Archive for Beat the Shift

Beat the Shift Podcast – Outfield Episode w/ Sara Sanchez

The Outfield episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Sara Sanchez

Strategy Section

Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week

ATC Undervalued Players

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – Middle Infield Episode w/ Mike Gianella

The Middle Infield episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Mike Gianella

Strategy Section

  • Kentucky Derby Style (KDS) Draft Order
    • Which draft slot is most similar to an auction?
    • General preferences for slot selection
    • 2023 preferences for slot selection
  • Middle Infielders
    • The shortstop and second base player pools
      • SS – Deep
      • 2B – Wide Bottom
    • Do you need to draft stolen bases from the middle infield position?
    • Jon Berti
    • Adalberto Mondesi
    • Bounceback middle infield candidates

Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week

ATC Undervalued Players

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – Corner Infield Episode w/ Frank Stampfl

The Corner Infield episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Frank Stampfl

Strategy Section

  • Personal goals for 2023
  • How the projections are handling the new rule changes
  • Stolen bases increase for 2023
  • Starting pitcher strategy for 2023
    • The 3 1A Strategy
  • Justin Verlander
  • Tyler Glasnow
  • Corner Infielders
    • Players who will gain value from switching teams / change of scenery
    • Definition of a “shallow” position
    • Third Base strategy for 2023
    • The corner infield conundrum

Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week

ATC Undervalued Players

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – 1st & 2nd Rounds Episode w/ Phil Dussalt

The 1st & 2nd Rounds episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Phil Dussault

Strategy Section

  • Draft Preparation
    • How to prepare for drafts
    • When to adjust projections
    • What news to look out for
    • Should you have a “do not draft” or “only draft from” list?
    • Should you plan draft picks for particular rounds?
      • Creating a map
      • Does it change depending upon your particular draft slot?
  • Risk
    • Should you stay away from injury prone players?
      • Should you especially stay away from risky pitchers?
    • How to discount players for risk
    • Should one be super conservative in the early rounds?
    • Are leagues won by taking risks early on, middle or late in drafts?
      • At what point in the draft should you start to switch from being more conservative to seeking out more risks?
    • Types of risk that often do / do not work out
    • Pricing starting pitchers returning from injury
  • FAAB
    • Which is more important – the draft or the weekly waiver wire grind?
    • How to know who to pick up each week
      • Identifying save candidates before they are closers
    • How to know who to drop each week
    • Learning from one league to the next
    • Learning fron friends
  • Multi-positional players
    • Value in various fantasy formats
    • How to utilize
  • Streaming pitchers
    • Should we be streaming pitchers in 2023?
    • How should one alter their draft to avoid streaming pitchers?

Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week

1st & 2nd Round

  • Overvalued Players
  • Undervalued Players
  • How to value Shohei Ohtani for 2023

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – Catcher Episode w/ Vlad Sedler

The Catcher episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Vlad Sedler

Projections

  • VDP Projections
  • ATC Projections

Strategy Section

  • Risk
    • How to price players with risk
    • Is there a limit to the amount of risk you can assemble on one fantay roster?
  • Closers
    • The arguments for and against drafting a super elite closer in the 2nd round
  • Catchers
    • General assesment of the catcher player pool
    • General strategy for drafting catchers in 2023

Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week

ATC Undervalued Players

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – 101st Episode w/ Matt Mervis (Cubs)

The 101st episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Matt Mervis, Cubs

Interview

  • Arizona Fall League 2022
    • The experience
    • Undervalued players
  • The most influenctial person in Matt’s career
  • How Matt signed with the Cubs
  • Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week
  • Analytics / tools used to prepare for games
  • Is preparation about harnessing stregnths, fixing flaws or exploiting opponents’ weaknesses?
  • World Baseball Classic
    • Team Israel
  • How will the new MLB rules affect the game (banning the shift, pitch clock, etc.)?
  • Goals for the 2023 season
  • Undervalued players in the Cubs organization
  • Plans until spring training
    • Cubs Con
    • Duke First Pitch Banquet
  • Major league players that Matt loved watching growing up

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – 100th Episode w/ Vinnie Pasquantino (KC Royals)

The 100th episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City Royals

Interview

  • Highlight of career thus far
  • Difference between major leagues, minor leagues and college
  • Analytics / tools used to prepare for games
  • Is preparation about harnessing stregnths, fixing flaws or exploiting opponents’ weaknesses?
  • Goals for the 2023 season
  • Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week
  • How or will Vinnie change his batting approach without the shift?
  • Why did left handed hitters not attempt to bunt against the shift?
  • How important is it to interact with the fans on social media?
  • Who is an undervalued player on the Royals?
  • The most influenctial people in Vinnie’s career
  • Vinnie’s love of Vinny Testaverde and the Jets
  • The toughest pitcher that Vinny has faced in the majors

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – New York Episode w/ Danielle McCartan (WFAN, NY)

The New York episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Danielle McCartan (WFAN, NY)

Latest on the Carlos Correa saga

Injury Guru’s Trivia of the Week

New York Mets

New York Yankees

  • What are the Yankees still missing for 2023?
  • How will the shortstop playing time shake out this year?
    • Who will be the opening day SS?
  •  Who will be the Yankees’ closer in 2023?
    • How will the saves shake out?
    • Undervalued for 2023: Tommy Kahnle
  • What will the Yankees do with Aaron Hicks this season?
  • Will Gerrit Cole’s HR rate rebound?

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – General Manager Episode w/ Steve Phillips (Former Mets GM)

The General Manager episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Steve Phillips, Former New York Mets General Manager

Interview

  • How has the General Manager’s job changed since the late 90s?
    • How has the use of analytics changed?
    • Do ballclubs still use any quick simple stats (ERA, wRC+ etc.), or do they use complicated arrays of stats?
  • Has the recent free agent signings alligned with new age analytics, or have we gone back to the older style supply/demand economics and marketing?
  • Which teams and players have been the winners of winter meetings / free agent signings?
    • Are the Yankees losers of the Winter Meetings (since the team hasn’t improved on paper)
  • Which player has more risk for 2023 – Justin Verlander or Jacob deGrom?
  • Will there be any reprecussions of the Mets going over the highest luxury tax penalty level? Is this good for Major League Baseball?
  • Potential free agent contracts for Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto in 2024.
  • New Major League Baseball rules
    • Are these good for baseball?
    • What are some effects?
      • Will pitchers change their repitoires?
      • Will / how will infields & outfields start to shift?

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – Pitch Clock Episode w/ Andy Andres

The Pitch Clock Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Andy Andres

Strategy Section

  • Large free agent pitcher signings
  • Who has more risk – Justin Verlander or Jacob deGrom?
  • 185+ IP Pitchers
  • Do we need to take an ace starting pitcher in drafts?
  • Will streaming be a poor in-season strategy in 2023?

Read the rest of this entry »