Launch Angle

testing that everything is running smooth for the Thursday Feb 9th re_Launch

Sure it's Summer in the US but that isn't stopping snow from interrupting the baseball season! Van, Jeff, and Rob get together to discuss how to handle those snow outs as well as Reds players heading to Toronto and not being able to play, some Cardinals prospects making their debut, and whether Royce Lewis is a stash or not. The show rounds out with some discussion on players rostered in roughly 50% of leagues and what the guys think of them!

Rob, Jeff, and Van get together to discuss the leaguewide offensive outage, discussing the dead ball (and its new name!), less fastballs being thrown, and more potential causes. The guys also talk about whether you should be looking at the standings and reacting yet, as well as talk some hot players and whether or not they buy the new performances

With a week's worth of games on the books Van, Jeff, and Rob dissect early performances both good and bad and determine what is noise and what is real! The guys talk the wonder that is Steven Kwan, Alex Cobb's big velocity gain, Jazz Chisholm batting 9th, Shane Bieber's concerning velocity, and plenty more. The guys also give you a couple of scenarios to keep an eye on going into the weekend before setting your FAAB Sunday night

With some Main Event drafts under their belts Jeff and Rob are ready to talk how they went plus their time in Vegas. Van questions them about some interesting strategies including going Josh Hader-Liam Hendricks back to back. They also discuss some recent news including Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr making the Major League Roster

Another slew of free agent signings and trades are in the books and the ever changing fantasy landscape is taking shape. With NFBC Main Events coming up this weekend Rob, Jeff, and Van try to make heads or tails of playing time for teams as well as determine new values for players with new homes. There's Kris Bryant, Nick Castellanos, Seiya Suzuki, and tons more

Since the CBA dropped late last week there has been an absolute torrent of signings, trades, and injury updates so Rob, Jeff, and Van are here to recap some of the fantasy relevant changes going down. The guys talk Zack Wheeler's shoulder, Fernando Tatis' wrist, Nelson Cruz's new home, Josh Donaldson in a Yankees jersey and tons more!

We were prepared to sulk and take this week off due to depression but on the 11th hour the MLBPA and MLB agreed to a deal and it's official, we're going to have baseball in less than a month! Van, Rob, and Jeff discuss some of the details in the new CBA that could impact fantasy leagues and they wrap up the year's ADP analysis with a few picks around pick 300 including Jameson Taillon, Tylor Megill, Joey Bart, and Stephen Strasburg

Jeff released a new Mining the News article so Van and Rob ask him about some of the prominent topics including Giovanny Gallegos being out as the Cardinals closer, Garrett Whitlock coming into camp as a starter for the Red Sox, and of course ADP!

The guys return with news that hell has frozen over and Rob Silver is undergoing an actual fantasy baseball draft in February! Jeff and Van quiz Rob about his draft and the guys discuss some interesting notes about Jose Altuve and power hitting first baseman slipping. They of course also talk ADP and discuss names like Gary Sanchez, Max Kepler, Casey Mize, Alec Bohm, and plenty more

Jason Martinez of Roster Resourse/Depth Charts joins Jeff, Rob, and Van on the show as the four discuss what goes into setting up playing time, platoons, closers, and more on Jason's site. The guys get an inside look at how it all works and how you should appropriate use Roster Resource as a resource. The guys also talk a couple of pitchers being drafted back to back to back and tell you which one they like most out of Cal Quantrill, Aaron Civale, and Josiah Gray!

Rob, Jeff, and Van continue digging deep down the list of ADP and on today's show they encounter a couple of Rays relievers and tell you what they think of that bullpen and how to draft it. Of course there are plenty of other players to discuss including Michael Brantley, Wil Myers, German Marquez, and more

Jared Cross, aka the creator of the Steamer projection system joins Jeff, Rob, and Van and the guys discuss what goes into the system including ways they've adjusted and adapted it over the years. Jared shares what he thinks Steamer does right and wrong, and the future of the system as well. They finish up the show with a bit of ADP analysis and take the time to ask the man himself about specific player projections

We've got more player analysis as Van, Rob, and Jeff dive into the mid-200s of NFBC ADP! They talk Brandon Belt's phenomenal partial season last year and whether they trust it, Bobby Dalbec's leash with the Red Sox, whether or not Charlie Blackmon has anything left in the tank, Ken Giles' potential closer role, and plenty moreWe read some reviews at the beginning of the show so to skip right to the fantasy advice skip ahead to about 4:15

Jeff, Rob, and Van welcome special guest host James Anderson of Rotowire fame to the show today to talk prospects in high-stakes leagues. They discuss whether or not they think "prospect people" are causing rookies to be over drafted, how to appropriately value them in redraft leagues, and of course discuss individual rookies as well. There's also time for some ADP analysis and the four talk Josh Rojas, Jo Adell, and complain loudly about Noah Syndergaard

