In recent months, Eno Sarris has talked a lot about going to the opposite field and how a hitter who sprays the ball to all fields may have a higher BABIP than those who primarily pull the ball. Furthermore, last summer Jeff Zimmerman updated an older BABIP formula and shared with us an xBABIP spreadsheet. Simply copy and paste a couple of lines of numbers from a player’s page and the calculator spits out an expected BABIP. The formula incorporates a hitter’s power, speed and batted ball distribution and does a darn good job of it. But with Joey Votto crediting his ability to go to all fields as a major factor behind his always near league-leading BABIP marks, I felt that it was time to start doing the research to determine if he was indeed on to something.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s the final week of the regular season! This makes for the perfect opportunity to stream as the ratio categories should be pretty locked in at the moment, while the upside from some additional wins and strikeouts likely far outweigh any downside from an implosion or two. Here are this week’s recommendation, while sticking with under 50% ownership on CBS.

Read the rest of this entry »

Episode 66
Today’s episode of The Sleeper and the Bust stars yours truly and features RotoGraphs contributor Mike Petriello. We discuss the Diamondbacks middle infield situation and all things Dodgers.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @mikepodhorzer or @enosarris on Twitter and tweet us any fantasy questions you have that we may answer on our next episode.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via the feed.

Intro by DJ Sinton (no, contrary to popular belief, I do not moonlight as a rap star)

Approximately 40 min of joyous analysis.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Episode 65
Today’s episode of The Sleeper and the Bust stars yours truly and features RotoGraphs editor Eno Sarris. We revisit a number of rookies and compare the 2014 prospects of two catchers.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @mikepodhorzer or @enosarris on Twitter and tweet us any fantasy questions you have that we may answer on our next episode.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via the feed.

Intro by DJ Sinton (no, contrary to popular belief, I do not moonlight as a rap star)

Approximately 43 min of joyous analysis.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

It’s hard to believe that there’s only about a week and a half left of the 2013 regular season. Many of you are likely scrambling for wins and strikeouts at the expense of potential destruction to your ratios. As usual, there are a whole bunch of new or returning starters in the American League that may be sitting in your free agent pool. The question becomes: do I pick up the pitcher or not?

Read the rest of this entry »

We’re going real deep today folks for perhaps the last deep league waiver wire piece of the 2013 season. If you’re looking for middle infield help, it’s your lucky day!

Read the rest of this entry »

Episode 64
Today’s episode of The Sleeper and the Bust stars yours truly and features RotoGraphs editor Eno Sarris. We discuss the debut of another top pitching prospect and a draft strategy to consider for next season.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @mikepodhorzer or @enosarris on Twitter and tweet us any fantasy questions you have that we may answer on our next episode.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via the feed.

Intro by DJ Sinton (no, contrary to popular belief, I do not moonlight as a rap star)

Approximately 41 min of joyous analysis.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In the post-roster expansion period, it is easy to lose track of who the heck is playing these days, especially for non-contending teams. If you’re an NFL fan and fantasy football player, it makes it even more difficult to monitor playing time situations. With less than two weeks to go, deeper leaguers who are scrambling for bats should consider the following hitters who have enjoyed significant playing time over the past couple of weeks, perhaps to the surprise of some.

Read the rest of this entry »

Finally, I have published this streamer post on Monday to offer a recommendation for every game of the fantasy week! Hopefully the entire RotoGraphs readership is still in the hunt for that exhilarating Yoo-Hoo shower and any additional wins and strikeouts could be the difference between getting wet and staying dry. As a reminder, I am attempting to identify starting pitchers who should be available in the majority of leagues. There may be better options available in your league, in which case you may ask for any specific cases in the comments.

Read the rest of this entry »

Episode 63
Today’s episode of The Sleeper and the Bust stars yours truly and features RotoGraphs contributor Brandon Warne. We discuss all things Minnesota Twins and a breakout catcher.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @mikepodhorzer or @enosarris on Twitter and tweet us any fantasy questions you have that we may answer on our next episode.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via the feed.

Intro by DJ Sinton (no, contrary to popular belief, I do not moonlight as a rap star)

Approximately 40 min of joyous analysis.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS