Spend deep, or not, for elite 1B skills in 2018

As always, this is a position loaded with excellent power options and good batting average foundation players. The nice thing is that you don’t need to pay big for the skills that this group offers. Sure, it would be nice to own some of the top names – and do feel free to invest, they’re…

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BABS Baseball 2018 (BABL)

Okay, let’s get started. The goal is to create a league format that: Captures the skill and risk categories of BABS Offers the best end-of-season report card on how well we did at assessing and projecting performance. Here are the basics: 4×4 Rotisserie draft & hold Standard snake draft 10 teams, both leagues 50-player roster:…

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The true test of BABS

Success in any one season of playing fantasy baseball is a combination of two things: skill in drafting a roster plus skill in managing that roster during the season. At its core, this process might be described as the combination of: a) comprehensive off-season research and analysis, plus b) reactionary, small sample reflex decisions. For…

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Minor League BABS

What is the difference between Austin Slater and Boog Powell? Looking only at their 2017 major league stats, one might conclude, “pretty much nothing.” PLAYER               AB     HR     SB     AVG Austin Slater       117     3       0    .282 Boog Powell         117     3       0    .282 BABS viewed their 2017 performances likewise, awarding them identical ratings of… well, nothing. No assets, no…

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What to expect here in 2018

It’s been an exciting few weeks in baseball, what with Giancarlo Stanton lining up his appearances on late night TV and Shohei Ohtani being fitted with mouse ears. Bum elbow? Ha! Here at RonShandler.com, I’ve been spending a bunch of time with BABS, usually late nights over dinner with a bottle of fine wine. My…

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How will your league handle Shohei Ohtani?

It looks pretty certain that Japanese star Shohei Ohtani will be making his way to the States in 2018. As a legitimate 2-way player – talented as a hitter or pitcher – fantasy leagues must decide how he is going to fit into their roster structure. The upcoming Baseball Forecaster devotes an entire page to…

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2024 Annual Disclosure Statement

An Op-Ed columnist in my local paper once wrote a piece that she called her Annual Disclosure Statement. She said, “I have regular readers and new readers, but I can’t assume that everyone knows where I stand on the issues. Someone reading me for the first time might pass judgment on my work without knowing…

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Final BABS Ratings

The final BABS ratings for 2017 have been posted to the database. Site members have access to that now. While I am working on the Baseball Forecaster (order now!), things will continue to be quiet here. However, if you have any insights about the 2017 season – and BABS in particular – feel free to post…

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In search of a new report card

The following passage begins “Simulators,” the introduction to the 2012 Baseball Forecaster: “As fantasy owners, we take pride in our ability to assess baseball players and to project their performance. Our success in piloting our teams to titles and money finishes demonstrates our prowess at these skills. But it really doesn’t. Player evaluation and forecasting…

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