Videos of equipment bags being loaded into trucks! Still photos of a group of pitchers lined-up doing stretches! Quotes from a bad player who is totally going to turn it around this season! All of these things can only mean one thing – it’s the start of MLB Spring Training. Spring Training might be the time for players to get into shape for the upcoming season, but for the fantasy baseball player, the prep time until draft day is much shorter. Take a close look at the following apps now to avoid looking clueless on draft day.
Batter vs. Pitcher ($0.99)
Want to see how well A-Rod did against Jared Weaver last year? How about over his entire career? That’s the hook for the Batter vs. Pitcher app, where you can look at any possible match-up and see the numbers that’ll help you plan out your lineup each day. You can even drill down to each specific at-bat and see the exact game situation involved in every result.
Team Stream (Free)
The Bleacher Report has taken a lot of flak for its overabundance of slideshow-based lists, but they’ve recently undergone big editorial changes and this app reflects that. Not only will Team Stream keep you completely plugged-in to the latest news happening around MLB so you’ll know the minute someone gets hurt or hot in Spring Training, but you can also set up notifications for your favorite team. No more huddling next to the radio waiting for important news to break, now it’ll just go directly to your iPhone.
2012 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide ($0.99)
The 2012 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide loses points for being light in the stats department, but if you’re trying to get the most up-to-date player rankings, it’s a solid app to have on your side. The app updates dynamically so if a player goes down with a bad injury, that will be reflected in the player ranking system, potentially saving you from being stuck with a lemon of a player. This app is also useful for in-person drafts thanks to an easy-to-use interface that lets you note which players have been drafted and which are still available.
Rotoworld Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide 2012 ($4.99)
Rotoworld’s fantasy app is at the top of its game and this year looks no different. This year’s app promises a vast selection of stats and ranking lists to help you prepare as much as possible regardless of whether you’re in a mixed league or an NL/AL only league. You can even customize the stats that the rankings are based on so that you’re only looking at player rankings that are truly valuable to the things you care about.
Rotowire Fantasy Baseball Assistant 2012 ($9.99)
The most expensive app on the list, Rotowire Fantasy Baseball Assistant 2012 is for the fantasy baseball fan who likes to read. The app comes with articles and blogs written by well-known fantasy gurus like Dave Regan, Chris Liss and Derek VanRiper. Users can also comment on the blogs and articles within the app to share their knowledge with one another, making for a more communal fantasy experience. Best of all, the app has a dedicated closer section which lets you know whose next in the line of succession should any team’s closer begin to falter.
