Randal Grichuk, 2017 Fantasy Sleeper

January 5, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Sleepers | 156 Comments

Did you just see a cat walk up a stairway twice? A glitch in the Matrix? Having deja vu? Did you just Google deja vu and feel like you had Googled it previously? Okay, yes, there was a Randal Grichuk sleeper post last year. When I wrote that Randal Grichuk sleeper post, I gave him the projections of 69/25/82/.253/8. And, he disappointed. Can you tell me by how much? Go ahead, guess. 18 HRs? 40 runs? 50 RBIs? Well, no. I mean, yes, he did disappoint, but not by nearly that much. His end of the season line was 66/24/68/.240/5. I’m not going to say he made good on my sleeper call, which is different and less Al Qaeda’ey than a sleeper cell, but you have to admit he wasn’t the flop you thought he was. Okay, don’t admit it. Live in your frickin’ “I’m always right” bubble! Quick question, do you have to dust when living in a bubble? Do you ever blow a bubble while in your bubble to get all meta? You know what? I don’t care! Keep your stupid answers to yourself! Though, if you wanna DM me the answers, I would appreciate it. So, what can we expect from Randal Grichuk for 2017 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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2017 Minor League Preview: Milwaukee Brewers

January 4, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 126 Comments

by: Geoff

Johnny come latelys like the Yankees and White Sox may think they’re hip for acquiring prospects. But the Brewers have been doing it since before it was cool. Starting with the trade of Carlos Gomez, the Brewers have brought in a bounty of talented youngsters. In fact 8 of the 17 prospects discussed were acquired via trade. Including 4 of their top 5. So good work Doug Melvin and David Sterns, you guys are the prospect hoarding dynasty league owners of MLB. Truthfully, they’ve made a lot of good moves, and have a solid, and deep up and coming core. With good young players like Orlando Arcia, Jonathan Villar, and Keon Broxton already in Milwaukee, the revolution has started. There’s lots of fantasy gold to uncover in the Brewers system, so I went a little longer than usual. I’m sure you won’t mind. It’s the Top Milwaukee Brewers Prospects.

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David Peralta, 2017 Fantasy Sleeper

January 3, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Sleepers | 138 Comments

by: Grey

I would call fantasy baseball sleepers my “All-Want Team,” except it’s not always that black/white for Grey, said the color scale. David Peralta was a surefire “Want” last year; this year, he’s a “Want for the Right Price.” Peralta had three homers and two steals through the first five weeks of the season. That comes out to about 16 HRs, 11 SBs over the course of the season. It’s not a completely fair prorating job because he wasn’t hot once in that time. You’d figure for at least a portion of the season he’d heat up and raise his season stats. Though, maybe he would’ve gotten colder too. Alas, we’re left with prorating five weeks out to a season because on May 8th began the dreaded Day-to-Day Dance of Day-to-Dayness. Injury update on May 8th, “David Peralta is out with a bruised forearm.” On May 9th, “David Peralta missed his 2nd straight day with a bruised forearm.” On May 10th, “Peralta visited a wrist specialist.” Don’t you love how the injury isn’t even the right body part when it starts? On May 12th, “Peralta’s wrist exam showed no structural damage.” Wait, this is when it gets good. On May 13th, “Peralta says he won’t need the DL.” Does anyone have any question how this is about to turn out? On May 15th, “Peralta hit the 15-day DL with wrist inflammation. It’s believed to be precautionary.” Please tell me you know where this is going. On August 10th, “Peralta underwent season-ending wrist surgery.” The final bit of injury news is, “Peralta will be ready for the start of spring training.” I guess I’m the idiot here, because I know injury news is always five to seven times worse (exact science!) than what is relayed to us and I’m choosing to believe he will be ready for spring training, even though his previous eight months is littered with land mines on the dance floor of the Day-to-Day Dance of Day-to-Dayness. So, what can we expect from David Peralta for 2017 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

