AGRI Biz

  At the early stages of the fantasy baseball season, the owner must not just notice when a player is struggling, which can easily be achieved by looking at box scores, hit less at-bats (for hitters) and inflated run totals (for pitchers). It’s important (I’ll stick to pitchers here for obvious reasons) to extrapolate those causes for concern—velocity drop, lack of movement or command of pitches, or just fluky bad luck. It’s vital ...

Also featured on Rotoprofessor.com! Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round of the 1999 draft as an 18-year-old first baseman and twice a free agent, Garrett Jones took the major leagues by storm in his first legitimate opportunity to make his case. Called up on June 30, 2009 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team looking to rid itself of a lot of ...

Also featured on Rotoprofessor.com! In this day and age where hype overshadows pragmatism, dented cars mean more than practicality and age tends to mean more than relative production, it’s no wonder that Atlanta Braves centerfielder Nate McLouth is being glossed over. In a fantasy era where steadiness means boringness, owners would much rather go with a player like B.J Upton or Andrew McCutchen than settle for the “sure-commodity.” I’m not going to disagree ...

Also featured on Rotoprofessor.com ! Remember the days of the Oakland Athletics’ big three of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito? While those pitchers have fallen from their elite-statuses due to injuries and under performance, it wasn’t long ago that any of those guys fit the billing of a top-of-the-rotation starter in fantasy leagues. Now the entire trio has moved on and a flock of new young Athletics’ starters have ...

Also on Rotoprofessor.com ! Each draft there are players fantasy leaguers go crazy for because of a breakout season the year prior. Often times the reasoning is unfounded because the player has never been nearly that good in his career. Most of the time he totally comes out of nowhere to become a fantasy force, only to come crashing down to reality in the next season. If you’re in a league with owners ...

Also featured on Rotoprofessor.com ! What does a player do after he finishes his first full season in the major leagues with the fifth highest batting average, finish sixth in the NL in slugging, and seventh in the NL in OPS? Oh yeah, and you constitute your team’s offense and only fantasy-worthy hitter in the lineup. If you’re Pablo Sandoval you climb up Phoenix’s Camelback Mountain. It’s all part of a rigorous ...

Also featured on Rotoprofessor.com ! When healthy, the Arizona Diamondbacks have a top-five one-two punch, in Dan Haren and Brandon Webb. After undergoing shoulder surgery at the beginning of this past season though, we cannot be certain that Webb will come back and be the force he once was, at least initially. The Diamondbacks have a lot of nice pieces, but no team gets anywhere without pitching. Thus, with the question marks ...

Also featured on Rotoprofessor.com ! Amidst all the excitement swirling around a possible Cy Young winner, the MVP-type season for Albert Pujols and the re-signing of Matt Holliday, the CardinalsÆ individual success stories this season arenÆt just related to their big-name players. There are some, like Colby Rasmus, who are trying to establish their own name in the major leagues. While he wasnÆt be a frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year ...

Also featured on rotoprofessor.com á In the offseason there are normally multiple free agents available at a single position. Most years itÆs easy to tell who the best player is and therefore, who should be receiving the biggest contract. You can always count on there being a player who stands out above the rest. This offseason is a bit atypical as itÆs led by two free agents, Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, ...

(Also featured on Rotoprofessor.com) While most 20-year-olds are in the midst of their college careers, a different type of career has begun for a Detroit Tigers pitcher. One of the more highly touted prospects coming into this season, Rick Porcello slid into the fifth spot of the Tigers' rotation and proved that even the least experienced arms can have success in the major leagues. The former 2007 first-round draft pick wasnÆt in the ...