and Elly De La Cruz, James Wood could be baseball’s number one overall prospect early in 2024.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 40 Starters for 2022 Fantasy Baseball, a Recap

October 28, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Featured | 44 Comments

by: Grey

We’ve gone over the final 2022 fantasy baseball rankings for hitters and the top 20 starters. This is different than Final Fantasy rankings where you rank Final Fantasy 1 thru Final Fantasy 15. That’s hardcore nerd shizz! This is simply fantasy baseball — we’re softcore nerds like Emmanuelle is to porn. So, there’s no more of these godforsaken recap posts left. You’re welcome. I, my over-the-internet friend, will be talking next about 2023 rookies. Let’s boogie to the next year, boogiers! Anyway, here’s the top 40 starters for 2022 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2023 Top Keepers – Relievers

October 27, 2022 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues | 11 Comments

by: Jakkers

The World Series begins Friday, meaning the MLB offseason is just around the corner. But there never really is an offseason as the action just changes from the field to the front office.

And just like the majors, there is no offseason when it comes to fantasy baseball. Fantasy baseball GMs are already thinking about next year, and that is especially true for those who are in keeper leagues.

Since the last pitch of the regular season, those who play in keeper leagues have been looking at trade targets to shore up weaknesses exposed during this past season and wondering who the top keepers are going to be in 2023 fantasy baseball.

Well, I’m here to try to help you with that last part of the sentence – who are the top keepers for next season. Each week I am going to reveal my list of top keepers for 2023, starting with relievers. Next week I will focus on starting pitchers before going around the infield and then ending with the top outfielders.

A CRAZY GROUP

Before we move ahead, a disclaimer about relievers. The three things we know about relievers are this:

They are wildly inconsistent from year to year
They are wildly inconsistent from year to year
And they are wildly inconsistent from year to year

The inconsistent play even takes place during the season, with Josh Hader being a prime example of that. If there is one position that could use a dartboard to help with the rankings, it is relievers. Thus, these rankings are based a little on past performance, a little on the eye test and a lot of what my gut is telling me.

Unlike other positions, where age weighs in heavily for my top keepers, the age of a reliver doesn’t factor in as much. It may move them down the list if I think other relievers on the staff can become the closer in 2023 (I’m looking at you, Jose Alvarado), but if they are proven closers and also 33, I’m fine with that.

Also, I am assuming that most keeper leagues don’t just use saves but also have holds or saves+holds. A deep league doesn’t just showcase closers. A real pitching staff has starters, middle relievers and closers, so this list features top closers and setup men.

With that in mind, let’s get on with the Top 40 keepers for 2023 – reliever edition.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Philadelphia Phillies Top 10 Prospects for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

October 26, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 9 Comments

by: The Itch

Despite winning the pennant in decisive fashion, Philadelphia’s excellence feels a little lost in the sauce of national writers belly-aching about the expanded playoff format. Reality is this Phillies’ lineup is as deep as anybody’s, their front-rotation arms are as dominant as anybody’s, and their bullpen can close out any offense. Despite their misleading regular season win total, they make a much better match for these juggernaut Astros than the 2022 Yankees.

Philadelphia has also made gains on the farm, where the team features a few starting pitchers on the cusp for 2023. I was in the comments of my last article talking about how this system would make the Mets and Marlins look better by comparison, but I’m chewing on those words a bit today. It’s true that the young Phillies aren’t deep, and we won’t see impact offensive talents graduate anytime soon, but Andrew Painter pretty much makes up for that, especially considering the club’s positional depth at the major league level.

Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2023 | Highest Level Played | Expected Time of Arrival

1. RHP Andrew Painter | 19 | AA | 2023

If I have to pick one minor league arm to become a no-doubt fantasy ace, I’m asking Sherwin Williams because it’s between Painter, Grayson Rodriguez and Eury Perez, and Painter is my preferred option at the moment. In 103 innings across three levels, Painter posted a 0.88 WHIP and 155 strikeouts and 25 walks, culminating in a successful month in Double-A where he struck out 37 batters and walked two across 28.1 innings. Philadelphia’s Double-A setting in Reading has battered a number of young pitchers in the past, so it’s especially exciting to see the 6’7” 215 lb Painter smother hitters who are 5.5 years his senior, on average. With a double-plus fastball, slider and curve, Painter hasn’t needed the changeup much but has shown an aptitude to command all four offerings. Probably could’ve helped the club in this postseason run–not that they’ve needed it so far.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Tout Wars: Practicing What We Preach (SAGNOF Life)

October 25, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Our Leagues | 29 Comments

by: MattTruss

It was pretty surreal back in November of last year when Grey told me he had plugged my name for a spot in Tout Wars. I am always grateful for the support of the Razzball family. Fast forward to February, I received my official invite and the imposter syndrome really set in. I said as […]

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 20 Starters for 2022 Fantasy Baseball, a Recap

October 24, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Featured | 79 Comments

by: Grey

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All the final 2022 fantasy baseball rankings for hitters are done. For those that skipped today’s title, this starts the top 20 starters for 2022 fantasy baseball. This is NOT for next year (caps for those who can’t read titles; supposedly it’s easier to read caps, I have my doubts). This is a recap. Will these affect next year’s rankings? Sure. Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t know. Not entirely. Yes, entirely. Like when you had a knee replacement, this is a recap! To recapitulate the recap, these rankings are from our Fantasy Baseball Player Rater. We’re (me’re) using it to fairly gauge our (my) preseason rankings. Anyway, here’s the top 20 starters for 2022 fantasy baseball and how they compared to where I originally ranked them:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

New York Mets Top 10 Prospects for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

October 23, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 6 Comments

by: The Itch

Like any good Coney Island carnival ride, the Mets’ 2022 season made fans feel some delirious heights of human existence followed by the doubtful dry heaves of an autumn hangover. The future looks promising though, assuming the club can secure this window by re-signing Edwin Diaz and Jacob deGrom.

Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2023 | Highest Level Played | Expected Time of Arrival

1. C Francisco Alvarez | 21 | MLB | 2022

Though Alvarez was included on the playoff roster, Manager Buck Showalter went with Darin Ruf at DH for the most part, and Ruf happens to be under contract through 2023. Catchers James McCann and Thomas Nido are under contract through 2024. Alvarez battled injuries throughout 2022 and had ankle surgery this week. It’s possible or even probable that the plate-appearance seas will part once he’s back on the field and healthy, but the playing time outlook is a little tricky at the moment. I’m going this long way around to indicate that I think the concerns are real, but my primary read on Alvarez for a long, long time is that he’s an everyday major leaguer, and probably a middle-order bat for a contending team. Might be an opening to buy the slight dip in his perceived value coming off an injury riddled season. Scherzer and deGrom, if he comes back, will probably throw the guys they know, but Alvarez could be catching two or three times a week coming out of spring training and mixing in at DH as Buck sees fit. If I’m the Mets, for what it’s Wuertz, I’m working that rolodex all winter to move McCann and Ruf. Could clear about 15 million in a dream scenario where someone takes McCann off your McHands. Would also clear two crucial roster spots, or one if you had to take some money back in the form of a busted pitcher or something. They simply have to retain deGrom, is my thinking, and that might take 50 million dollars, so any effort to make that spend a little easier on old Penny Twitterbags and the ownership group could go a long way.

Please, blog, may I have some more?