Grey

Grayson Rodriguez, 2022 Fantasy Outlook

November 11, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 19 Comments

by:

Here’s Grayson Rodriguez, and we’ll pick up everything we know on the other side of feasting your peep-holes on him:

Especially like the pitch towards the end that the catcher can’t even get a glove on. That’s filth. That’s what an ace looks like in the minors. His minor league results: 23 GS, 2.36 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 2.67 FIP, 40.5 K%, 6.8 BB%, 14.1 K/9, 161 K in 103 IP between High-A and Double-A. He won the Jim Palmer Award for the MILB Pitcher of the Year for the Orioles. They presented him with a pair of Jockey underwear. The bad news that I’m omitting here is–No, not that the Jockey underwear were previously worn. That I don’t know, but maybe they were since it’s the Orioles, which brings me to my problem that I omitted. This was the 2nd year that Grayson Rodriguez won the Orioles’ MILB Pitcher of the Year award, which is such a joke. 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, but he’s throwing darts in the minors. So, what can we expect from Grayson Rodriguez for 2022 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Learn more about our 2025 Fantasy Baseball Subscriptions!

The best daily/weekly player rankings/projections (hitters, starters, and relievers) for each of the next 7-10 days + next calendar week starting Friday. Kick-ass DFS lineup optimizer and projections for DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo!.

I don’t have enough spam, give me the Razzball email newsletter!

Weekly Razzball news delivered straight to your inbox.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

See all of today’s starting lineups

# MLB Starting Lineups For Fri 8/8
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
The Itch

Los Angeles Dodgers Top 10 Prospects for 2022 Fantasy Baseball

November 10, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 12 Comments

by:

The Dodgers are the type of team you need to track all the way down the chain in dynasty leagues. An early foot in the door on the next pop-up infielder leads to a quick value return that leads to an earlier foot the next time around. I’ve long thought you might do best in dynasty leagues to basically ignore half the teams and zero in on the best ones. You cannot have too many Dodgers or Rays in your minors. 

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Shane Baz, 2022 Fantasy Outlook

November 9, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 50 Comments

by:

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”893555″ player=”13959″ title=”RZBL%20FB%202021%20BSH%20Week%209″ duration=”131″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-11-04″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/893555_t_1636007565.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/893555.mp4″]

Before we get into Shane Baz, feel free to comment with any rookies I haven’t covered yet, that you think might be relevant for 2022. I’m a redraft guy, first and foremost, so I won’t be covering guys who won’t be up until next year. Shizz happens, see my Sixto Sanchez fantasy from last offseason, but ideally we’re looking for redraft 2022 rookies. Okay, what I and others have said previously about Shane Baz, “The Rays decided to add some intrigue into the final two weeks of the season, calling up, Shane Baz who can touch 100 MPH. That’s miles per hour not the number of Moulin Rouges per hour you can watch when they’re on fast forward. That’s six. In Prospect Itch’s latest top 100 fantasy baseball prospects, he had Shane Baz coming in at 37th overall. As Prospector Geoff said a few years ago, “Baz is a fire-balling Texan with a varied stable of offerings. His fastball is a plus pitch featuring a velocity range between 91-98, with two plane movement. It’s a pitch he really has feel for, which is why the variance is so great with the pitch’s velocity. Baz’s pitchability and feel are truly impressive for a prep player. His ability to take something off, and reshape his pitches gives him two distinctive plus offerings in his high 80’s cutter and low-mid 80’s slider. He also features an average curveball, and a work in progress change that shows encouraging run. Baz’s talent is in good hands in the Pirates organization.” And I am laughing very loudly at that last part. Yes, the Pirates traded him to the Rays. Why? Because the Pirates know no (stutterer!) limits to their tanking.” And that’s me quoting me, Itch and Geoff! So, what can we expect from Shane Baz for 2022 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Donkey Teeth

Patreon Podcast: Bang The Over

November 8, 2021 | All Podcasts |

by:

Razzball Patreon members receive our weekly podcast where Grey cackles about the funniest news stories we’ve found over the past week, plus you get that warm fuzzy feeling of supporting your favorite fantasy sports site in all the land.