J.P. Crawford, 2017 Fantasy Outlook

January 2, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Rookies | 71 Comments

by: Grey

Happy New Year! Or as I like to call it, Happy Birthday, Baby January! We’re in the midst of doing our fantasy baseball sleepers, but I forget one more of the 2017 fantasy baseball rookies. Not because he’s so good. I forgot him because… Well, I forgot why I forgot him. Great start to 17 after 20! As I’ve previously mentioned on the aforementioned tip, I’m focusing on redraft leagues with these fantasy baseball rookies and if I could have my druthers and knew what druthers were, I’d go with guys that have had at least a taste of the major leagues already. Enter stage right, J.P. Crawford. Enter…stage…right…. J.P. Crawford! Will someone please move the curtains? Crawford is apparently finding it harder to find the stage as he is finding his power. Last year, he had 7 HRs across Double and Triple-A in about 472 ABs. Okay, prolly not ‘about 472 ABs’ prolly exactly 472 ABs, but I added the two levels in my head and might be a little off. Why is it that player pages add major league players stats together when they’re traded but when they move across levels in the minors they don’t add anything? I mean, I get it, it’s two different levels, but can’t they list the two levels separate then also have a third line with a combination of the stats? I am literally the only that cares about this. Yes, literally. Okay, so not much power, but what about speed in the minors this year? 12 SBs. Not sure what level of enthusiasm I’m supposed to show at this point. Perhaps a lowercase yay with a small sigh? He did hit around .250 (again, there’s no combo line and I’m not doing the math this time). Around .250 or as I like to call it, who gives a fudge? So, why am I even doing a post on Crawford or better, and more seguey… Anyway, what can we expect from J.P. Crawford for 2017 fantasy baseball?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Prospect Podcast Episode 20: The Top Brewers Prospects, (So of course we have JB Gilpin!!!)

December 31, 2016 | Prospect Podcast, Razzball Podcast | 85 Comments

by: Geoff

We know how much you miss JB’s Brewers takes after only getting a small sliver in the Winter Meetings episode of the Razzball Baseball Podcast. So we brought North Cackalacky’s number one Brewers fan to aid Michael Halpen (of Imaginarybrickwall.com *plug*) and I in our disection of the Brew Crew’s system. Some how, some way, I managed to not quote Alice’s Cooper’s “The Good Land” rant from Wayne’s World. I’m full of surprises, and Christmas cookies. Any the who, we talk all the Top Brewers prospects, and damn are there a lot of them. I’m talking a system with a stacked amount of talent featuring names like Lewis Brinson, Josh Hader, Corey Ray, Isan Diaz, and many many more. Seriously so many I needed two manys. JB, a stocked system, a jelly donut disagreement, this is guarenteed to be a classic episode. It’s the latest edition of the Razzball Fantasy Baseball Prospect Podcast. Oh yeah, Happy New Year!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Tim Anderson, 2017 Fantasy Sleeper

December 30, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Sleepers | 103 Comments

by: Grey

Early on in every preseason, I say something like, I do my own projections, but I’d be a fool to not at least look at Steamer and ZiPs’ projections. It’s like when there’s answers in the back of your math textbook. Sure, you can figure out the cosine of X if all equations are written on a train going 178 MPH through a tunnel while Gregory Peck gets some action in Roman Holiday, but isn’t it easier to turn to the answers and then try to work backwards? Not to answer, but to nod knowingly. Sometimes looking at those player projections gets me more or less excited about players. Tim Anderson is a guy who got a sizable boost in my mind after seeing his projections. A sizable boost right in my ass, which sounds like what a nurse would say during inoculations if the nurse were trying to get fired. Also, asking kids if they saw the movie Vaxxed might have consequences to their job, as well. Anyway, what can we expect from Tim Anderson for 2017 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Greg Bird, 2017 Fantasy Sleeper

