Category Archives: fantasy baseball

2014 MLB Team Preview: Boston Red Sox

Boston went from worst to first to win the World Series. It’s hard to believe that this time last year, we were still talking about ‘chicken and beer’. Manager John Farrell turned around the team at a wicked fast rate.

The Red Sox now have a target on their backs. They will get the best effort from their opponents in every game. The Yankees and Rays are extra hungry to knock off the defending champs.

Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Will Middlebrooks, players who have yet to live up to their hype, will be asked to play everyday. Is Boston asking too much?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Boston Red Sox.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Baltimore Orioles

It must be difficult being an AL East team not in Boston or New York. Baltimore have tried to build through the draft and sign cheap veterans to add depth, but they can barely hang with the pack. They were hoping to build off their 2012 Wild Card berth and compete for the division, but the Red Sox and Rays were the cream of the division.

2013 wasn’t completely forgettable. Chris Davis became one of the best power hitters in the game and Manny Machado showed why he was one of the top prospects in the game.

Boston and New York rearranged some of their pieces this offseason. If they get off to a slow start, can Baltimore build an early lead in the AL East?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Baltimore Orioles.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are coming off a successful regular season, but disappointed in the playoffs. Their big acquisition of Justin Upton last offseason didn’t pay off immediately. They struggled offensively in stretches, but was bailed out by their pitching.

The Braves lost starting pitchers Tim Hudson and Paul Malholm to free agency then lost Kris Medlan and Brandon Beachy with elbow injuries. Newly-signed Ervin Santana & Gavin Floyd will help fill the need, but it will be an uphill battle.

The Braves spent the offseason signing all their young talent to contract extensions. They lost Brian McCann to the Yankees and didn’t sign any impact bats to fill their on-base needs.

Will the Braves repeat as NL East champs?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Atlanta Braves.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks

All the moves Arizona made last offseason didn’t do much for their record. They finished the season 81-81 in back-to-back seasons. They even traded their ace Ian Kennedy at the trade deadline.

This offseason, they once again completed one of the biggest offseason trades. They landed outfielder Mark Trumbo and closer Addison Reed, but had to give up one of the top outfield prospects Adam Eaton.

The NL West is improved with the Dodgers becoming a powerhouse and the Giants have all their guys back from injury. It will be difficult for Arizona to hang with those clubs.

Can manager Kirk Gibson push his team and overachieve?

Can Martin Prado bounce back from a ho-hum 2013 campaign?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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2013 Fantasy Baseball: Top 40 Fantasy Sleepers

My site has been flooded with Google search results from people wanting to know which sleeper they can target in their fantasy baseball drafts this season.

There are some great young candidates emerging (Wil Myers, Jurickson Profar) and some veterans picked to have a bounce back year (Josh Beckett, Heath Bell).

Fantasy baseball is going to be really fun this season. There are so many sleepers that could help you win your league this season.

I made a list of the top 40 best sleepers for the 2013 fantasy baseball season. Continue reading →

2013 MLB Team Preview: New York Mets

A pitcher on the New York Mets won a Cy Young in 2012. Unfortunately for Mets fans, he’s no longer on the team. R.A. Dickey was shipped to Toronto for “hopefully” the Mets future franchise catcher, Travis d’Arnaud.

Will the Mets survive without R.A. Dickey anchoring their rotation?

Is the Mets financial woes still occurring or is the team still looking to dump more salary?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the New York Mets. Continue reading →

2013 Fantasy Baseball: Top 30 Second Baseman + Sleepers

Second Base, as always, is one of the trickiest positions to fill in fantasy baseball. Unlike the corner infield positions, it’s hard to find power and average without missing out on steals.

There are a few elite second baseman, but the position isn’t as deep as 1B, 3B and outfield. If you want a top-tier second baseman, you will have to use a high pick.

Here are the top 30 second baseman for 2013 fantasy baseball season. We even pick a few sleepers and the busts you should avoid!

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com. Continue reading →

2013 MLB Team Preview: Houston Astros

The Houston Astros are in complete rebuilding mode. It will take longer than most teams, because their farm system was completely bare of top-notch young talent. They traded every asset they had and now their farm system is better, but not anywhere near the top. Also, their top prospect, Jonathan Singleton, has been suspended for the first 50 games due to a failed drug test. It will be a rough season in Houston.

Will Houston set a new modern-day record for most losses in a season? Would you go to an Astros game, even if you were given a ticket? It’s insane you even have to pause to answer a question about receiving a free ticket to an MLB game…but, I still wouldn’t go.

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the Houston Astros. Continue reading →

2013 Fantasy Baseball: Top 30 First Baseman + Sleepers

First Base is the deepest position in fantasy baseball this year. A first baseman who swing for the fences are not hard to find in 2013. You add that group with the recent trend of young catchers playing their off days at first base and you understand why this area is so deep.

Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder are in the second year of their American League switch. Will they see a stat increase or will pitchers figure them out?

A group of young first baseman are entering their prime. Will Freddie Freeman, Anthony Rizzo, Eric Hosmer or Ike Davis jump to the next level?

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com. Continue reading →

2013 Fantasy Baseball: Top 30 Catchers, Busts & Sleepers

Will Buster Posey, Carlos Santana and Matt Wieters prove again they are the best young catchers in the league or will a new guy emerge to join the group?

How many more years do Victor Martinez, A.J. Pierzynski and Russell Martin have in them? Will one of them drop off?

The catcher position looks fairly top-heavy this year in fantasy baseball. You have a young group on their way up and a few prominent catchers that look to be transitioning into a designated-hitter role. I ranked the top 30 catchers and added some sleepers and busts to help you in your draft.

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com. Continue reading →

Sweetbob’s Fantasy F*ck/Marry/Kill – May 14th

This is the second installment of “Sweetbob’s Fantasy F*ck, Marry, Kill.” I received some emails asking me for fantasy advice. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer all of them. You can email me at bobbymcrib@gmail.com.

Who made the list for a second week in a row? Do I trust David Robertson to close games for the Yankees? Should you begin looking for starters to replace Josh Beckett and Ubaldo Jimenez?

Welcome to “Sweetbob’s Fantasy F*ck, Marry, Kill”… Continue reading →

Sweetbob’s Fantasy F/M/K – May 7th

It has been over a month since you’ve had your fantasy baseball draft. If you are like me, you have given your players ever chance to succeed. This is the time of year that teams start to make roster moves and you should do the same. You probably feel dumb for drafting Carlos Marmol…so make up for it by picking up someone better! This is the first of many weekly columns to help you win your fantasy leagues.

Welcome to “Sweetbob’s Fantasy F*ck, Marry, Kill”… Continue reading →