It’s your favorite hour of the week! I Can’t Believe It’s Not Not News is back from Vegas with all the Billy Hurley jokes and Grey Albright cackles you can handle. This week we’re talking Tik Tok giving teens Tourettes and parents trying to get a school principal fired for listening to Iron Maiden. Later, a court rules that Pablo Escobar’s “cocaine hippos” are people.

Tune in now for all the laughs and Albright cackles you can handle by signing up for the exclusive Razzball Patreon Club for only $5/month, or upgrade to receive the weekly podcast plus early access to all of Grey’s 2021 fantasy baseball buy/sell posts for just $13/month!

Watch a teaser from last week’s hour-long episode:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Hunter Greene, 2022 Fantasy Outlook

November 8, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 33 Comments

by:

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”893555″ player=”13959″ title=”RZBL%20FB%202021%20BSH%20Week%209″ duration=”131″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-11-04″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/893555_t_1636007565.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/893555.mp4″]

Unlike Riley Greene, Hunter Greene is an actual color. That color is not green, it’s red. Not just red for the Reds, which is the team he will eventually play for in the majors, but the red is also for fire, which is what he brings with his speed ball that can touch 103 MPH. Okay, before we do anything else, we need to see that:

*wipes drool from mouth* What were we saying? *falls off chair, sticks head up* Could you remind again what we were saying? *tumbles into a pile of leaves* Disembodied voice, “Could you remind me please?” Seriously, though: Yum. Hunter Greene doesn’t throw fastballs, he throws crapballs because that’s what the hitters say when they have to face him. It’s actually pretty amazing how easy that 103 MPH comes to him. He looks like he’s throwing with the effort of a guy darting in 92 MPH fastballs. Hunter Greene, which sounds like an option on a Ford Explorer interior, might be an actual robot. That arm action and the results are off the charts. And that’s after Tommy John surgery! Makes me think in fifty years everyone’s going to be throwing 125 MPH, except for Bartolo Colon Jr., who will be throwing a get-me-over 83. So, what can we expect from Hunter Greene for 2022 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Joe Ryan, 2022 Fantasy Outlook

November 5, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 32 Comments

by:

Confession alert! I’m not the only one deciding who to write up for the fantasy baseball rookies. Prospect Itch is puppeteering me into writing about guys who he thinks will be making 2022 impacts. Let’s not discuss where Itch’s hand is to puppeteer me, but let’s just say it doesn’t itch, per se. Joe Ryan? Well, I might’ve wrote up Joe Ryan even if I were parasailing on my own down the cliffs of 2022 fantasy baseball rookies, looking for a place to land, but Itch is puppeteering–Hey, that’s my lower intestine, Itch. Yes, right there. Geez. Okay, first, let’s see what I’ve already said in The Hunt for No October starring Joe Ryan:

In a deep Scottish accent, the Twins’ Triple-A manager said, “You’re comin’ up tae join th’ club, Joe Ryan. Ur ye excited?”
Joe Ryan paused, then asked, “What are you saying?”
“Aam Sean Connery an’ aam daein’ a Scottish accent. Ur ye excited, certainly, Jack Ryan?”
He scratched his head, then, “Huh? Oh. My name’s Joe Ryan.”

