Paul Sporer: Hello everyone!! Let’s talk some baseball. My new SP rankings went live last week so I’m definitely open to questions on them: https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/top-100-sp-for-a-60-game-season/ (notes column on the rankings: https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/top-100-sp-notes/)

Babyfarts: What do you think of Thor in a dynasty league? Good buy low with hopes of half a season from him next year or do you think he is overhyped? Top 30ish still in this format?

Paul Sporer: I’ve always been a huge fan so I’m down to take the gamble on the cheap. As long as there’s a reasonable discount, I say go for it

Jon: Keep 8 roto 12 team league. Judge/Torres for Soto fair? Which side do you prefer?

Paul Sporer: That’s heavy. I love Soto, but I’m not sure he and Torres are THAT different so Judge to cover the difference is too much

Sam: Thoughts on Kyle Gibson’s chance of a breakout?

JV: Would you add a couple bench spots in a 12 team league with all of the moving and shaking that’s likely to happen? We currently have 8 bench spots and do not use IL spots

Jeff Zimmerman: I don’t know. Maybe just a couple IL slots. Maybe. Eight slots in a 12 team league is quite a few.

Up north: Been hearing teams will be bringing starters along slowly, such as the dodgers. Should I plan to lean more heavily on middle relievers for the first couple weeks and leave my worst couple starters in the bench, until it’s clear they are built up to full workload?

Jeff Zimmerman: This is a team by team philosophy. I know the Reds and Rangers expect their pitchers throwing 4 to 5 innings when they report.

Jeff Zimmerman: I try to catch them all in Mining the News: https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/mining-the-news-6-29-20/

Jeff Zimmerman: There is no over arching patterns.

Paul Sporer: Baseball has a start time, let’s talk about it!!

Fleece Johnson: Any chance you can help get the new TheBATX in auction calculator?

Paul Sporer: I will mention it today!

Fleece Johnson: What strategy changes are you making in casual home leagues based on 60 games? Do any player types/positions move up your board compared to normal?

Paul Sporer: I haven’t made any changes to that effect, but my overall strategy in-season is going to change as I’m going to be moving a lot quicker. Obviously, I’m not cutting my #1 pick if he goes 0-fer in the first 6 games, but the last few rounds of players are getting a week or 2, the couple rounds before that are getting 2-3 wks, and so on

99: seems like a lot of people are selling for next year even with the season planned because it won’t feel as legitimate.  thoughts?

Larry: If you ran a H2H league how would you handle a 60 game season

Jeff Zimmerman: I’d move the league to overall points or roto. If you must go H2H, just the top 2 make the playoffs.

thelaundry: Jay Jaffe ran down some NL DH candidates today. Are there any NL bats fringe-y enough to be available in deeper mixed leagues (14+) worth stashing?

Jeff Zimmerman: The fringy guys are still fringy. They weren’t playing for a reason.

Jeff Zimmerman: I’m more interested in clearer playing time pictures like Edman in StL.

Jeff Zimmerman: The player most likely to shoot up is Puig once he can sign.

Paul Sporer: Helloooo! What is going on, y’all? Let’s talk some baseball

Bauer Outage: With the 2020 season very much in question, how would you feel moving Verlander for Bauer in a keeper league? I kind of feel like the loss of a season eats away at alot of the value of guys in their upper 30’s.

Paul Sporer: I understand it. I’m not the biggest Bauer fan, but the point about missing a season from Verlander and knowing that it can really just go away at any moment for a late-30s pitcher, I totally get it

Chris: So a 50 game season huh? In a points head to head league would you just play a table with no playoffs?

Paul Sporer: That’d probably be smartest, but the playoffs are the main reason H2H players like the format so I’m not sure they’re gonna want to do that. It’s just such an f’n mess.

Bart G: are top tier starters and closers devalued in a more compressed schedule / season… or even more valued? Thanks

Jeff Zimmerman: Sorry for the delay, I had to move my sprinklers.

Andrew: Are platoon splits statistically significant? How sticky are they from year to year and how soon do they stabilize? It just does not seam right that a guy like Joc Pederson who smashes righties somehow can’t hit lefties, or that Jordan Luplow kills lefties but can’t touch righties. Seems like if a guy can hit a pitcher from one side, given enough chances, he would produce similar stats vs. the other side. Thanks

Jeff Zimmerman: They are sticky and the exact MLB details are in The Book.

