Bear or Bull: Porcello & Duffy

January 22, 2017 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 30 Comments

Image result for new tv season

Ren & Stimpy. Beavis & Butt-head. Laverne & Shirley. Will & Grace. Tom & Jerry. Sanford & Son. Rizzoli & Isles. Franklin & Bash. Hollywood has always had a fascination with highlighting the relationship between two. It makes sense. The world is dualistic in nature. Yin and Yang. Good versus Evil. White and Black. Whatever the reason, that is what the people enjoy and, whatever the people enjoy, is where the money flows to. The world is such a simple place. With the inaugural baseball Bear or Bull article coinciding with the beginning of the new television season, I thought it would be appropriate to pay homage to the famous pairings of TV past and bring you pairs on a weekly basis. I am a person of the people after all. Honestly, Jay, my editor and top-10 fantasy football ranker, asked me to talk about two similar players every week. That wouldn’t make for an interesting open though. So with that said, until the regular season starts, you shall be blessed with a double shot of Bear or Bull every week!!! Who doesn’t like a 2-for-1? Well, I usually do except when that one owner offers up Kenta Maeda and Jacoby Ellsbury for Mike Trout every week. EF that guy!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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Prospect Podcast Episode 23: Oakland Athletics

by: Geoff

In our never ending quest to cover every single farm system in baseball, uncover every sleeper, upside youngster, and great name in the minor leagues. We bring you the Oakland Athletics for our watershed 23rd Episode. Let it be noted in the annuals of history that the most important thing to happen on January, 20th 2017 was Halp and Ralph’s discussion of Jharel Cotton’s changeup. Truly a great moment in Podcast, Fantasy Baseball, and American history. I mean what’s not to love about a Jharel? Or Cotton, I mean have you slept on Cotton? Come on in and learn about the Semi-Pro Wrestler I beat up as a child or why Franklin Barreto might be an underrated fantasy prospect. We do it all! We talk Puk, Chapman, Nunez, and Frankie Montas. As well as any A’s prospect worth discussing. It’s the latest episode of the Razzball Fantasy Baseball Prospect Podcast.

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Andrew (Be)Nintendo Classic

January 20, 2017 | Uncategorized | 30 Comments

by: malamoney

Nothing against Benintendi, but the primary reason he is the centerpiece of today’s post is because his last name gives me an easy transition to talk about the Nintendo Classic. Those of you that follow the football side of things here at Razzball likely also know that the good guys that run this site are crazy enough to let me share my ideas with you there as well. I guess you could say that I go both ways. On second thought, I’d prefer you didn’t. Today’s rant is actually part two of a rant I began about seven weeks ago in a football post. Grey can correct me if I’m wrong, but I might be the first Razzball writer to start a post on the football site and finish it on the baseball. Yeah, I get it, whoop de doo. Regardless of what you think, I can appreciate my own creativity. After all, if you don’t enjoy your own brand…

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Top 20 2nd Basemen for 2017 Fantasy Baseball

January 20, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 203 Comments

by: Grey

Our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings are humming right along. The last post, the top 20 1st basemen for 2017 fantasy baseball, was the longest post ever written on the internet by a relatively sane person. The post before that, top 20 catchers for 2017 fantasy baseball, was the longest post ever written by a relatively insane person. Incredibly, these are the same person. Glass half sane, glass half crazy, nah mean? So, without further hubbub on the tomfoolery, the top 20 2nd basemen for 2017 fantasy baseball was shallow like how Altuve likes his pool water as recently as two years ago, but that was not the case last year, and almost rivaled 1st basemen for depth. So, that’s the same again this year, right? Well, let’s see about that. As always, my projections are included and I mention where I see tiers starting and stopping. Anyway, here’s the top 20 2nd basemen for 2017 fantasy baseball:

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SAGNOF Report: Preseason Multi-Position Eligibility Love

January 19, 2017 | SAGNOF, Steals | 16 Comments

by: Smokey

To be a follow up on Grey’s post months or weeks ago, Position Eligiblity can be a sexual and quite tantalizing thing, especially when it correlates into what I am going to talk about. So taking from the list that he concocted and then applying it to mine, and voila! Your needs as it relates to SAGNOF are fulfilled! The “S” that we’re referring to this time out though is steals. For those new to the term, get familiar, as it means “Saves (and Steals) Ain’t Got No Face”. Because in reality it is basically a 2 AM lights come on picking fest, and whomever gathers you the stat is good enough. Just gotta be fast to the waivers or some other speed miner will scoop them up. So now back to how speed and multi-eligibility is a fantasy boon to your usability for them come draft time. Granted, it is way early to start looking at trends and expert advise on the matter because, well, it is way too early. I just said that, making me say stuff twice. So I have scoured what information I have gathered and used my own super secret rankings in seeing who falls where on draft day, has multiple positions, and can be an asset in the steals department. I personally like reserving one to two spots on my roster, taking in mind the multi-positional speed guys. They fill in the spots of the MI, sometimes CI, and definitely the Util spot. Steals can get scarce later in drafts, but we here at the “Razz Central speed and Saves Department” don’t care. It don’t got no face, or an English degree in how to say that in a way that sounds logical without double negatives. So to keep pace with what’s going down as I awake from my winter’s hibernation, speed and multiple position eligibility and some savings on draft day is what it’s all about to be about!