So, Joe Ryan was called up to start on Wednesday, and I settled in to watch. He was one of the pieces the Rays sent to the Twins for Nelson Cruz. Since the Rays sent him away, I expect he’ll spontaneously combust during his next start or suddenly lose command of his pitches and return in 2022 as a middle infielder in Rookie Ball. If that doesn’t happen, we should all be super interested. I’m intrigued, y’all! He looks like every great command pitcher, who can also induce strikeouts. Prospect Itch said of Ryan, “I have high hopes for Joe Ryan, another dynasty trade target if you can get a decent price. His 30+ K-BB percentage across three levels in 2019 was pretty loud, but some of the clamor might’ve died down since Ryan was kept under training site wraps for all of 2020. His best trait is a true-spin four-seamer he can command across the zone, and that’s a great base from which to build an arsenal in today’s game. Tampa’s coaches have praised Ryan for his aptitude for new pitches and approaches, particularly his feel for spin. I get giddy just thinking about him and punching Grey.” Okay, not cool! Ryan continued to carve up hitters in Triple-A this year while maintaining elite command: 11.8 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 in 57 IP. This is potentially as good a prospect arm call-up as we’re getting the rest of the year.” And that’s me quoting me quoting Itch! So, what can we expect from Joe Ryan for 2022 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Riley Greene, 2022 Fantasy Outlook

November 4, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 34 Comments

by:

Here’s what A.J. Hinch said regarding Riley Greene and his teammate, who I just covered in my Spencer Torkelson fantasy, “It’s gonna be big drama, and you guys are gonna ask a lot, and I love that. I love the pressure on these guys. And then we’ll see where it takes us. I hope they put all kinds of pressure on us for Opening Day.” Trying not to lose my shizz that every prospect, who is ready, should be called up when they’re ready. The system is so broken when they look at guys and think, “He’s going to make it tough on us. We know he’s ready, but we also don’t want to pay him in the landmark case of sooner vs. later.” For me, I know a guy is ready when they rip up Triple-A, which Riley Greene did:  8/4/.308 in only 159 ABs. Tigers prospects to finally get excited about (with Spencer), huh? Gotta love it (that’s an order). Mean Gene Riley Greene’s 2022 is going to have a lot to do with how much the Tigers are playing Service Time Games, which sounds like a bad Chris Isaak song. (Are there good Chris Isaak songs? Don’t answer that.) And how well Greene does in the spring. If he has a 5/5/.400+ type spring, he might force his way into the Opening Day roster. It’s not like the Tigers have anyone else in front of him to stop him. Like Cuban regimes, they’re basically rotating in and out of Castros. Willi Castro here, Harold Castro there, neither Castro is any good. So, what can we expect from Riley Greene for 2022 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
The Itch

Arizona Diamondbacks Top 10 Prospects for 2022 Fantasy Baseball

November 3, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 14 Comments

by:

Like some early critics who didn’t realize Dune was Dune Part One until they’d been sitting there for a while, Arizona’s front office did not realize they were in a rebuild until they’d been molting for much of 2021. The pandemic hit this team hard. Talented international teeny boppers spent prime development days stuck in the bubble, which didn’t mean they couldn’t cause any trouble. Kristian Robinson struggled–and who didn’t my heart goes out to him–and found himself living life on the highway and wanting to ride it all night long. Baseball futures in search of desert power suffered another spice drought early in 2021 when wunderkind Corbin Carroll got his shoulder sliced in half by a Saudaukar, or separated on a swing. I can’t remember which. Spice is strong in these parts. Let’s breathe it in a little and imagine the possibilities. This is actually a very good system. Don’t mind the monster worm barreling down on us. Let’s just breathe and dream with the sand and wind for a minute. 

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Spencer Torkelson, 2022 Fantasy Outlook

November 2, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 35 Comments

by:

