Strike zone, intentional walks to change in '17? According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, MLB's competitive committee agreed to drastic changes to the strike zone and intentional walks at the quarterly owners' meetings in New York this week. The changes could go into effect as soon as next season. In a nutshell, the committee has agreed to raise the bottom of the strike zone slightly and eliminate … [Read more...]

Danny Espinosa's epic Fu Manchu immortalized by bobblehead The Washington Nationals may be censoring Danny Espinosa's facial hair at Nationals Park, but the Potomac Nationals are doing their part to keep its memory alive.   On Friday, Washington's Class A affiliate announced its six bobblehead promotions for the 2016, and one of those will pay homage to Espinosa's facial hair. Specifically, … [Read more...]

Bartolo Colon home run bobblehead has unexpected jiggle New York Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon's home run is only 13 days old, but it's already become legendary. And befitting such a legend, there are already numerous tributes. There was a limited edition baseball card. A slightly weird looking tattoo. A mash-up with the famous home run scene from the movie "The Natural." And an imaginary "30 … [Read more...]

Rougned Odor's punch has earned him free meals for life Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor has had an eventful week. After punching Jose Bautista in the face on Sunday during a truly epic on-field brawl, he was given an eight-game suspension on Tuesday. But that punch earned him more than just a suspension. It has also earned him a never-ending supply of Texas-style barbecue. [Join a … [Read more...]

Gerrit Cole looking for first home win with Rockies in his way Gerrit Cole finished fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting last season pitching most of the season as a 24-year-old. That success at a young age made the Pittsburgh Pirates’ right-hander a popular preseason pick to contend for the award again this season. Cole hasn’t done anything to take himself out of the running, … [Read more...]

Struggling Harvey gets pity from Nats' Harper On Thursday night, the Nationals cuffed around Mets right-hander Matt Harvey in the final game of their series (WAS 9, NYM 1). Harvey's dismal performance increased his 2016 ERA to 5.77 after nine starts. Needless to say, this has been a tremendously disappointing start to the season for a pitcher who had an ace resume (145 ERA+) coming into … [Read more...]

Podcasts: Podcast: Brawl Fallout Friday, May 20, 2016 In episode No. 2 of the Rotoworld Baseball Podcast, D.J. Short and Drew Silva examine the fallout of the Rougned Odor suspension, including some possible short-term replacements at second base for fantasy owners. They also discuss the closer situations with the Rangers and Astros, Yu Darvish's imminent return, and take reader/listener … [Read more...]

Brandon Phillips finds a new way to make baseball fun again The Cincinnati Reds have been through a brutal stretch of baseball. Their bullpen is a constant issue, and they just got swept in a four-game home and away series by their cross-state rivals the Cleveland Indians. But that kind of baseball doesn't get a player like Brandon Phillips down. On Thursday night, the Reds second baseman … [Read more...]

Baseball Daily Dose: Daily Dose: Harvey’s Nightmare It was a pitching battle for the ages … well on paper, at least. Thursday’s game at Citi Field featured two aces but only one stuck to the script. Stephen Strasburg, fresh off a monumental contract extension, displayed his usual brand of dominance, limiting the Mets to one run on six hits over six marvelous innings. He won for the seventh time … [Read more...]

Report: Rangers to announce plans for new retractable-roof stadium The Texas Rangers appear to be the latest MLB team that will leave their current home earlier than expected. The Rangers and the City of Arlington are expected to announce plans for a new stadium that would be fit with a retractable roof, according to the Dallas Morning News. The announcement could be made as early as Friday … [Read more...]