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Top 20 1st Basemen for 2017 Fantasy Baseball

January 19, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 199 Comments

by: Grey

Yesterday, I went over the top 20 catchers for 2017 fantasy baseball, and, today, you guessed it (if you didn’t read the title and just fell here from outer space), it’s the top 20 1st baseman for 2017 fantasy baseball. Something weird happened last year — okay, a lot weird happened last year, but I’m going to focus on fantasy baseball. Middle infield got deep and 1st base got shallow. I have some theories why this happened. First theory, a lot of kids who are playing now grew up watching Bret Boone and Alex Rodriguez and their frosted hair and, like a moth to a flame, or peroxide to a hairstyle, kids became middle infielders. Second theory, it happened just cuz. So, I don’t have a lot of theories on it, per se, but offense is deep this year, but not 1st basemen. My projections are included, and here’s all of our fantasy baseball rankings. Anyway, here’s the top 20 1st basemen for 2017 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2017 Minor League Preview: Oakland Athletics

January 18, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 19 Comments

by: Geoff

Whenever I write a post about Oakland, I open with a shout out to the King Of Hyphy, and fallen solider Mac Dre. I know he’s from the Valley-Jo, but the man gets a great deal of Oakland love. It’s only a half hour north after all. Or maybe all this is just a poor excuse to link to this video. So put on your best Thizz Face, and let’s get into some Moneyball A’s talk. You ready? After unloading eventual MVP, and mullet superstar Josh Donaldson, the A’s have been in full on rebuild mode. Of course treadmill hero extraordinaire Billy Beane is still pulling the strings behind the scenes, but the sort of prospect crop needed for the A’s to compete has alluded them for the better part of a decade. However, things changed last July, spearheaded by the signing of Cuban Hype Machine Lazarito. The A’s then became heavy players in an active trade deadline, settling on a solid trade with the Dodgers. Unloading the aging Rich Hill, and impending free agent Josh Reddick for three solid prospect arms with some upside. All three Jhael Cotton, Frankie Montas, and Grant Holmes should factor into Oakland’s rotation in the next few seasons. With Cotton the closest to the O.Co, followed by Montas, and Holmes bringing up the rear. They then followed both of those moves with the savvy December signing of Cuban pitcher Norge Ruiz for $2 million; a player many think was the best arm in the 2016 international class. Saying the rebuild of the once prospect and pitching rich A’s began this July is a little disingenuous, as they did swing a trade for 2016 breakout rookie pitcher Sean Manaea at the 2015 deadline. Unloading Ben Zobrist to the future World Series champion Royals in the process. With a crop of young hitters, and pitchers matriculating to Oakland over the next few years, we could be looking at an up and coming organization. Time will tell if that holds true. It’s the Top Oakland Athletics Prospects for 2017 Fantasy Baseball.

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Top 20 Catchers for 2017 Fantasy Baseball

January 18, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 180 Comments

by: Grey

After going over my top 10 for 2017 fantasy baseball and top 20 for 2017 fantasy baseball (clickbait!), I move onto the one post all year that make all the ladies say ‘Ooooh…’ The manner in which those ladies in question say ‘Ooooh…’ is as such, “Ooooh…So, are we going to the mall after you’re done reading that fantasy baseball nonsense or can we go now and, while I’m shopping, you sit outside Orange Julius reading that shizz while I’m dropping buckets of duckets on earrings? And, no, we can’t go to Lush so you can play with the handmade soaps.” It’s better if we leave it at, this post makes all the ladies say ‘Ooooh…’ The ellipsis says enough, I think. The projections noted in the post are my own, and I mention where tiers start and stop. I also mention a bunch of hullabaloo, so let’s get to it. Anyway, here’s the top 20 catchers for 2017 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Thoracic Outlet Surgery Is The New Tommy John Surgery

January 17, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Injury Report | 12 Comments

by: Kerry Klug

We’re under a month away until pitchers and catchers report to two of the worst states in the Union. This is a good time to check-in with some of those idiots who ruined your fantasy season last year. Each week I’m going to be taking a look at any player who is listed as injured or is about to come back from injury or who is just an injury waiting to happen–looking at you Mike Stanton–I’ll call you Giancarlo when you start acting like Giancarlo. This first article might be a little long, but hopefully I won’t have to cover 14 injuries in a single week during the regular season.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 20 for 2017 Fantasy Baseball