Greg Ambrosius joins the boys to talk the NFBC and more importantly the recently departed Meat Loaf (RIP). Van, Rob, and Jeff get the scoop right from Greg for a bit and then the trio discusses Fangraphs' decision to implement a universal DH in their STEAMER projections. They also talk shifting in the middle of a draft when it gets crazy, and talk Eugenio Suarez, AJ Pollock, Frank Schwindel and more in the ADP segment

Today's show has Van, Rob, and Jeff answering a listener's question about automating the fantasy baseball process and maybe some things you can do to make your life easier as fantasy players. The guys also go down the list of ADP looking at some standout performers in the early 200s, and some maybe not so standout performers (looking at you Lucas Sims!)

Rob's out but Dan is in this week as Jeff and Van talk to the creator of ZiPS about his projection system, what goes into it, and why we should trust it. The guys also talk some players in ADP including Brandon Crawford, Mitch Garver, Patrick Sandoval, and more!

Rob and Jeff wanted to find out what you've got on your minds so Van put out a call to the listeners and they answered! Fans of the show sent in their fantasy baseball questions asking things about weighing injury versus platoon roles in projections, closer drafting strategies, and even starting pitchers INSIDE of the top 20

It's a new year and the gentlemen of the Launch Angle Podcast are back and stronger than ever! Rob, Jeff, and Van continue discussing ADP into the 180s with a good discussion about a potentially underrated Kolten Wong, Joey Gallo and whether he's worthy of this pick, and of course our very favorite 40 year old masher Nelson Cruz and whether or not this is a risky pick for the masher without a team

Jeff's internet is out thanks to recent storms but fret not because Derek Rhoads (@drhoa3) is here to fill the void! Rob and Van welcome Derek to the show and they discuss Derek's hard work including his tireless effort documenting player injuries. They then continue into the 170s in ADP and look at players like Nicky Lopez, Ryan McMahon, Blake Treinen, Ian Happ, and moreTime Stamps:Note: Some platforms incorporate ads into the timestamps, some don't. So if the time doesn't quite match up skip ahead 60 seconds if it is before the 31:13 mark, or 180 seconds if after2:19 Introducing Rob and Derek6:45 Best Ball Tips and Differences12:59 Alex Kiriloff19:40 Nicky Lopez25:58 Ryan McMahon31:14 Michael Conforto36:35 Joe Ryan42:00 Blake Treinen45:27 Tanner Houck51:08 Joe Barlow54:37 Ian Happ59:16 Mike Clevinger

Jeff recently underwent a draft and some interesting questions cropped up in his mind so Van and Rob join him in attempting to answer them! They discuss Fernando Tatis' odds of missing half a season, Mookie Betts' stolen base total for 2022, and Franmil Reyes' potential outfield eligibility. They continue down the ADP list as well covering the rest of the 160s with more to comeTime Stamps:Note: Some platforms incorporate ads into the timestamps, some don't. So if the time doesn't quite match up skip ahead 60 seconds if it is before the 27:00 mark, or 120 seconds if after1:41 Introducing Rob and Jeff2:58 Percentage chance Fernando Tatis plays 81 games7:08 Mookie Betts over/under 10.5 stolen bases14:21 Odds of Seiya Suzuki playing in the Majors19:41 Will Franmil Reyes get OF eligibility?23:48 Michael Kopech30:17 Keibert Ruiz and Tyler Stephenson34:54 Eddie Rosario38:58 Robbie Grossman42:37 Alex Kiriloff45:25 Gregory Soto and David Bednar50:39 Luis Urias54:55 Avisail Garcia57:21 Tarik Skubal

Tanner Bell, co-author of The Process alongside Jeff joins Van, Jeff, and Rob in the studio today to discuss the book as well as continue down the ADP list looking at players in the 150s. They'll discuss Alex Verdugo and whether he's a plus buy, Brendan Rodgers and how terrible the Rockies are, Amed Rosario's season with Cleveland, and plenty moreTime StampsNote: Some platforms incorporate ads into the timestamps, some don't. So if the time doesn't quite match up skip ahead 60 seconds if it is before the 27:00 mark, or 120 seconds if after1:07 Introducing Tanner Bell7:04 Alex Verdugo13:28 Chris Taylor16:51 Rhys Hoskins19:53 Akil Baddoo27:01 Gleyber Torres31:52 Camilo Doval36:47 Brendan Rodgers42:44 Marcus Stroman48:15 Amed Rosario51:24 Clayton Kershaw53:54 Anthony Rizzo57:58 Justin Turner

