Title	Description
	Automated SGP Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2026*** The Automated SGP Ranking Tool will help you convert your favorite projection set (Steamer, The Bat, Razzball, RotoWire, PECOTA, etc.) into Excel-based rankings and dollar values tailored to your own league’s settings. The process takes only minutes. No messy Excel formulas. Just load your projections into the file, adjust a few settings, and standings gain points rankings are calculated automatically. Click here to read more about the tool.
	Automated Points League Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2026*** Powered by the same concepts as the Automated SGP Ranking Tool, the Automated Points League Ranking Tool does all the same things, just for nearly any imaginable points league. The tool works with any popular projection set and allows you to enter your league’s unique point scoring system, then instantly converts those projections into tailored point totals and dollar values. The process take minutes and will give a huge advantage over owners that are not tailoring rankings specifically to the league scoring system. Click here to read more about the points league tool.
	Projection Aggregator – $9.99 ***UPDATED for 2026*** An easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet that can combine (or average) up to five different projection sets. The aggregator can use just about any well-known projection set you can find on the web (if you find one that doesn’t work, let me know!). Simply download your favorite projection sets, fill out some settings, and you’re done. No complicated formulas or VLOOKUPS for you to add.
	The Process – 2026 Edition ***UPDATED for 2026*** This year’s edition of The Process contains many exciting new updates, studies, standings, and SGP data. Visit thefantasybaseballprocess.com to read many more details. Appendix 2026 Edition (PDF) – $14.99 Click here to purchase the Appendix 2026 Edition in a PDF e-book format for $14.99.   Full 2026 Edition (PDF) – $19.99 Click here to purchase the Full 2026 Edition in a PDF e-book format for $19.99.   Appendix 2026 Edition (Paperback) – $17.99 The appendix is also available in paperback form on Amazon.com. Click here to purchase the appendix on Amazon for $17.99. Full 2026 Edition (Paperback) – $24.99 The full book is also available in paperback form on Amazon.com. Click here to purchase the book on Amazon for $24.99.

Follow @smartfantasybb

The post Tools for the 2026 Season – Available Now!!! first appeared on Smart Fantasy Baseball.

Title	Description
	Automated SGP Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2025*** The Automated SGP Ranking Tool will help you convert your favorite projection set (Steamer, The Bat, Razzball, RotoWire, PECOTA, etc.) into Excel-based rankings and dollar values tailored to your own league’s settings. The process takes only minutes. No messy Excel formulas. Just load your projections into the file, adjust a few settings, and standings gain points rankings are calculated automatically. Click here to read more about the tool.
	Automated Points League Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2025*** Powered by the same concepts as the Automated SGP Ranking Tool, the Automated Points League Ranking Tool does all the same things, just for nearly any imaginable points league. The tool works with any popular projection set and allows you to enter your league’s unique point scoring system, then instantly converts those projections into tailored point totals and dollar values. The process take minutes and will give a huge advantage over owners that are not tailoring rankings specifically to the league scoring system. Click here to read more about the points league tool.
	Projection Aggregator – $9.99 ***UPDATED for 2025*** An easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet that can combine (or average) up to five different projection sets. The aggregator can use just about any well-known projection set you can find on the web (if you find one that doesn’t work, let me know!). Simply download your favorite projection sets, fill out some settings, and you’re done. No complicated formulas or VLOOKUPS for you to add.
	The Process – 2025 Edition ***UPDATED for 2025*** This year’s edition of The Process contains many exciting new updates, studies, standings, and SGP data. Visit thefantasybaseballprocess.com to read many more details. Appendix 2025 Edition (PDF) – $14.99 Click here to purchase the Appendix 2025 Edition in a PDF e-book format for $14.99.   Full 2025 Edition (PDF) – $19.99 Click here to purchase the Full 2025 Edition in a PDF e-book format for $19.99.   Appendix 2025 Edition (Paperback) – $17.99 The appendix is also available in paperback form on Amazon.com. Click here to purchase the appendix on Amazon for $17.99. Full 2025 Edition (Paperback) – $24.99 The full book is also available in paperback form on Amazon.com. Click here to purchase the book on Amazon for $24.99.

Follow @smartfantasybb

The post Tools for the 2025 Season – Available Now!!! first appeared on Smart Fantasy Baseball.

