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.
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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?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?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?The birds just hired Carlos Marmol to manage, which would be wild if true. Instead, they went with Oliver Marmol, who is not related to the former Cubs hurler who never met a man he couldn’t walk.
It’s interesting that they moved on from Mike Schildt following an epic winning streak to end the season, but them’s the breaks. Life comes at you fast. Halloween. The World Series. Facebook soiling a word nobody at the company understands. The Cardinals firing and hiring managers in the blink of an eye. It’s all happening, and we don’t miss a beat here at Razzball, so let’s stroll through this system and see what we can see.
Please, blog, may I have some more?It seems to me that the nature of the beast when discussing prospects is you get a lot of: Here’s what I said previously when he was supposed to be called up already. Unlike most prospects, Josh Jung wasn’t kept in the minors simply for service time reasons. Josh Jung was ticketed for the majors this past preseason until he hurt his foot. Jung, man, no need to be bruised. Here’s what Prospect Itch said previously, “The best Texas prospect since Gallo, Josh Jung brings full-field power, plate discipline, and a plus hit tool along with functional defense at the hot corner. I’m trying to acquire him in my 20-team OBP league and suggest anyone seeking potentially affordable third base help consider the same in their leagues. Speaking of affordable, anyone know a reasonably priced hitman to take out Grey?” Okay, that’s not cool. Hold on one second, are you telling me the Rangers have a decent prospect? I call BS. This is the Rangers just trying to sneak Michael Young back out at 3rd base, and spelling his name differently. Jung, you’re nothing but a Freud! Podcaster Geoff told me the other day, he thinks Jung is a 25-homer, 3-steal, .280 hitter. Oh, and if you were wondering, Josh Jung was eventually held down artificially last year after he returned from his 30-game injury. Artificially like my smile when I congratulate someone else for winning my fantasy league. “Congrats, way to avoid Cody Bellinger,” and the subtext is, “I would’ve won if not for Cody Bellinger.” A gracious loser, I am not. Show me a gracious loser and I’ll show you a loser! *tears shirt off and runs through a wall, casually returns by coming through the door* In 78 minor league games this past year (Double and Triple-A), Jung hit 19 HRs and .332. Giddy up, Texas Rangers! So, what can we expect from Josh Jung for 2022 fantasy baseball?
Please, blog, may I have some more?[brid autoplay=”true” video=”885648″ player=”13959″ title=”RZBL%20FB%202021%20BSH%20Week%207″ duration=”143″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-10-21″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/885648_t_1634801279.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/885648.mp4″]
So, I gave you a Jose Miranda 2022 fantasy post kinda already, when I told you how much I liked him towards the tail-end of last year, while thinking he was about to be promoted. Ended up I got goosed, and Miranda got service time jag-offed and wasn’t brought up. I didn’t tell you everything, so we’re back. What I did say, “Jose Miranda as played by Cynthia Nixon in her most challenging role yet: Minnesota Twins prospect. The sun sets through the West Village window, as clickety-clack from Carrie’s word processor is heard. She reads the words out loud as they make their way onto her 64-bit screen, “Miranda wasn’t going to come, so to speak, up for the Twins until they were good and ready. With Josh Donaldson out of the picture–Wait, is Josh out of the picture?–Gosh, Miranda really needs to find a new position, so to speak, to play in. Maybe Miranda can get in, so to speak, some time at 2nd base, like Samantha after five minutes knowing a guy.” And that’s me quoting Carrie Bradshaw! Jose Miranda has no speed, but his bat is more than ready, and it is explosive. Possesses the usual Twins’ tendencies — Twindencies? — he doesn’t strike out at all and doesn’t walk a ton. Are the Twins developing prospects or just cloning a Luis Arraez who was dipped in amber? Developing, because Miranda actually has power, unlike most Twins prospects. As Prospect Itch said recently, “Minnesota has demonstrated an appreciation for precisely this sort of profile, and Miranda is a better all-around hitter than some of the other guys from the past few years (Astudillo, Sano, Rooker). And much better than Grey, who sucks.” Okay, that’s hurtful. “I know just the slot for him,” says Samantha as Miranda groans.” And that’s me quoting me quoting Carrie Bradshaw and Prospect Itch! A person quoting a fake Carrie Bradshaw quote on a fantasy baseball website is something you prolly read so much, huh? So, what can we expect from Jose Miranda for 2022 fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?I’ve been covering so many Pirates prospects throughout the year that I feel like I’ve already written this article. Because I sort of did, particularly a month ago during Prospect News: Pirates Follow Secret Treasure Map to Roansy Contreras.