December 29, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Sleepers | 90 Comments

by: Grey

Honestly, I can’t remember the last time a Yankee felt like a sleeper to me. Well, maybe last year with Aaron Hicks, but that became a playing time issue by the time we got to March. It’s also not every day I point out a 1st baseman sleeper. I don’t like punting corner infidels and punting a 1st baseman is especially treacherous. By the by, treacherous there is a negative even though it sounds like a word that would be positive in a rap song. You want big-time production from your 1st baseman, and you should be looking for the same from your corner man. For unstints, I like to take a 1st baseman in the 1st or 2nd rounds and don’t mind grabbing a 2nd one and my corner man before I’m out of the top 100 overall. Do you want Rizzo vs. the guy trying to piece together Chris Carter and Belt? Yes, yes, yes. I want Rizzo over the guy taking Abreu, even if that means having Lindor vs. Altuve. 1st base is sneaky scarce this year. We got middle infielders coming out of ears like potatoes on the guy that never uses a Q-Tip. By the by, you should be listening to the new Tribe album, though I’m waiting for someone to Soundcloud-up a new Tribe album with Jairobi spliced out. Therefore, ergo, vis-a-vis, there’s a case to be made for a sleeper 1st baseman, and specifically Greg Bird. So, what can we expect from Greg Bird for 2017 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2017 Minor League Preview: Miami Marlins

December 28, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 42 Comments

by: Geoff

Many, many years ago the old west was littered with once horse towns. This made travel problematic. With one horse you were destined to stand in endless lines waiting to get where you were going. Then again what’s the point of living in a one horse town? You might as well just walk to a town with multiple horses. Or maybe you could take the horse to a town with more horses and trade that horse for some magic beans….I think I just smoked my self stupid. This is just a really long and confusing way to say the Miami Marlins are a one prospect system. Seriously, I’d like to own Braxton Garrett in leagues that are 16 teams and shallower and that’s it. If you want to pick nits and tell me there’s another horse in this town have at it. I’ll be too busy walking to the next town over that has multiple horses. I suppose it should be noted that the Marlins have graduated a solid number of prospects over the past 5 years (Yelich, Ozuna, Realmuto, Jose Fernandez RIP) but have also given away a number as well. Players like Francis Martes, Josh Naylor, and Chris Paddack come to mind, and all they have to show for it is Jarrod Cosart. That’s bad business. While this will be my shortest system review of the year it’s for good reason, there’s not a lot to write about. It’s the Top Miami Marlins Prospects, hey at least it’s over. Oh wait, yeah you’re just starting it. Sorry…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Joc Pederson, 2017 Fantasy Sleeper

December 27, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Sleepers | 149 Comments

by: Grey

No one is drafting Joc Pederson. I got an email from the barber that used to trim Fidel Castro’s beard before emigrating from Cuba and he said, “No tengo Joc Pederson en fantasy beisbol.” Granted, he also asked for me to wire him $1000000000 to help pay for a dead aunt I hadn’t heard of previously, so the legitimacy of the email could be debated, but Pederson as non-entity is legit. This is likely due to his known quality, as in ‘it is known he is not quality.’ If I had to guess why, I’d say it’s because people assume what they’re going to get from him — low average, some pop, prolly platoon. Okay, that’s enough to be unenthused, I can understand that. I think that’s selling him short like Christian Bale moving tranches as he waits for a bubble to burst. Just to be clear, you’ve moved your enthusiasm away from a 24-year-old who had 25 HRs and 6 SBs last year and has hit that many homers for two straight seasons and has 30+ steals in two separate minor league seasons. Yeah, no hitter has ever been better in his third full major league season. That was sarcasm. Lots of data has shown the third-year breakout season doesn’t exist, but there was some data there to begin with to even investigate it. In other words, that third-year breakout theory isn’t a bastard child because there’s data there. So, what can we expect from Joc Pederson for 2017 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Clevedwin, Encarnaciohio

