1. A.J. Pollock receives first-place MVP votes

Pollock put together a season for the ages in 2015. In 157 games and 673 plate appearances, he slashed .315/.367/.498 with a .371 wOBA and 131 wRC+. He hit 20 home runs, scored 111 runs, and stole 39 bases in 46 attempts. That offense, combined with his elite center field defense and base-running, netted him 6.5 WAR ­­­— fifth-best total in the National League. Pollock’s 2015 production wasn’t a fluke: in 75 games and 287 plate appearances the previous season, he hit a similar .302/.353/.498 with a .372 wOBA and 134 wRC+. 2016, however, was a lost season for Pollock, who missed most of the year due to a broken elbow. Entering 2017, he’s only 29 years old and he appears to be healthy. Assuming good health, he’s certainly capable of putting up MVP numbers.

2. Aledmys Diaz has a better offensive season than Trea Turner

Much was made of Turner’s spectacular big league debut in 2016, and rightfully so. The rookie slashed .342/.370/.567 with 13 home runs and 33 steals in just 73 games and 324 plate appearances. Turner’s performance, however, was buoyed by an unsustainable .388 BABIP. While his skill set lends itself to higher-than-average BABIP’s, it’s expected to land somewhere closer to .350 in 2017, bringing his likely batting average down below .300. What’s more, his minor league track record suggests that he may not crack 15 home runs all year, despite nearly reaching that total in half a season like he did in 2016. Turner, 23, is one of the most exciting fantasy players around, especially since he’s eligible at shortstop, second base, and outfield. However, because substantial regression is expected, there’s another young shortstop in St. Louis who could easily be the superior offensive weapon in 2017 and beyond. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re subscribed to any type of baseball Twitter accounts or apps (and you probably are) you’ve noticed Adam Rosales keeps doing things and his name continues to pop up. Don’t worry. Not only is this spring training, but it’s Adam Rosales.

No offense, but the guy has well, no offense.

Last season he was making more plate appearances, but he’s back with Oakland and there is a lot of foul territory at O.co. His flyball rate has increased, but don’t get excited on his spring numbers…at least not yet.

On the Agenda

1. Chris Owings…so hot right now
2. Finding Nimmo
3. J.D. Martinez

Chris Owings…so hot right now

via GIPHY

This guy you can get a little excited about.

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Chi Chi Gonzalez has a cool name, but he doesn’t have a cool scenario at the moment. The 25-year-old has been diagnosed with a “partial UCL tear in his pitching elbow,” according to Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Gonzalez had a rough few outings with the Rangers in 2016. An 8.71 ERA with a low strikeout rate doesn’t help the situation. Mind you it is a small sample size, we were mentally ready for him to start in Triple-A.

Now, we are just mentally prepared to not see him in action for a while if Tommy John is in his near future.

On the Agenda

1. Keon Broxton
2. I’m so Prado You
3. Getting Miggy Wit’ it

Keon Broxton

Sorry, Keon Broxton, you don’t get a cool pun, maybe next time when I have had some time to think.

During a game on Friday, the Brewers outfielder was removed due to “discomfort in his surgically-repaired right wrist.”

These things are often exaggerated during spring training, but they still freak people out. This was just a precautionary thing as he said he “felt a twinge” during a check swing.

He’s had a strong spring training and is hoping to be the leadoff hitter for the team. He finished his 2016 campaign with a .294/.399/.538 and 23 stolen bags.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-next-step-for-keon-broxton-and-domingo-santana/

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I refuse to make this a Tim Tebow post. I won’t allow it.

With that said, he had a two-hit game and raised his batting average to .214. He even threw in a diving catch for good measure. Adjust your fantasy teams accordingly. Actually, don’t, that was a joke.

Okay, now that we have that out of our system…

On the Agenda

1. David Wrong
2. Scott Kazmir’s slowball
3. Get a grip, Scherzer

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Well, this is it, folks. This is my final Roto Riteup of the regular season (I’m still figuring if I’ll do playoff editions or just switch into offseason mode right away). It’s been a trip, and I appreciate you reading and rolling with my advice on the news each morning, if you’ve done so. Zach and Justin are great dudes to work with, Eno a great dude to work under, and it’s resulted in a really fun year. So thank you.

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Tim Tebow homered on the first pitch of his professional baseball debut. You’ll want to bump him from No. 1 to No. 1!!! for your 2017 keeper league drafts, naturally. After all, “He’s such a winner,” as Terry Collins said.

Unrelated, I was trying to think of what the baseball equivalent of Tebow’s NFL run would be, from a fantasy perspective. Tebow wasn’t good, but he ran enough that he was valuable in most formats. I guess maybe 2015 Billy Hamilton is close? I’m going to put something together for this for tomorrow, I think.

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The entire Rotographs site has become about final-week streaming options, so make sure to look around outside of the Roto Riteup for more tips on who to start over the final days of your season. There’s only so much I can add, so allow me this aside: If you ever have the opportunity to see Chance the Rapper live, do it. Don’t question it, don’t hesitate, don’t worry about the cost. I can’t recommend it enough. I missed an important Jays-Orioles game to be uplifted by 90 minutes of pure joy. I’d even stream Chance tonight, as he does a second show, if I could.

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This is it. We’re down to the final week. It looks like most have shifted their focus to 2017, as they rightfully should have, so we’ll probably keep it pretty brief in this space for the week, maybe with a look back on our 2016 performance at some point in time. For a few more days, we soldier on and trudge through the waiver wire.

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via GIPHY Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes, on Saturday, a man’s just gotta watch some baseball.

On the agenda:
1. Various News and Notes
2. Streaming Pitcher Options

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