Definitely some of my shiniest work in that one, mateys. If you’ve been around here this season, you know I like this swashbuckling system, so let’s hit the high seas.
Please, blog, may I have some more?[brid autoplay=”true” video=”885648″ player=”13959″ title=”RZBL%20FB%202021%20BSH%20Week%207″ duration=”143″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-10-21″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/885648_t_1634801279.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/885648.mp4″]
Love that Oneil Cruz ended the year with the Pirates. Maybe this is a banana in the ol’ tailpipe. Or rather a banana in the booty hole. Booty as in treasure stolen by Pirates and put in a “hole” in a lower deck–Ya know what? No need to explain, everyone says booty hole with only one thing in mind. A pirate ship’s lower deck for treasure, where the peg boys hang out. So, maybe this banana in the booty hole will come back to haunt me like a ghost ship that has lots of booties with bananas, but my expectations have been raised by him being promoted in the final weekend of last season, whether that’s good or not, we shall see. Break camp, not wind when the booty hole and bananas are on the line, as I always say. Any hoo! Here’s a fun one to watch:
ONEIL CRUZ JUST HIT HIS FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE HOME RUN!!! pic.twitter.com/PIMMswXDYl
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) October 3, 2021
Oneil Cruz had no business hitting that ball out. What’s that, a flip of the wrist in one of baseball’s worst parks? He’s a shortstop with 80-grade power? Oh…*climbs up a stack of phone books until one reaches the moon*…kay. So, what can we expect from Oneil Cruz for 2021 fantasy baseball?
Please, blog, may I have some more?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, but this time, live from Las Vegas with BOTH Donkey Teeth AND B_Don. First, a man eats at Chipotle in all 50 states and lives to tell the tale. And in a surprisingly unrelated story, farting has been discovered to be a sign of depression. Then, Kellogg’s is sued for berry-less Pop-Tarts and an Alabama man is raking in serious coin by scaring children for a $30 fee. Finally, a giant “phallic” potato goes viral.
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?Prospect Itch’s fantasy baseball top 100 prospects has Julio Rodriguez as numero uno. The big mahoof. The head honcho. The ying and yang. The sun, moon and stars. Here’s what Itch said, “A thunderous power bat with a knack for going the other way. Concerns exist about his ability to handle elite chase pitches on the outer half, and while that’s true of just about every young hitter, J-Rod’s first move in the box is a slight drift toward third base, and his front leg moves that direction, as well. He’s adept at slashing or driving the ball to the opposite field, so I suspect this could be just an aesthetic thing because sometimes the greats just look different and force us to retrain our eyes a little. Might wind up a double plus in hit, and power with just enough athleticism to chip in on the base paths. If only I could ‘double-hit’ Grey’s head.” C’mon, man! Jul-Rod, which sounds like a vaping product, went 13/21 across High-A and Double-A Arkansas in 74 games with a slash line of .347/.441/.560, which is kinda hilarious. His top exit velocity was 117.4 MPH. That’s Vlad Jr.-type top exit velocity, i.e., a top 10 MLB exit velocity. If you’re wondering where he was and why he only saw 74 games, he was leading his Dominican Republic Olympic baseball team to a bronze. During his Olympic experience, he hit .417 and got to find out if inside the metal is white or dark chocolate. *intern whispers in ear* There’s no chocolate? That’s a bummer to hear. I hope Jul-Rod didn’t crack a tooth. So, what can we expect from Julio Rodriguez for 2022 fantasy baseball?
Please, blog, may I have some more?The Brewers have been pulling away from their division foes over the past few years thanks to incredible pitching and an opportunistic front office that always answers the phone when a team calls looking to move a Willy Adames or Rowdy Tellez type. They won the NL Central by five games despite an epic late push from the Cardinals and a bad year from Christian Yelich. It’s hard to imagine anyone closing the gap anytime soon.
Please, blog, may I have some more?