Jeff Zimmerman: That said, I think teams can make the call earlier for a couple reasons.

Jeff Zimmerman: They have the minor league stats (not used in The Book).

Jeff Zimmerman: Also, they have scouts and coaches who can see any possible progress.

Paul Sporer: Good afternoon, y’all! Chat will be a little shorter today as I’m doing my livestream of a Pedro Martinez game with Nick Pollack at 2PM Central. But that still gives us plenty of time to answer a bunch of questions!

Samuel: What’s the biggest change in 50-game season fantasy wise?

Paul Sporer: Obviously the size of it adds a TOOONNN of volatility. All of sudden, the latter half of your draft has weeks to perform or it’s time to move. Of course your top end guys still get some time to smooth out a bit even with a slow start, but I’d think anyone after about the 13th-14th round is on the clock to be replaced almost immediately

robert: Hi Paul, I am in a 12-team points league.  I have 5 hitters I’m definitely keeping and must choose 2 out of the following 3 pitchers: (alphabetical order) Kyle Hendricks, James Paxton, or Zack Wheeler.   Which 2?  Thanks

Paul Sporer: Gimme Paxton & Hendricks, Wheeler is close to Hendricks, but I like the combo of Paxton/Hendricks as their strengths complement one another

Guest: Is it wrong to want no season at this point and just want to see them come back with a completely normal 2021 season?

Jeff Zimmerman: I will not have a chat next week as I’m taking a week vacation. It was supposed to be a two-week trip to Yellowstone but the park will still be closed.

Jeff Zimmerman: Hopefully when I get back from the lake, a season will be agreed upon and it’ll be time to dig back in.

Rennie Stennett: In a startup dynasty, my fringe SP is Stephen Matz and I also added Kim because his RP eligibility is key in our points format which values IP, K causing closers to have diminished value. Would you ride with Matz and Kim or grab Cole Hamels or Spencer Turnbull off the wire?   Thanks Jeff!

Jeff Zimmerman: I like seeing how Kim’s talent plays and would hold him. The other three are replaceable IMO. I might hold Matz until the schedule comes out and see which of the three has the easier initial schedule

Rich: Hi Jeff.  Thanks for chatting; fingers crossed for baseball this summer.  In a redraft, OBP, H2H league (12 teams), could you please rank the following hitters (assuming a universal DH):  Ryan Braun, Wil Myers, C.J. Cron, Alex Verdugo, Willie Calhoun, Rougned Odor?  Thanks!

Jeff Zimmerman: Calhoun, Cron, Braun, Verdugo, Odor, Myers

Jeff Zimmerman: Let’s light this fire.

Franchy Cordero: With the possibility of universal DH do I benefit the most in San Diego?

Jeff Zimmerman: I’m not sure with SD. I think it may be Wil Myers since he’ll finally have a defensive position.

Smoking aces: My Stras and Yandy for his Jram. 8×8, 15 keeper. Stras is expensive, jram is moderately priced and Yandy is as cheap as our league allows. Smell fair?

Jeff Zimmerman: Yea, I like the JRam side for sure.

Billy: Assuming we get a 80 game season, has the option of going later into the fall been discussed? I feel relegating games solely in FLA, Ari, and indoor stadiums, perhaps we could stretch out the “season” to say 120 games

Jeff Zimmerman: Good afternoon. Time to light this fire.

Harry: My 12 team H2H league is struggling to figure out a format that fits if there is a 12 week season. Any suggestions on how to play this one?

Jeff Zimmerman: If the rules allow, allow the same three (or four) teams face off. The number of games increases and the smack talking can still be enjoyed

Joe: Hi Jeff, have you ever seen a study done on height/weight of players and post-hype breakouts?  I wonder if CHW took a flyer on Mazara due to his great baseball body–6’4″/215.  In general I wonder why the NFL places a lot of value on combine metrics and height, weight, strength, etc, but baseball doesn’t seem to as much.  Maybe there’s an inefficiency to be had there.

Jeff Zimmerman: I haven’t seen a study done to that level.

Jeff Zimmerman: Being big isn’t going to help Mazara put the bat on the ball. He just doesn’t make the needed contact.