Sure there isn't much as far as news goes but that isn't going to stop Van, Rob, and Jeff from putting out shows! Today the guys continue with their ADP Analysis looking into the 140-150 range and discussing players like Dylan Carlson, Willy Adames, Luis Garcia, Josh Bell, and many moreTime StampsNote: Some platforms incorporate ads into the timestamps, some don't. So if the time doesn't quite match up skip ahead 60 seconds if it is before the 32:17 mark, or 120 seconds if after:51 Introducing Rob, Jeff, and the Hawk3:05 Ranger Suarez5:56 Willy Adames9:26 Dylan Carlson13:38 Lourdes Gurriel Jr.17:20 Ke'Bryan Hayes27:02 Adolis Garcia32:17 Ty France37:05 Adam Wainwright43:27 Justin Verlander46:26 Josh Bell51:00 Luis Garcia55:16 Yoan Moncada

With our bonus episode this week Van and Jeff bring on special guest host Joe Sheehan! Joe talks to the guys about the other free agent signings that happened at the last minute including Marcus Stroman, Corey Seager, Raisel Iglesias, and more. Of course they also continue down the ADP list into the 130s with a bunch of pitchers including Sean Manaea, Zac Gallen, Ranger Suarez, and maybe a hitter or twoTime StampsNote: Some platforms incorporate ads into the timestamps, some don't. So if the time doesn't quite match up skip ahead 60 seconds if it is before the 42:00 mark, or 120 seconds if after00:54 Introducing Jeff and talking The Process10:33 Introducing Joe Sheehan12:26 Corey Seager16:39 Kole Calhoun18:54 Josh Jung21:39 Marcus Stroman24:38 Relievers: Corey Knebel, Mark Melancon, and Raisel Iglesias28:37 Alex Wood32:25 Javier Baez36:43 Hunter Renfroe and Jackie Bradley Jr.41:50 Blake Snell44:26 Myles Straw49:25 Framber Valdez52:02 Franmil Reyes58:17 Sean Manaea1:02:31 Zac Gallen1:05:04 Luis Severino1:08:24 Ranger Suarez

After a whirlwind 24 hours that saw a ton of top free agents find new homes, Rob, Jeff, and Van decide to discuss all the moves and then some. They talk about the perils of drafting Wander Franco, whether or not Jon Gray has immense upside, Kevin Gausman's shift to a much less pitcher friendly park, and plenty more!Introducing Rob and Jeff (2:05)CBA Discussion (3:46)Max Scherzer (6:57)Starling Marte (10:22)Eduardo Escobar (16:55)Mark Canha (20:21)Steven Matz (23:01)Anthony DeSclafani (25:27)Corey Kluber (27:19)Wander Franco (33:12)Jon Gray (39:34)Marcus Semien (44:32)Robbie Ray (49:56)Kevin Gausman (53:13)Yoshi Tsutsugo (56:02)Nate Eovaldi (59:16)Jake Cronenworth (1:02:06)Trent Grisham (1:05:06)Craig Kimbrel (1:07:55)Jarred Kelenic (1:10:44)

Sandy Alcantara is rumored to have signed a five year extension to remain with the Marlins so Rob, Jeff, and Van debate whether or not he's an ace. They also discuss probably the biggest win of Phil Dussault's career when he correctly guessed the player used in our new logo, and Phil posits some Byron Buxton questions so the trio debate his draft price. They also continue their ADP analysis with picks in the early 100s1:57 Introducing Rob and Jeff3:06 Sandy Alcantara7:45 Brent Honeywell12:17 Byron Buxton29:18 Yasmani Grandal/Willson Contreras/Catchers37:56 Kyle Schwarber43:25 DJ LeMahieu50:30 Austin Meadows55:10 Shane Baz58:46 Logan Gilbert

It's our first bonus show of the 2022 season! Van welcomes not only Rob and Jeff to the show today but also Fred Zinkie of Yahoo and Rotowire fame to talk fantasy baseball. The guys all talk Justin Verlander's new contract, Brandon Belt taking the Qualifying Offer, and continue their ADP analysis with Giancarlo Stanton, Mitch Haniger, Bryan Reynolds, and more coming under the microscope

The offseason certainly kicked into gear this week with Noah Syndergaard signing a deal with the Angels, Eduardo Rodriguez choosing Detroit as his new home, and Jose Berrios re-upping with the Jays and Van, Rob, and Jeff are here to analyze all of the moves and then some! The guys also start up their ADP analysis segment for the season starting with pick 100 and working their way down