January 17, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 255 Comments

by: Grey

Yesterday, I went over the top 10 for 2017 fantasy baseball. Today, I throw out preconceived notions, drink some potions and lather up my body with lotions as I sloppily slip and slide my way through the most precarious top 20 for fantasy baseball I’ve ever encountered. This top twenty is a blind man playing Twister. Half the time, I’m grabbing for things not knowing if they’re there or not. I legit think this top 20 could go countless other ways. Is countless a widowed Countess? No, it’s not, it’s a confusing AF top 20 for fantasy baseball. One bright spot (or sour note if you disagree with me), I finally convinced myself that since I never draft a starter in the top 20, I’m not ranking one here. If you want to bemoan my (lack of) ranking Kershaw, Scherzer or any pitcher, then bemoan away. Just remember, a bemoaner sounds a bit to me like “U be a boner.” All the positional rankings will live under the 2017 fantasy baseball rankings. Anyway, here’s the top 20 for 2017 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Couch Managers 2017 Industry Mock Draft Recap, Rounds 1-6

January 16, 2017 | 2017 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 46 Comments

by: mikeMaher

Greetings, friends. I hopped over to the football side of things once last year’s baseball season ended, but now I’m back. And apparently, I am such a disturbed individual that I am doing fantasy baseball mock drafts in early January. And, I am writing about them. And, well, I just wanted to start another sentence with and because it feels so wrong but so right at the same time. Anyway, moving on.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Couch Managers 2017 Industry Mock Draft, and we’re going to recap it here. This mock was for a 15-team, 5×5 roto, with 23 roster spots made up of 9 pitchers (9), 1 spot for each position (8), a second catcher (1), 2 more outfielders (2), one corner infielder (1), one middle infielder (1), and one utility position (1). As long as I did that math correctly, that is 23 spots.

Below, I will provide the results for the first six rounds and a give my thoughts for each round. I’ll do the same for rounds 7-12, 13-18, and 19-23 in subsequent posts. I’ll try to keep it brief. All we really care about are the results here, right? Feel free to tell me how awesome or crappy you think my team is, along with what you think were the best and worst picks of the draft or the different rounds…

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Top 10 for 2017 Fantasy Baseball

January 16, 2017 | 2017 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 220 Comments

by: Grey

I sure wish Grey would do his 2017 fantasy baseball rankings. Wait, I am Grey and this is those rankings! I need to sit down. Wait, I am sitting! I can’t handle all of this! I’m going to put on a pair of pants and go dance in the street. Meh, let’s be honest, pants are a chore. So, this is the greatest day ever! Now, only 400,000 words more until I finish my top 500 and I’ll be done. Worst day ever! Damn, that excitement was fleeting. Well, not for you because you don’t have to write all the rankings. You lucky son of a gun! I wish I were you… *wavy lines* Hey, why am I balding and have lost all definition in my buttocks? *wavy lines* Hmm, I’m gonna stay me. Now before we get into the top 10 for 2017 fantasy baseball (though I imagine every single one of you has skipped this intro paragraph), I’m gonna lay down some exposition. Here’s where you follow us on Twitter. Here’s where you follow us on Facebook. Here’s our fantasy baseball player rater. Here’s our fantasy baseball team name generator. Here is all of our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings. Here’s the position eligibility chart for 2017 fantasy baseball. And here is a picture of my son. What a punim! You may not get all of those links in such a handy, easy-to-use format ever again this year, so make proper note. (Unless you just go to the top menu on this page that says “Rankings” and click it, but semantics, my over-the-internet friend, semantics.) Now my expositional half insists I breakdown some generalizations about these 2017 fantasy baseball rankings. The 2017 fantasy baseball rankings will be an ever-evolving mass like the blob. This fantasy baseball top 10 for 2017 list is as of right now and could potentially change with a big injury or Mike Trout quitting baseball because he’s bored with being the best and wants to play competitive Mahjong. (I’m not sure yet where Trout would rank in my Mahjong Top 10.) So while it is the 2017 fantasy baseball gospel, take it with a tablet of salt. Tomorrow we will cover the rest of the top twenty for 2017 fantasy baseball, then we will go around the horn with a top 20 (more like 50) list for every position. Then for pitchers and outfielders, I’ll turn the dial to 100 (more like 140). Listed with each player are my 2017 projections. Did I consult with anyone else who does projections? It would be ignorant not to, but, in the end, these are my projections. Players need 10 games at a position to get included in the positional rankings. Finally, as with each list in the 2017 fantasy baseball rankings, I will be mentioning where I see tiers start and stop. I look at tiers like this, if Jose Altuve and Paul Goldschmidt are in the same tier, it doesn’t matter if one guy is ranked 2nd and one guy is ranked 5th, they’re both very close. It comes down to personal preference. I would prefer the guy at number two over the guy at five, but you do you, I’ll do me and let’s hope we don’t go blind. Anyway, here’s the top 10 for 2017 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?