December 26, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 38 Comments

by: Grey

I think there’s a fairly evident reason it took Edwin Encarnacion a while to sign with a team. Doode’s a leather-bound book with dust. In the future, will a little boy sit down to hear a tale from his grandfather and the grandfather will blow dust off a Kindle? “In the fall of 2016, I bought this Kindle from a garage sale. What’s a garage sale, you ask. It’s an informal market of used products that is held outside a house by where one stores their automobile. What’s an automobile, you ask.” Please, Grey, leave this metaphor alone! You’re prolly right, Random Italicized Voice. Speaking of grandfathers, this was overheard at the Christmas table yesterday: My grandfather, “I took Viagra and only my nipples got hard. Don’t think I got the pill all the way down.” Any hoo! Edwin’s ground ball ratio went up and his fly balls went down. He still hits the ball hard, and, if he were 27 years old, none of his red flags would even be flags, they’d be red handkerchiefs for my white suit when I’m feeling especially Scarfacey. His Ks went up, so he’s a .260 hitter now instead of a .270 hitter? Big whoop. I’m having a hard time being negative on Edwin, except he will be 34 years old. Guys do excel in their mid-30s, but not as much as they don’t. Am I excited about Edwin after he signed with the Indians? Not particularly, but thinking he’s going to fall off, is you talking hunches and that only works if you’re making small talk with Quasimodo. For Edwin’s 2017 projections, I’ll give him 88/36/105/.260/2 in 535 ABs. Anyway, here’s what else I saw this offseason for 2017 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Prospect Podcast Episode 19: Royals, Angels, and Marlins X-Mas Lump of Coal!

December 24, 2016 | Prospect Podcast, Razzball Podcast | 19 Comments

by: Geoff

It’s the holiday special edition of the prospect podcast, and Halp and I are full of cheer. There’s talk of Jelly Donuts, Egg Nog, the need for a craft rum movement, and so much more. We also lay it on you heavy for your naughty behavior, with a big olde lump of coal. Genuine and from a mine! We talk three of the most wretched systems in baseball, the Miami Marlins, Kansas City Royals, and Los Angeles Angels. Each system has only a few players to offer so we packed it into one. If you’re on the fence about whether you should tune into something I’m openly deeming awful or not, three words. Stabby the Cat. She’s back, but not really. Believe me, no one can make the Angels, Royals, and Marlins more fun than Halph! I mean come on Kansas City Royals Prospects!! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Festivus, it’s the latest edition of the Razzball Baseball Prospect Podcast.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Position Eligibility for 2017 Fantasy Baseball

December 23, 2016 | 2017 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 95 Comments

by: Grey

On Dancer! On Prancer! On–Oh, I didn’t hear you come in. Welcome, reader! Grab some egg nog and brandy it up to the fire. You look festive. I love that Rudolph tongue ring. That’s the great thing about Christmas, no matter what your interpretation is, it’s all about commercialism. That’s unless you light the Munenori Kawasaki. The 2017 fantasy baseball rankings are not far away. Right now, January Grey is throwing darts at a board to figure out where to rank Jay Bruce. Exciting! In the meantime, let’s look at the players who have multiple position eligibility for this upcoming 2017 fantasy baseball season. The biggest surprise from this list? Marwin Gonzalez played how many games at 1st base? Hayzeus Cristo! I did this list of multi-position eligible players because I figured it would help for your 2017 fantasy baseball drafts. I’m a giver, snitches! Happy Holidays! I only listed players that have multiple position eligibility of ten games or more played outside of their primary position. Not FIVE games at a position, not six, definitely not seven. Ten games. 10, the Laurel & Hardy of numbers. So this should cover Yahoo, ESPN, CBS, et al (not the Israeli airline). Yes, Christmas came two days early this year. Players with multiple position eligibility are listed once alphabetically under their primary position. This is the only time a year I do anything alphabetically, so I might’ve confused some letters. Is G or H first? Who knows, and, better yet, who cares? Wow, someone’s got the Grinchies, must be the spiked egg nog talking. Anyway, here’s all the players with multiple position eligibility for the 2017 fantasy baseball season and the positions they are eligible at:

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