Title	Description
	Automated SGP Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2024*** The Automated SGP Ranking Tool will help you convert your favorite projection set (Steamer, The Bat, Razzball, RotoWire, PECOTA, etc.) into Excel-based rankings and dollar values tailored to your own league’s settings. The process takes only minutes. No messy Excel formulas. Just load your projections into the file, adjust a few settings, and standings gain points rankings are calculated automatically. Click here to read more about the tool.
	Automated Points League Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2024*** Powered by the same concepts as the Automated SGP Ranking Tool, the Automated Points League Ranking Tool does all the same things, just for nearly any imaginable points league. The tool works with any popular projection set and allows you to enter your league’s unique point scoring system, then instantly converts those projections into tailored point totals and dollar values. The process take minutes and will give a huge advantage over owners that are not tailoring rankings specifically to the league scoring system. Click here to read more about the points league tool.
	Projection Aggregator – $9.99 ***UPDATED for 2024*** An easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet that can combine (or average) up to five different projection sets. The aggregator can use just about any well-known projection set you can find on the web (if you find one that doesn’t work, let me know!). Simply download your favorite projection sets, fill out some settings, and you’re done. No complicated formulas or VLOOKUPS for you to add.

Follow @smartfantasybb

The post Tools for the 2024 Season – Available Now!!! first appeared on Smart Fantasy Baseball.

Baseball HQ Radio with Patrick Davitt (September 16, 2022)

I discuss this a little during the interview with Patrick, but when I first started this website and was trying to immerse myself in different opinions and tactics for playing rotisserie, Baseball HQ Radio was a huge help in learning and improving. I went so far as to listen to all the old interviews as far back as my podcast player would go. I believe the format of the podcast has change slightly over the years, but the guest interviews with teachers and unique thinkers like Ron Shandler, Gene McCaffrey, Triston Cockroft, Mike Gianella, Todd Zola, and many others were helpful at forming my approach.

Even though the podcast took place while the 2022 season was still ongoing, as with much of my content, I try to keep things pretty evergreen and always relevant. We discuss a lot of strategy and fantasy baseball philosophy, along with some break down and conclusions from the 2022 season.

It was an honor to make an appearance on this show. HQ Radio is legendary and one of the longest running podcasts around.

The episode runs over three hours, but my segments all fall within the first half of the show.

PullHitter Fantasy Baseball with Rob DiPietro (January 13, 2022)

Welp. If you thought the HQ podcast was eventful, this may have topped it. Rob (2020 NFBC Draft Champions winner) lined up to have me, Jeff Zimmerman, Steve Weimer (2nd and 6th overall in 2022 NFBC Main Event), Phil Dussault (2021 NFBC Main Event, NFBC Auction Championship winner and 2021 Online Championship runner up), and Toby Guevin (multiple time NFBC Main Event and high stakes league winner). I don’t think this much NFBC success has been on one podcast before.

This conversation covered a wide range of topics and interesting discussions, ranging from The Process to how the group is handling the MLB rule changes, as well as some very interesting strategy and process discussions about topics like aggregating projections and how managers should best spend their time

I will note that I really enjoy listening to Rob’s podcast and how he takes the individual interviews with fantasy managers to the next level of depth. Some folks object to very lengthy podcasts, but I think that’s the beauty of the medium. There’s no way to uncover a lot of the details that Rob is able to by forcing an interview to fit within a tight window. The conversation here does ramble at time, but then there are some truly valuable nuggets and discussions that wouldn’t have surfaced if we had followed a more structured format.

Below you’ll find the link to the podcast as well as a snippet Rob created from some of my commentary.

Well here it is, your 2023 Fantasy Baseball Masterclass@PullHitterPod guest co-hosts @PhilDussault27 & @steveymer as we get all the info we can out of @jeffwzimmerman & @smartfantasybb
then @batflipcrazy comes in for save at the end! https://t.co/2kxBiZeVIU

— Rob DiPietro (@deadpullhitter) January 13, 2023

A little peak into this episode. I will be dropping more nuggets throughout the day. Enjoy this one by @smartfantasybb https://t.co/Jn9opzIf3s pic.twitter.com/tOVpGcgSv9

— Rob DiPietro (@deadpullhitter) January 13, 2023

The post Recent Podcast Appearances – HQ Radio and PullHitter Podcast first appeared on Smart Fantasy Baseball.