Up front, out of the way, Prospect Itch’s thoughts, “Spencer Torkelson is unique as a first overall pick in that it’s really just the bat Detroit drafted. They announced him as a third baseman on draft night, and Torkelson might be a good enough athlete to make that work, but it doesn’t matter all that much to his prospect stock if he has to slide back over to first base. The carrying tools are hit and power, and both could be plus-plus depending how he reacts to premium spin. The clear #1 pick in dynasty First-Year-Player Drafts and an easy top five prospect for fantasy. As good as he is, Grey is that bad.” Not cool, gonna move on! Spencer Torkelson is the meow’s cat; his stats tell me so: 30 HRs combined across three levels, ending in Triple-A, in his first competitive minor league season. His numbers strictly at Triple-A were: 11/1/.238 but with a .233 BABIP and a 20.3% strikeout rate. He was robbed, a lot it seems, i.e., that’s unlucky. Also, his walk rate was 13% — slashed .350/.531. These aren’t ordinary numbers from a kid who is just tasting Triple-A for the first time. What’s pretty cool, and I mean this in the most sincere, non-cynical way, there’s a ton of under-25-year-old guys coming up and you can already see future first and second rounders for fantasy all over the place. Is Spencer Torkelson? Meh, maybe in the right lineup, but he’s more Jose Abreu-lite than Au Shizz in his prime. Each time the league loses a guy, it gets replenished with a better guy. Going bye-bye from the 1st few rounds is Nolan Arenado. No fear, Mr. Belvedere sat on his nuts and missed a week of work, also Tork’s got you, man! It does make things fun. So, what can we expect from Spencer Torkelson for 2022 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Donkey Teeth

Patreon Podcast: Fish Vending Machine

November 1, 2021 | All Podcasts |

by:

Razzball Patreon members receive our weekly podcast where Grey cackles about the funniest news stories we’ve found over the past week, plus you get that warm fuzzy feeling of supporting your favorite fantasy sports site in all the land.

It’s your favorite hour of the week! I Can’t Believe It’s Not Not News is back again with all the Billy Hurley jokes and Grey Albright cackles you can handle, again live from Las Vegas where they’re now serving fish from vending machines. This week we’re talking about tiger gender reveals, self-driving cars gathering in a San Francisco neighborhood, and a woman who refuses to attend her brother’s wedding unless all food is vegan. Finally, a brilliant boss suggests “pawternity” for when employees get a new dog.

Tune in now for all the laughs and Albright cackles you can handle by signing up for the exclusive Razzball Patreon Club for only $5/month, or upgrade to receive the weekly podcast plus early access to all of Grey’s 2021 fantasy baseball buy/sell posts for just $13/month!

Watch a teaser from last week’s hour-long episode:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Adley Rutschman, 2022 Fantasy Outlook

November 1, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 26 Comments

by:

What others on Razzball have said about Adley Rutschman before I get to my thoughts: Here’s a quote from Prospect Hobbs’s piece on who he thinks will be the 2023 All-Stars at each position, “Adley Rutschman takes the cake at the catcher position for the 2023 All-Star Team because I honestly do expect him to be the best catcher in the game two-plus years from now. Rutschman slashed .254/.351/.423 with four homers (13 XHB), 26 RBI, 19 runs and one steal in his first 154 professional plate appearances in 2019 which he split across rookie-level, Low-A and Class-A. One steal. Damn that’s sexy. What’s sexier is the 27-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio seen in his first taste of the minors, translating to a 17.4 K% and 12.9 BB%. Rutsch-ell Crowe, as I like to call him, came out of college with a 60-grade hit tool and 60-power, so the sky is the limit here offensively from a positional perspective. Don’t expect Realmuto-esque steals with the 40-grade legs and one steal in 155 pro plate appearances, but he’s at the position to stay (true catcher) and could suck a whole lot less than what we’ve become accustomed to at the position from a fantasy perspective. Speaking of sucking, Grey sucks.” What the hell, my dude! This year in 123 games, Adley Rutschman went 23/3/.285 in 452 ABs. In Triple-A, the numbers were bolstered by a .364 BABIP, but were 5/2 in 157 ABs, and a slash of .312/.405/.490 with a 13% walk rate and 17.8% strikeout rate. Honestly, it’s criminal he hasn’t debuted yet for the Orioles. So, what can we expect from Adley Rutschman for 2022 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?