Most platforms have a feature where you can click something by the player’s name to put them on a virtual watchlist. It is smart to use this feature before the season starts because once it starts you be sorting by stats and you could miss out on someone you really want about to get a new role because you sorted by PA and he just didn’t show very high.

This is starting to feel like a weekly thing…

• Previous Watchlists

Jed Lowrie and Zach McKinstry were standouts from last week’s list.

SHALLOW LEAGUES (mixed leagues – 10 or fewer teams)

Adam Duvall | OF, MIA

We are jumping on the train here as his 3 HR and 8 RBI from Monday and Tuesday of this week certainly earned him some attention. Of course, that’s why he on the shallow league end because he is still widely available with just a 21% roster rate at ESPN. He’s a two-time 30 HR hitter with all the playing time he can handle. I feel like he is regularly slept on so I’m already rostering him in some deeper formats, but he’s creeping into shallow, 3-OF territory, too.

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4/15/21

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live. Support the show by subscribing to our Patreon!!

Follow us on Twitter

• @sporer – Host
• @justinmasonfwfb – Co-Host/Producer

NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS/INJURIES/RUMORS

• Carlos Rodón’s no-hitter (11:15)
• Corbin Burnes’ torrid start (19:10)
• Trevor Rogers’ torrid start (23:17)
  • Nick Neidert interest? (26:45)

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Most platforms have a feature where you can click something by the player’s name to put them on a virtual watchlist. It is smart to use this feature before the season starts because once it starts you be sorting by stats and you could miss out on someone you really want about to get a new role because you sorted by PA and he just didn’t show very high.

I ran one of these before the season started and I think it is worth updating throughout the season.

• Previous Watchlists

Akil Baddoo and Julian Merryweather graduated off that first list into pickups in leagues beyond the group they were under (Deep for Baddoo, AL for Merryweather).

SHALLOW LEAGUES (mixed leagues – 10 or fewer teams)

Luis Arraez | 2B, MIN

When the Twins signed Andrelton Simmons despite still having Jorge Polanco, it was a hit to Arraez’s outlook, but then the team mentioned that he would be their super utilityman, working in both the infield and outfield. While he is a known AVG asset, it is kind of a light profile for shallower leagues with runs being the only other category he excels in besides the standout batting average.

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There’s this phenomenon in writing where you have an idea and you start putting together the piece. In the midst of writing it, you may take a random break and pop onto your Twitter feed. Whilst scanning said feed, you may run across an article posted with not only your exact premise, but damn near the same title, too. This is what Nick Pollack and Alex Fast at PitcherList have termed “Getting Sullivan’d” based on outstanding Fangraphs alumnus Jeff Sullivan.

Well, PitcherList got one back on Fangraphs:

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4/6/21

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live. Support the show by subscribing to our Patreon!!

Follow us on Twitter

• @sporer – Host
• @justinmasonfwfb – Co-Host/Producer

NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS/INJURIES/RUMORS

• Fernando Tatis Jr. hurt – shoulder (1:52)
• Cody Bellinger hurt – spiked calf (6:15)
• Orlando Arcia traded to ATL (10:47)
• Joakim Soria to IL – calf (16:00)

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A look around the league for the games of April 1st, 2021

DET 3 v. CLE 2

• Matthew Boyd went 5.7 scoreless, but did have 4 BB and just 2 Ks
• Shane Bieber salvaged his start with 12 Ks (6 IP/3 ER, 3 BB in 95 pit)
• Miguel Cabrera’s snowmer was pretty cool and puts him just 12 away from 500.
• Robbie Grossman was 0-1 w/3 BB and a SB – if they turn him loose, he has the OBP to steal 15+
• Gregory Soto got the first save attempt and converted, but only after a Roberto Perez 2-R HR

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4/1/21

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live. Support the show by subscribing to our Patreon!!

Follow us on Twitter

• @sporer – Host
• @justinmasonfwfb – Co-Host/Producer

NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS/INJURIES/RUMORS

• Trevor Rosenthal to IL
• Adalberto Mondesi to IL

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It’s Bold Prediction season! The goal here isn’t to nail 100% of these, they just don’t have a high enough probability to expect such a success rate, but rather to come up with predictions that could happen to highlight some potential breakouts and statistical surges. I know some people do downside bold predictions, but I’m especially bad at those. Let me know your Bold Predictions in the comments. Again, make sure they are actually bold – something a player has never done or a fall off that no one is seeing coming, except you.

Opening Day is so close now!

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Goes .300-35-100

He only has three small samples in his three MLB seasons (263, 343, and 224 PA), but he has improved his wRC+ each year – 103, 124, and 135 – and I see him poised for a full season breakout. Maybe this isn’t bold enough given that he has averaged .287-33-93 per 650 PA. He still needs to overperform that mark and put up over 600 PA so I think it still qualifies as bold, especially since his high in games played is 84.

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3/30/21

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live. Support the show by subscribing to our Patreon!!

Follow us on Twitter

• @sporer – Host
• @justinmasonfwfb – Co-Host/Producer

NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS/INJURIES/RUMORS

• George Springer (oblique) likely to start on IL (2:13)
  • Cavan Biggio’s outlook
• Stephen Strasburg unimpressive in return (11:00)
  • Carter Kieboom’s spring
• Shohei Ohtani has a blister (24:10)

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Earlier this year, we began looking for new writers and the interest was truly remarkable. I want to thank everyone who took the time to apply. This was my first time going through a hiring process here at FanGraphs and it was incredible to see so many talented people get involved. Of course, this abundance of talented folks meant the decisions would be difficult and, in the end, they absolutely were.

I want to reiterate a note Meg had in the front page welcome. If you weren’t part of this hiring run, continue writing. There will be other opportunities, whether here or elsewhere, and not only that, but it strengthens the outlets you currently write for as they grow their footprint in the baseball world. The expansion of the baseball writing community since I started 412 years ago has been amazing to watch and helped cultivate an amazing pool of candidates.

Let’s get to know our new class of Rotographs writers officially joining the team on April 1st:

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