Go ahead, allow yourself a ten-minute cackle sesh after seeing Nick Pivetta listed as a sleeper. I’ll allow it this one time, then we’re going to get down to business, and no more cackling at what an awful season Nick Pivetta had last year. No more talk about his 4.77 ERA. No talk of his 5.05 ERA in the 2nd half. No talk about how his batting average against, slugging percentage against and wOBA against were all nearly identical from the first half to the 2nd half and none of them were particularly good. No talk about how lefties hit him like he was a dumpster Fiers. No talk about how Pivetta made you cry and crawl up into a ball every time he took the ball. No talk about any of that! No negative talk anymore after that ten-minute cackle. Okay, done? You have another 15 seconds of cackling? Then get it over with, would ya?! So, what can we expect from Nick Pivetta for 2019 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?
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Fantasy Baseball can be a fickle sport. The general impression of players who serve as Pitchers in the Rocky Mountains is not a good one. But rules are made to be broken. Norms are made to be changed (or served a mug of beer, immediately upon entering a bar). Meet German Marquez, aka the ‘Rockies Rejuvenator’. As in, the guy to make you rethink how you view pitchers who call Coors home.
Please, blog, may I have some more?So many things went through my mind for the Joey Lucchesi sleeper. For the first time in a long time, I actually contemplated not writing this post, because I didn’t want to tip off other sites, i.e., competitors. The last time I felt that urge it was 2016 and Delino DeShields was still a Jr., and we were pen pals who shared numerous correspondences. In the end, I realized that I need to be true to you, Dear Reader, and your prematurely balding head and theory about how sweatpants are formal attire. I also, for longer than I care to admit, searched for talk about how Lucchesi of the Bucatini Crime Family was recovering from shoulder, elbow or arm injuries of any sort. He’s not, but I assumed I must be overlooking something and that’s why he’s being drafted so late. He threw 139 IP in 2017, and 136 2/3 IP last year, so there was no overuse of his arm. There’s no injury. There’s no news about the Padres moving in their fences 175 feet. What am I missing? I have to missing something. There’s no way Joey Lucchesi is healthy, not overworked, has the numbers he has and is being drafted as low as he has been, right? Am I a part of a Black Mirror episode that I don’t know about and Joey Lucchesi is Italian for “technology will help you at first then end being your demise?” No? Then what gives? Nothing? Wow, then, without further ado…Anyway, what can we expect from Joey Lucchesi for 2019 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?
Please, blog, may I have some more?Why isn’t anyone talking about Yoan Moncada?! Have we forgotten how sought after he was just a mere 4 years ago? He finally played a full* MLB season, and might just be getting started. Is he poised to be one of the biggest bargains in 2019? Our Video Draft Guide gives you the answers.
Please, blog, may I have some more?I’ve already given up on all of my resolutions. Cancel my Curves membership immediately! Where are my Camels? I need a pint of Canadian Club…ASAP! We’re still hacking through the minor league previews though. Emphasis on the hack when I’m doing them. The Rays have made some interesting moves this offseason. In chess we’d put a question mark next to them. But I’ll leave opinions to the opinion-makers. I’m just here to make sure you know who the top ten prospects are in this Rays organization. In my opinion, of course.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Who’s ready to buy into Patrick Corbin being the truth? There’s some doubt, some speculation, a major change to his arsenal, and a ton of intrigue. The 2019 Fantasy Baseball Video Draft Guide continues with a look at the Nationals’ newly acquired southpaw.
Please, blog, may I have some more?When I started my research for Tyler Glasnow, I wanted to ease into it like your jeans from high school. You don’t jump in. First, you let out the waist twelve inches. So, I thought a nice way to let out the inseam on Glasnow would be looking up the Pirates’ pitching coach, Ray Searage. I Googled “Ray Searage genius” because I wanted a good laugh. Don’t judge me, while I judge Ray Searage. First, I needed to tell Google ‘genius’ had to be included, then I sorted by results from prior to 2018 vs. this year. 4,290 results vs. 5, and four of those five were people forgetting the sport and spelling their hockey team, the Pittsburgh Pengenius. Most of the results morphed like this: How great Searage was with Ivan Nova and Liriano and Edinson Volquez vs. a lot of cursing for what the hell did Searage do to pull on the reins of Gerrit Cole and Tyler Glasnow. Of course, I don’t know how much Searage played into giving the okay for Glasnow to be traded, but trading a guy who throws 97 MPH, has a K/9 of 11 and is only 25 years old, should be against the law. Maybe Ray Searage is the pitcher whisperer, but the pitchers need to be over the age of 30, and Glasnow just had too much promise. (Being so unfair to Searage right now!) Maybe there’s only room for one genius in Pittsburgh, and it’s on the ice and it’s a dyslexic Pengenius. (By the way, whoever decided to make a word for people who struggle to spell as complicated as dyslexic is a real bastard.) So, what can we expect from Tyler Glasnow for 2019 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?
Please, blog, may I have some more?Over 1,500 players took a swing or threw a pitch in 2018. We couldn’t cover every single one, so we pinpointed those we thought would be weighing on your minds most for your 2019 rosters. Our 2019 Fantasy Baseball Video Draft Guide begins, right here on Razzball! Andy Singleton (@PeoplezPen) and Ralph Lifshitz (@ProspectJesus) give you 5 quick hitting minutes on why, or why not, you should be drafting these guys. Today we feature Royals SS Adalberto Mondesi.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Here’s a post we didn’t think we’d be reading last year at this time, huh? What’s next, a Robbie Ray sleeper post? Actually… Okay, will save that for another day. Last year, was a lost year for Carlos Martinez. He dealt with a myriad of injuries. By the way, Myriad is a great name for a cult. Just throwing it out there in case any readers fancy themselves the next Bo and/or Peep of Heaven’s Gate. Or Myriad could be a 60-year-old Jewish woman. “Myriad, you know I can’t have lactose!” Any hoo! Carlos Martinez’s injuries began as oblique than progressed to straight bleak with shoulder issues. At one point, he was hit by a screamin’ meemie comebacker off his chest that sent him for x-rays. Carlos Martinez was the refrigerator and injuries were the magnets. By the by, if you want to use Screamin’ Meemie as your cult name, I’m not hating on that either. So, the big question is will Carlos Martinez be able to bounce back from his dreadful year and return to ace status. So, what can we expect from Carlos Martinez for 2019 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?
Please, blog, may I have some more?This year my New Year’s resolution is to complete all thirty minor league previews by Opening Day. And lose 50 pounds. And stop drinking. And stop smoking. One of those is doable. I’ll let you figure out which one! We’re about through the AL East with this Yankees preview, who recently lost one of their best prospects in a trade (Justus Sheffield). Once we take the turn into the National League, we’ll pause and start cranking out the Top 100 list. Something to look forward to! For now, let’s discuss what I believe are the ten best specs in New York’s system.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Jesus’s teachings are highlighted on this week’s Ditka Pod. Razzball’s own Prospect Jesus that is. Us and Ralph Lifshitz discuss a bunch of prospects who could have significant fantasy impacts for 2019 fantasy baseball.
First, Jesus shares his prophecies regarding when some of the top prospects in the game will arrive to the big show, including Vlad Jr, Eloy Jimenez, Fernando Tatis Jr, Forrest Whitley, Keston Huira and many others. Then Ralph settles some debates on which prospects are most worth gambling on at their current early draft season ADPs before rattling off some deeper prospects with legitimate 2019 fantasy potential. When Jesus talks, we listen! Kanye voice, “Jesus talks.”
Please, blog, may I have some more?It is true that I’ve called two different Orioles sleepers. We know I haven’t completely lost my mind because they’re not pitchers. Is Ubaldo still pitching for them? No, okay, who cares. Finding value on discarded teams is no exact science, unless you have a BS from the Fantasy Baseball College of Charleston. Why I tend to like late-round gambles from garbage teams is they have nothing to play for. If you’re not sure what I mean, check out how many games Freddy Galvis has played in the last few years. If collecting garbage at-bats was an art, Galvis would be in the MOMA with a statue of David made out of reclaimed coat hangers. My hope is Cedric Mullins can do a series of water lilies with secondhand Hypercolor t-shirts from Goodwill — call it Goodwillies. Anyway, what can we expect from Cedric Mullins for 2019 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?
Please, blog, may I have some more?