Michael A. Taylor

Please see our player page for Michael A. Taylor to see projections for today, the next 7 days and rest of season as well as stats and gamelogs designed with the fantasy baseball player in mind.

Grey

Even The Threat Of Pirates Can’t Stop Me From Buying This Cruz

June 17, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell, Featured | 311 Comments

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(NOTE: THIS POST WAS RELEASED EARLY THIS WEEK ON OUR PATREON. IT’S $10/MONTH.)

It’s time for a Pirates mailbag:

Q: Hey, Mikey Yinz here, I was over in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Not Fred. I mean Roger Rogers, guy I went to Andy Carnegie High School with. I don’t know his real name, we call him Roger Rogers because he’s got a stutter. We were watching the Pirates and eating a two-hander from Primanti’s, and Roger Rogers says to me, after some coaxing with a smack on his back, “What’s going on with Oneil Cruz?” And it got me thinking, let me ask Grey.
A: He’s being called up soon, or not at all, like Bobby Witt Jr. from last year. He’s past service time thresholds. Of course, there’s a new CBA that might have new cutoff days. Baseball’s service time is purposely incomprehensible. It’s like the tax code. They don’t want us to know.
Q: Is he a generational talent like Pops Stargell or a no-good, sell-out like Sid Bream?
A: Closer to a generational talent, but depends on how long the Pirates keep him in the minors on what generation. We have a tool — the Prospectonator — that projects every rookie, and Oneil Cruz is number one by a large margin. He’s a 25/15/.260 hitter (prorated), if he ever gets to the majors.
Q: Like the difference between homemade ketchup and Pittsburgh’s own H.J. Heinz?
A: Yes.
Q: 57 varieties and thicc, baby! Ain’t that right, Roger Rogers? Yo, he just gave you a double nod! Would you say, “Oneil’s finally a prospect to buy without warning ‘But Pirates?'”
A: Sure.
Q: Say it:  “But Pirates.”
A: No.
Q: Damn.
Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Nateless Boston Set To Attack Opponents With Sox Kutter

June 13, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes, Featured | 400 Comments

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I don’t know how Kutter Crawford‘s parents immediately knew he was going to be a pitcher, but there’s no other way to explain him being named Kutter. Unless they promised the doctor to name the baby after him, and they failed to get his name, but it was a Cesarean. Any hoo! Since Nathan Eovaldi hit the IL with back inflammation — I prefer Nathan’s hot dogs vs. Nathan’s hot back — and Whitlock hit the IL, Kutter Crawford (5 IP, 0 ER, 1 hit, 4 walks, 7 Ks, ERA at 5.74) could be in the rotation for the foreseeable future. Crawford had elbow issues for most of his professional career, which accounts for his low inning totals in the minors. His velocity touches 95 with two breaking pitches and appears to be an up-and-down arm, that would stick if he commands his pitches, which he seems unable to do, so he’s very risky. Guess he should be glad his parents didn’t name him, Intentionalwalk. Though, would’ve been nice if his folks just named him, Immaculateinning. Anyway, here’s what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Paul Mammino

SAGNOF: 10/10 All-Stars

March 2, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball | 3 Comments

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The last few days have been a wild ride for fantasy baseball fans, there has been dread followed by hopeful optimism and then a gut punch with the cancellation of the first two series of the season. However, in the fantasy baseball community, the show must go on. TGFBI began this week so your Twitter feed will likely be full of player pick threads and others discussing their teams. While we still have no idea if and when we will be getting baseball, draft season is going to ramp up quickly.

Once again I will be using this space to discuss the steals market and how we as fantasy owners can attack the category. One thing we often hear when discussing players is the power/speed combo. Using the Razzball Player Rater dating back to 2017 (I removed 2020 from this analysis), 219 players have hit 10 homers and swiped 10 bags. Among those 219 players, only 20 players had a negative dollar value and all but 82 of them earned at least $10. While many of these players can be drags in other categories usually AVG, the small amount of power paired with the 10 stolen bases goes a long way. Let’s discuss a few names going outside of pick 300 who Steamer projects to eclipse both benchmarks. Overall, there are 69 players projected for 10/10 with 14 of those guys going outside of the top 300 on NFBC.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Top 100 Outfielders for 2022 Fantasy Baseball

February 1, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 80 Comments

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We’ve done it! We’ve reached the end of the fantasy baseball hitter rankings for 2022 fantasy baseball rankings. Give yourself a big round of applause. I’d clap for you, but I have carpal tunnel from actually ranking all the hitters and writing all their blurbs and calculating all of their projections and– What exactly did you do? Oh, yeah, you read them. No wonder why your hands can still clap. Here’s Steamer’s 2022 Fantasy Baseball Projections for Hitters and 2022 Fantasy Baseball Projections for Pitchers. Subscriptions are up and running, and you can already get Rudy’s Draft War Room. Anyway, here’s the top 100 outfielders for 2022 fantasy baseball:

NOTE: All 2022 fantasy baseball projections are based on a 162-game season, and will be until we hear definitively there will be less games, due to the CBA. Also, I’m going on the assumption the NL is getting the DH.

NOTE II: All my rankings are currently available on Patreon for the price of a Starbucks coffee, if you get one of those extra grande frappuccino jobbers. Don’t wait for the rankings to come out over the next month, and get them all now.

NOTE III: Free agents are listed as just that and not yet projected. Once a guy signs, I will write out their blurb and add in projections, or remove them, if they sign in an unfavorable place. They are ranked currently where I think they might be if they sign on for a full-time job.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

SAGNOF: Ro-Ro-Ro-Rojas, Quickly Down The Stream

August 14, 2021 | SAGNOF |

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We’re back to chasing speed this week. Keep an eye towards shuffling batting orders, rookies on the horizon, and second-half surges. The NFL pre-season will soon have its hooks in us. There may be some surprising names on the wire thanks to this. Maybe suggest a surprisingly friendly trade for the thing you need most. Grind on in the name of the faceless god, free category juice.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Dodgers Place Max Betts

August 5, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 274 Comments

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In the front row of Dodger Stadium, an empty seat adorned with only everything bagel seasoning and suspenders commemorating Larry King sat to the right of home plate. Still there in person, Mary Hart recounted how Larry used to say, “Something smells funny in my Duane Kuiper.” A big game for the Dodgers, make no mistake. Almost as big as the game they lost the night before. This game they wouldn’t come up short, especially with Jake Odorizzi (3 IP, 6 ER, ERA at 4.95) helping. Mookie Betts (2-for-5 and his 16th and 17th homer) led the way, showing why he’s Mookie Best. The celebrities weren’t just in the stands, as Will Smith (1-for-3, 3 RBIs) hit his 15th homer. The big story, of course, was the debut of the newly-acquired Max Scherzer (7 IP, 2 ER, 6 baserunners, 10 Ks, ERA at 2.75). One film exec in the crowd was heard saying, “He wouldn’t be half-bad if he had the same color eyes.” Oh, and A.J. Pollock (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) hit his 14th homer, and he’s been about 500 spots better than Cody Belanger on the Player Rater, as Cody now hits out of the eight hole. Hey, the 8-hole is only two spots from ‘falling’ to leadoff, which is what I say as I slowly climb out my window. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Some Fans Feel They Got An A Trade, Some Feel B Trade

July 30, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 234 Comments

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Dodgers, Yankees and Padres should just divvy up the entire league and paper, rock, scissors the World Series.

“Paper beats rock.”
“Damn…Oh, man, did you have to bat flip your hand to rub it in? Don’t you know the unwritten rules of paper, rock, scissors?”

No matter how good the Yankees and Padres are, the Dodgers are Standard Oil. So, the full package for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner is:  Keibert Ruiz, RHPs Josiah Gray, Gerardo Carrillo; a bagel Larry King once took a bite of and put aside; fan meet ‘n greet with Rob Lowe, Hollywood Walk of Fame star of Mr. Ed; a good parking spot at Trader Joe’s, which seems impossible but whatever; a call from Tom Arnold about this “thing” and someone to intercept the call and jot down notes, and OF Donovan Casey. Let’s look at the Dodgers’ lineup once everyone is healthy:

Betts RF
T Turner 2B
Muncy 1B
J Turner 3B
Seager SS
Smith C
Bellinger CF
Pollock LF
Bench Barnes C, Pujols 1B, Taylor INF/OF, McKinstry INF/OF, McKinney OF/1B
Staff: Scherzer, Buehler, Kershaw, Urias, Price and Danny Duffy. Oh, eff off.

There’s a lot here, so let’s get on the other side of the anyway to break it down. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

It Must Be $1 Beer Night Because Brujan The Rays Tonight

July 7, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 325 Comments

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It’s Vidal Brujan SZN! BruSZN?! Tell me oh great Fantasy Baseball Overlord, it is not a dream I have awoken from–“Shut up and grab Vidal Brujan.” That’s the Fantasy Baseball Overlord speaking only to me. Sorry, you ain’t got the cred! The Rays’ beat writers said with Manuel Margot hitting the IL with a hamstring injury, which is truly too bad–DID SOMEONE SAY VIDAL BRUJAN?!–The beat writers also said Brujan wouldn’t just be up for a doubleheader on Wednesday. He would remain with the Rays. So, I grabbed him in one league, and tried in all my leagues, including a 12-team mixed league. Here’s my Vidal Brujan fantasy. Bit old, still applies, which is different than my least favorite fruit, that’s “still apples.” The big takeaway from my fantasy take on Brujan is what Prospect Itch said about him, “It’s rare enough for a 40-steal player to enter our game. Even rarer to find one who hits enough to earn himself regular playing time. Rarer still to find one who speaks five languages. I mention this last piece because language learning requires the same determination needed for the grind of baseball. You’re going to make mistakes. Might look like an idiot. Might often feel dumb. But you have to keep putting yourself out there. And as long as you stay positive and focus on the long term, you can improve a little bit every day. In 2014, Tampa signed Brujan out of the Dominican Republic for $15,000. He was illiterate at the time. Now: five languages. Grey can’t speak one.” Tough but fair, tee bee aitch. Go and grab him! Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Only The Good Buy Jung

July 2, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 353 Comments

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(NOTE: THIS POST WAS RELEASED EARLY THIS WEEK ON OUR PATREON. IT’S $10/MONTH OR $13/MONTH WITH AN EXTRA WEEKLY PODCAST.)

Back in the preseason, we were all clamoring for Josh Jung, which resulted in us taking a Briggs-Myers personality test, originally proposed by Jung.

The test began: 1) Can you remember how you felt about Josh Jung in March? A) Excited B) Stressed C) There’s no C. D) Extrovert.

If you answered A, you know Josh Jung is set to debut this year, and even the Rangers can’t ruin this prospect. He has big-time power, and a hit tool to match. The Rangers have no one to play third, and are currently rocking Swiss Army knife Brock Holt, and some combination of Andy Ibanez and Charlie Culberson, all names that only sound made-up. If you answered B, you were thinking of Josh Jung’s foot, which was diagnosed with a stress fracture on March 20th, curtailing his chances to break camp. Luckily, Jung is back, healed, and hitting home runs in the minors again. If you answered C, you were dropped on your head as a baby. If you answered D, then you’re telling all your friends about how you grabbed Josh Jung in your fantasy leagues, and those friends are secretly talking about you behind your back. Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?