Title	Description
	Automated SGP Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2023*** The Automated SGP Ranking Tool will help you convert your favorite projection set (Steamer, The Bat, Razzball, RotoWire, PECOTA, etc.) into Excel-based rankings and dollar values tailored to your own league’s settings. The process takes only minutes. No messy Excel formulas. Just load your projections into the file, adjust a few settings, and standings gain points rankings are calculated automatically. Click here to read more about the tool.
	Automated Points League Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2023*** Powered by the same concepts as the Automated SGP Ranking Tool, the Automated Points League Ranking Tool does all the same things, just for nearly any imaginable points league. The tool works with any popular projection set and allows you to enter your league’s unique point scoring system, then instantly converts those projections into tailored point totals and dollar values. The process take minutes and will give a huge advantage over owners that are not tailoring rankings specifically to the league scoring system. Click here to read more about the points league tool.
	Projection Aggregator – $9.99 ***UPDATED for 2023*** An easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet that can combine (or average) up to five different projection sets. The aggregator can use just about any well-known projection set you can find on the web (if you find one that doesn’t work, let me know!). Simply download your favorite projection sets, fill out some settings, and you’re done. No complicated formulas or VLOOKUPS for you to add.
	The Process – 2023 Edition ***UPDATED for 2023*** This year’s edition of The Process contains many exciting new updates, studies, standings, and SGP data. Visit thefantasybaseballprocess.com to read many more details. Full 2023 Edition (PDF) – $17.99 Click here to purchase the Full 2023 Edition in a PDF e-book format for $17.99.   Full 2023 Edition (Paperback) – $22.99 The book is also available in paperback form on Amazon.com. Click here to purchase the book on Amazon for $22.99.

Follow @smartfantasybb

The post Tools for the 2023 Season – Available Now!!! first appeared on Smart Fantasy Baseball.

I heard this on a podcast recently. Can’t remember which one. So, I can’t give credit. It’s also not the first time I’ve heard the phrase. Maybe I shouldn’t worry too much about it.

I agree with this statement. But since I’m a natural contrarian (ask my wife) my knee-jerk response is, “Yeah, but there aren’t an infinite number of ways to win.”

I think about this a lot. Probably too much. Maybe the thoughts that follow are obvious. Or maybe I have some unique insight to share. So here goes. Besides, I haven’t written a true blog post in a long time. Buckle up.

Seeing this Tweet is what ultimately pushed me over the edge to write this:

We think a lot about those black lines, forgetting that it’s all still in our hands. pic.twitter.com/RSZ1d3W642

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) March 5, 2021

I’ll agree with the author here. In life we think a lot about those black lines. We tend to be backwards looking. Either relishing in the past or wallowing in it. The Stoics would want us looking at the green path into the future and all the possibilities that exist. But we like to be crippled by bad decisions and feel sorry for ourselves.

I may well be wrong, but I get the impression that most of us are the opposite in playing fantasy baseball. We have to be inherently forward looking. The stats accumulated in the standings can’t be changed. They are what they are. We have no choice but to pull up the free agent listing and plan for the future.

We talk about the future all the time. We are always “preparing”. Projections, prognostications, adding players for the future, dynasty leagues, pursuing a championship. It’s all forward looking.

Maybe that’s why we like this game? Is it inherently optimistic?

Anyways, we fake baseball players tend to forget our past decisions. I’m here to be negative and bring us back to all of our horrible decisions!!!

That’s not really my intent. Some good retrospection and review is good at the end of the season. But I’m not proposing we start looking in the rotisserie rearview mirror any more than that.

I do think the image is insightful and helpful at demonstrating a key bit of strategy I try to always bring myself back to… Stay balanced.

I’ll go as far as to say this is my guiding principle in playing rotisserie (it’s not so relevant for points leagues). I use it any time I’m struggling with a decision. Should I take a pitcher or a hitter? Should I take speed or power? Do I take my third outfielder or my first catcher?

We discuss the topic in The Process but don’t beat the reader over the head with it. I’m about to beat you over the head with it.

Stay balanced!

The phrase is purposely ambiguous. It can mean so many things, all of them helpful. Here are some examples:

• Don’t allow yourself to get backed into a corner. Keep your team balanced in both pitching and hitting. Keep a balance across statistical categories. Avoid putting yourself in a situation where you can’t take advantage of good fortunes that come your way. If you are out of balance, needing pitching, and an amazing hitter falls in the draft your decision point becomes getting even further out of balance or passing up the opportunity.
• Balance the risk and uncertainty on your roster. Don’t be too risky. Don’t be too conservative or risk averse (BTW, if you say “risk adverse” and you’re a podcaster, I have shaken my fist at you before). You don’t want to be the manager rostering Oneil Cruz, Adalberto Mondesi, and Justin Verlander. You also don’t want a team full of Randal Grichuks and Mark Canhas. There is value in pursuing upside and floor. Both serve a purpose.
• Balance the risk and uncertainty of the draft. It’s OK to be ahead of a run. Don’t put yourself in a situation where missing a run will cripple you. It’s OK to leave a dollar of value on the table in order to avoid being the sucker without a closer or the guy that has to start Yan Gomes. That extra dollar of value you sacrificed can pay off when the draft heads back your way after the run and the “chasers” are reaching.
• Avoid adding single points of failure or systematic risks to your team. What’s a single point of failure? Adalberto Mondesi with few other stolen base contributors is a single point of failure. Jacob deGrom in the first round and not following up with another starter for seven rounds is a single point of failure.
• Don’t close yourself off to possibilities. Don’t get too strong at a certain position. Drafting J.T. Realmuto and Will Smith (the #669257 MLB ID one) as early catchers looks super valuable on your fancy SGP spreadsheet (show off!). But it closes off the door to realizing value from catchers off the waiver wire. Another common example I see is drafting five super stud outfielders before filling in other positions. Looks great when you’re posting screenshots on Twitter. Not so great on a week in mid-April when a handful of intriguing outfielders pop up.
• Strangely, you sometimes have to get heavily out of balance to later fall into balance. Examples are accumulating batting average and pitching ratios early in drafts. Keep the bigger picture in mind. You can achieve balance over a longer spectrum of time. You don’t only find balance in the short term.

Hopefully you can see the value in this silly principle. That’s the point of being principle based! You just need to keep one phrase in mind and it can help guide so many decisions.

Let me close by tying this back to the green and black lines above. I made some rotisserie-related edits to the original image. Hopefully you can read the fine print.

You get an opportunity to make more decisions by staying balanced. More possibilities are at your fingertips. There are more ways to win! And not only is balance good for you but those that get out of balance are closing doors.

Sometimes you just have to let others beat themselves. This game can be a war of attrition. It’s your job to stay in the run as long as you can. Keep piling up opportunities to find value and make more decisions.

Stay smart… and stay balanced!

The post My Mantra – Stay Balanced first appeared on Smart Fantasy Baseball.

Justin Mason’s TGFBI Podcast (October 5, 2021)

I was lucky and fortunate enough to win the TGFBI overall championship, out of 435 fantasy baseball analysts. Justin guides me through an interview breaking down my draft, in-season moves, and strategies I used to win the prize.

New Podcast! "TGFBI | Episode 177: Breaking It Down with Tanner Bell" on @Spreaker #baseball #dfs #fantasy #mlb #sports #tgfbi https://t.co/1Iqeswi7x5

— Justin Mason (@JustinMasonFWFB) October 5, 2021

Launch Angle Podcast with Jeff Zimmerman, Rob Silver, and Van Lee (December 11, 2021)

I joined Jeff, Rob, and Van to discuss the release of the 2022 edition of The Process, as well as to do some ADP player analysis. You’ll get a little peak into my brain and how I go about analyzing a player’s draft price.

Another @LaunchAnglePod is available for download with @ManlyVanLee, @RobSilver, and @jeffwzimmerman welcoming @smartfantasybb to the show to talk his book- The Process!

They also continue down the ADP list with Baddoo, Doval, Rizzo and more

Listen: https://t.co/xWWhYr9yiI

— LaunchAnglePod (@LaunchAnglePod) December 9, 2021

On the Wire Podcast with Adam Howe, Kevin Hastings, and Jeff Zimmerman (December 26, 2021)

This was a fun one. We spend much more time talking about The Process, strategy, advice, and how I think about topics like SGP, using projections, and analyzing late-late-late-round players in a format like the NFBC Draft Champions.

Trust The Process w/ Jeff Zimmerman and Tanner Bell@jeffwzimmerman & @smartfantasybb join the pod to talk

@FantasyProcess
Dethroning @hastingkevin in @TGFBI
Mining the News players of

https://t.co/jv1OtY0cii
https://t.co/RZ54OJ0Qug
Omny: https://t.co/VWuKNFXEWE

— On The Wire Fantasy Baseball Podcast (@OnTheWirePod) December 26, 2021

The post Recent Podcast Appearances – October through December 2021 first appeared on Smart Fantasy Baseball.

Title	Description
	Automated SGP Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2022*** The Automated SGP Ranking Tool will help you convert your favorite projection set (Steamer, The Bat, Razzball, RotoWire, PECOTA, etc.) into Excel-based rankings and dollar values tailored to your own league’s settings. The process takes only minutes. No messy Excel formulas. Just load your projections into the file, adjust a few settings, and standings gain points rankings are calculated automatically. Click here to read more about the tool.
	Automated Points League Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2022*** Powered by the same concepts as the Automated SGP Ranking Tool, the Automated Points League Ranking Tool does all the same things, just for nearly any imaginable points league. The tool works with any popular projection set and allows you to enter your league’s unique point scoring system, then instantly converts those projections into tailored point totals and dollar values. The process take minutes and will give a huge advantage over owners that are not tailoring rankings specifically to the league scoring system. Click here to read more about the points league tool.
	Projection Aggregator – $9.99 ***UPDATED for 2022*** An easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet that can combine (or average) up to five different projection sets. The aggregator can use just about any well-known projection set you can find on the web (if you find one that doesn’t work, let me know!). Simply download your favorite projection sets, fill out some settings, and you’re done. No complicated formulas or VLOOKUPS for you to add.

