The early season continues to deliver chaos, and this week’s Razzball Fantasy Baseball Podcast leans into the uncertainty with a look at prospects on the rise and injuries already shaking up depth charts. A few key hitters hitting the IL are opening up opportunities for younger bats to step in, while several top prospects are making strong early impressions with power, speed, and plate discipline.
On the pitching side, it’s been a rollercoaster. Some highly drafted arms are off to rough starts, dealing with dips in velocity and subtle changes in pitch movement that could be more than just early-season noise. At the same time, a wave of unexpected breakout pitchers is emerging, fueled by tweaks in pitch mix, added velocity, or new approaches that are generating strikeouts and limiting damage. We dig into what might be sustainable and what could regress.
We wrap things up, as always, with a look at the ever-shifting saves landscape and some under-the-radar bullpen arms worth monitoring, plus a rundown of streaming options to help you attack the upcoming week. If you’re trying to stay ahead of the curve in a volatile April, this episode will help you sort through the noise and find your edge.
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I enjoy listening to your Pod every week.
I did want to briefly weigh in on “advanced metrics.”
If I was writing a post for the site, I would title it “WAR, what is it good for. Absolutely nothing. Say it Again!”
In other words, I would repeat some of the thingsGrey already said, on one site Vientos is 18%, on another he’s 44%. Because unless something is objective, it’s subjective. One man’s hard is another man’s not hard. (to quote Grey, that’s what she said.”
Anyway, the stats I like best are the categories themselves. If we’re trying to win HRs, I like the guy who hits the most HRs, both in the past and this year. Strikeouts. Runs. RBI’s. The same thing.
Sometimes I find a few stats useful. For example, I like lots of Ks and very few walks for pitchers. I like this individually or expressed as a ratio.
I like guys with a track record. But not too old. I like prospects with pedigree, but I know they fail more than they succeed. If you blend the two, you have a chance to be successful.
I hate “expected stats.” Who exactly is expecting them? And why? I know a smart “expert” can make stuff up, but if we could predict the future, we’d be first place in every category and win every NFBC dollar pool.
Anyway, I’m not going on because nobody’s going to read this, and I’d rather hear what you too say anyway.
Thanks for reading this. Or not reading it. Nobody cares what I say anyway, except maybe Grey because he wants me to think he values the opinion of every commenter. I win a lot of leagues, but I’m dumb enough to know I value Grey’s opinion on which schmohawk to take in my AL and NL only leagues, which I do win a lot too.
Have a great day guys, and keep coming with the Pods. They are a highlight of my week. (Shows you the kid of weeks I have.)
“kind of weeks” in the last sentence, but I’m too lazy to proof the entire post. Just like learning the advanced metrics, when I can get you guys to do it for me.
Bingo to all that!