Developed by a small group of sports writers in the 1980’s, rotisserie league fantasy baseball is the grand-daddy of all fantasy leagues. Leagues were originally scored in accordance to newspaper box-scores which were widely accessible in the early stages of what would become a sporting phenomenon. But with the maturation of computers and the advent of the internet leagues quickly became more customizable and owner-friendly.
Rotisserie leagues began as 4x4 leagues. What this means is the winner of the league is determined by a cumulative score based on 4 batting categories: batting average (BA), home runs (HR), runs batted in (RBI), and stolen bases (SB) and 4 pitching categories: wins (W), saves (S), earned run average (ERA), and whip (WHIP). Most current leagues have expanded to a 5x5 variation or even a 6x6 to include other statistics such as: runs (R), strikeouts (SO), on-base percentage (OBP), and slugging percentage (SLG).
The league standing point totals are awarded to owners in correspondence to their standing in a particular category. For example, the owner with the highest homerun total, season-to-date, will receive ten points, the second place owner will receive nine points, all the way down to the last place owner who will receive one point. With specific regards to pitching categories, leagues will often have maximum or minimum requirements, depending on the statistic. For example, if the league has determined a games-started limit for starting pitchers any statistics attained after exceeding the limit will not count. Requirements of this nature are fairly consistent from league to league but can vary.
So after this crash course on the outline of a rotisserie style league what does this mean for a potential owner, in other words, what are the potential pros and cons of this league type? Well for starters, more often than not the winning owner is going to be rewarded for a season long effort. It is important to stay up to date with roster moves, injuries and starting lineups so the owners who can make it through the dog days of the season, July and August, will begin to pull away from the rest of the league. Consistency and dedication is the main key to a rotisserie championship. So for owners who think they can outlast their competition a roto league should be in your future.
But on the flip side of the coin rotisserie leagues do have some cons. The owner’s ability to draft a balanced team will have an enormous impact on their league standing, so an owner needs to do their homework. It is important to spread the wealth around and not focus on players who are great in one stat and drag your team down in other areas. We all know chicks dig the long ball but fantasy owners should dig five-tool players. Also, an owner is going to want to pickup players who are going to be there down the stretch, whether it be through waiver-wire pickups or trades from unmanaged teams. A roto league will usually become a two or three horse race into September so know what stats your team needs. But it is important to note your league may want to have rules that guard against any type of fire sale from last place owners that can change the outlook of the league. This is also a scenario where Fantasy Baseball Arbitration comes in handy.
To sum up rotisserie leagues consistency and balance are the owner’s two best friends for better and worse. Some owners will fall by the wayside mid way through the season which can takeaway from the competitive atmosphere of the league but armed with this knowledge you will become a rotisserie contender. Now, with baseball’s opening day just a few weeks away, hopefully this crash course into rotisserie style leagues will help owners choose their path towards the fantasy promised lands. But if you aren’t yet sure that this is the league for you, stay tuned for part II of this article that will discuss head to head leagues with the pros and cons they have to offer.
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