The annual First Pitch Arizona live show is here! Jeff and Rob hold a mock draft with special guest Nick Pollack of Pitcher List and they even let the crowd get in on the action with their very own draft slot! The guys use the mock to discuss several players with analysis focusing on Justin Verlander, Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Brandon Belt, and many more.The guys used a mock draft done with the Pitcher List staff as framework so if you're looking to follow along do so here: https://clickydraft.com/draftapp/board/216546Pitcher List is putting out awesome content and if you're not frequenting the site you should be! And for those looking to break into the industry or find a new home this is the place to be. Check out the action at https://www.pitcherlist.com/First Pitch Arizona is an annual event put on by the fine folks at Baseball HQ and if you couldn't make it this year be sure to join in next October! Special thanks to Brent Hershey, Ray Murphy, and the rest at Baseball HQ for holding such a great event!

It's the last week of the Major League season and Van, Rob, and Jeff are here to talk a little about it. They discuss their own leagues and the decisions they made these final days as well as hit on the AL MVP vote, and plenty of looking ahead to next year while discussing players like Jo Adell, Jarred Kelenic, Whit Merrifield, Paul Goldschmidt, and even debate the top catcher in drafts next year

Are people pleased or disappointed with Kyle Tucker's performance this year? Is Chris Sale back with the elite SPs? What's Wander Franco's cost going to be next year? These questions and many more are answered on today's show as Van grills Jeff and Rob about all sorts of topics, some of them coming from you the listeners!

Between 2020 and this season there is a large enough sample size to really dive into a couple of players who have not quite lived up to draft expectations and Van, Jeff, and Rob do just that as they analyze names like Ketel Marte, Trevor Story, Francisco Lindor, and more. They also cover last week's FAAB period and talk spending bucks on closers at this time of year.Editor's note: In the intro I revealed the man behind the curtain a bit and discuss what doing this podcast means to us and what we plan on doing for the coming months. If you want to skip it all, I'll mark chapters in the file and you can manually go to 8:13 to start the meat and potatoes part of the show!

Van talks to Jeff and Rob about the reported salary floor and new luxury tax threshold brought up by MLB and how that effects the game as we know it (re: owners want $$$$). They also talk Hunter Dozier's thumb injury, Reynaldo Lopez's vision correction (!), and plenty of FAAB talk!

Our jam-packed episode touches on all sorts of interesting topics including whether or not it's time to cut Jacob deGrom in your redraft leagues. Van, Jeff, and Rob also discuss whether Alex Bregman still has it, playing time in the Padres' outfield, and tons of really good FAAB pickups and drop decisions!

One Rob has been swapped for another as Rob DiPietro of the Pull Hitter Podcast joins Jeff and Van to talk news and notes from the past week. They touch on Chris Sale's imminent return and whether he can provide fantasy value this season, as well as the wild FAAB period from the weekend and tag team leagues and how to approach them!

Even with more news to come there is plenty to discuss on today's edition of the show including several big trades that already were finalized including Nelson Cruz finding his way in Tampa and Adam Frazier moving to San Diego. Van, Jeff, and Rob also take a look at Craig Kimbrel's resurgence, Add/Drops from the past week, and they discuss how to treat the trade deadline from a fantasy perspective

It's All-Star week for MLB and our very own fan selected committee of analysts (the same ones, Van, Jeff, and Rob) are here to talk the second half! The boys discuss Ronald Acuña's injury and where he might go next season in drafts and Van gives Rob and Jeff a series of player comparisons and asks who the experts prefer the rest of the way

Shohei Ohtani is quite possibly the best player in the game right now and is likely going to both pitch and hit in the All-Star game next week, so Rob, Jeff, and Van decide now's a good time to talk about his amazing season. They also discuss an interesting FAAB period from last week as well as Carlos Correa's solid season

Rob Manfred has skillfully enacted his sticky substances plan and it has gone off with aplomb according to the commissioner himself, but is that true? Rob, Jeff, and Van talk how it has gone so far and what we can do going forward, as well as some bullpen talk, Wander Franco's struggles, Nate Pearson's recent injury, and much more!

With Luis Severino suffering a setback in his recent rehab Van, Jeff, and Rob discuss several injured pitchers worth potentially rostering going forward including Noah Syndergaard, Chris Sale, Jack Flaherty, and Zach Plesac. They also talk a pretty sad FAAB period where Sam Long went for a huge chunk of change, and finally take a look at some players performing better or worse than expected and determine if there's a change in value here or if they'll get back on track soon!

Van, Jeff, and Rob have plenty to discuss on today's show including MLB's plan to 'crack down' on illegal substances in the game and how we can react to that in fantasy. They also discuss the surprisingly good San Francisco Giants and several Giants players as well as Edward Olivares, Mookie Betts, Kevin Gausman, and more!