An early look at 2017
During these apparently quiet off-season periods, it’s easy to lose sight of how much work is being done behind the scenes at baseball information sites. I’ve been busy working on The BABS Project ebook and laying the foundation for 2017 content here on this site.
So, to keep you engaged, here is a preliminary look at some of the articles I have planned over the next few months:
JANUARY
Rotisserie Hall of Fame inductees announced
A look back at “Ron Shandler’s Other Book”
BABS and 2016’s ADP first round
2016 asset groups
The BABS Project preview
What’s new in BABS
Baseball’s new rules and the impact on BABS
FSTA/SiriusXM experts draft review
FEBRUARY
Using the new BABS database
2017 positional reviews: CA, 1B, 3B, 2B, SS, OF, SP, RP
BABS view of player who’ve switched teams
Health risk hit list
Experience risk hit list
Cheat sheets
“No path to playing time”
MARCH
Review of 2017 ADP first round
Asset group reviews
Prospecting for hidden power
Prospecting for hidden speed
Prospecting for hidden pitching skill
Ranking value of multi-positional players
Tout Wars experts draft review
Final draft prep thoughts
APRIL
BABS-eye view of the pennant races
Budgeting FAAB
A better way to do FAAB
Ron,
First of all, I hope that you experience a full recovery from your shoulder surgery.
Our league holds its draft the last Sunday in March. Will you provide a BABS listing prior to that? Since I rely on your ratings to select players, I hope that the list might be available prior to our draft. I have always appreciated your assessments and look forward to following you again this coming season!
If all goes according to plan, you’ll be able to start generating your own custom BABS listings some time in January. There will be regular updates and you’ll certainly have the most recent information in time for your draft.
Excited for the new BABS for this year Ron. When you say customizing our BABS listing is that a new addition this year? Will we be able to update BABS based on our league settings such as league budget & positional make-up? Best wishes on the recovery and looking forward to talking more baseball on here with you this year.
Joe Higgins
Not quite at that level yet. We’re looking at customized reports, showing the information that you find most valuable. Thanks for the good wishes!
When BABS comes out, one of the first things we get to do is compare the BABS listings to our leagues’ ADPs. With that in mind, and a sample of one, I have what I think was the first draft of 2017. The league is a 4X4 roto league with no in-season changes allowed. Villar, Trea Turner, Murphy and Kyle Hendricks went in the first few rounds. AJ Pollock in round 5 seems like optimism at work. Posey was still the first catcher, but barely. Tulowitski and Bautista fell all the way to the 20th and final round. The full draft results can be seen here: http://www.rtsports.com/baseball/draft-board.php?LID=514667&UID=8803a728fd65a85248d6cb2f3dbb72d&CONF=0&X=1482874411594
James – I think I’d need to be logged in under your account to see your draft.
Sorry about that, I’ll see if I can figure how to share it. Anyway, my point was that I don’t envy prognosticators. Whichever way the group-think goes can lead to surprises. Players who people thought would be values turn out to be expensive, and players thought to be over-rated can become cheap. I do appreciate the attempts you make to make sense of it, but it’s tough.
hi ron,
will you be doing any road tours like when with BBHQ?
I am still involved with BHQ’s First Pitch Forum series. No changes there. Tentatively planning to speak at all the stops this year – Chicago, St. Louis, DC, NY, Boston, LA and SF.