Follow @smartfantasybb

The post Tools for the 2022 Season – Available Now!!! first appeared on Smart Fantasy Baseball.

Contents

This post is intended to be an all-encompassing discussion of the Player ID Map tool. Click the links below to jump directly to a specific section below. Use the Back browser or mouse button to jump back to this list.

• What is the Player ID Map?
• What Versions of the Tool are Available?
• How Do I Update or Refresh the Player ID Map?
• Origin
• Do People Really Use This Thing?
• Does the Player ID Map Include all MLB Players?
• Are Players Ever Removed from the Player ID Map?
• What are Some Practical Examples of How to Use the Player ID Map?
• What ID Systems Are Included in the Player ID Map?
• What Other Information is Included in the Player ID Map?
• Why are the Columns in Such a Weird Order?
• How to Handle Missing Players or Make Edits
• Can I Use the Player ID Map in a Google Sheet?
• How Often Are Changes Made?
• Who Maintains the Player ID Map?
• I Downloaded One of Your Old Books. The Player ID Map Won’t Update. What’s the Deal?a

What Is the Player ID Map?

The MLB and fantasy baseball landscapes are wide reaching. We fantasy players gather information, projections, and opinions from many locations. Any time you have a situation like this, where data is coming from many disparate places, some form of “mapping” table can help connect the dots and data points from these different sources.

If you’ve ever tried to line projections from Fangraphs up with projections from Baseball Prospectus, Mastersball, or Baseball HQ, you’ll understand this challenge. You may have tried a VLOOKUP in Excel or Google Sheets to line the data up side-by-side. But player names are not a great mechanism to do this. Names can change (see Nick Castellanos and Nicholas Castellanos or B.J. Upton and Melvin Upton). Name conventions can differ between sites (see A.J. Pollock and AJ Pollock or Ronald Acuna and Ronald Acuna Jr.). Even worse, there are occasionally duplicate names (Chris Young being a recent example).

The Player ID Map solves these discrepancies. It enables an owner to line up an A.J. Pollock in their spreadsheet to an AJ Pollock from projection system. The Player ID Map is the bridge that has enabled me to build tools like the Projection Aggregator and the Automated SGP Ranking Tool. It enables building spreadsheet tools and other solutions that can work with or link to major sports websites (ESPN), projection systems (Steamer, Razzball, Mastersball, ATC), and fantasy baseball providers (NFBC, Fantrax, Yahoo!, Draftkings).

What Versions of This Tool are Available?

All the different “versions” below are pointing to the same source information. They are just different formats of using or viewing the data.

1. Excel Version (LINK) – A downloadable Excel file that can be incorporated into your own fantasy baseball spreadsheets. The data in this file contains connections to the main version I maintain in an online Google Sheet. This version will likely be out of date when it is downloaded, but instructions on how to refresh the data through the connection to the Google sheet are easy-to-follow and are included later in this post. The Excel version contains two tabs:
   • PLAYERIDMAP – All available IDs and naming system information that I track
   • Change Log – Explanations of changes made, including additions, corrections, and dates these changes were made
2. Web Version of PLAYERIDMAP (LINK) – A live look at the html/web-based version of the PLAYERIDMAP tab in the live Google Sheet. You might use this if you just want to see the Player ID Map or look for specific pieces of information


3. CSV Version of PLAYERIDMAP (LINK) – A one-time CSV download of the Player ID Map tab of the live Google Sheet. I wouldn’t really recommend using this because there is no connection back to the live data I maintain, like in the Excel version. But it could be used if you only need an easy-to-use one-time dump of the data.


4. Web Version of Change Log (LINK) – A live look at the html/web-based version of the Change Log tab in the live Google Sheet. This could be used to review recent changes to the central Sheet and determine if a refresh is needed.


5. CSV Version of the Change Log (LINK) – I have no idea why I make this available. Seems like it wouldn’t be valuable at all! But it’s here if you need it. It’s a one-time CSV download of just the Change Log tab.

How Do I Update or Refresh the Player ID Map?

Note, you will be prompted about the potential danger of downloading Excel files from the internet the first time you download and open the Player ID Map. There are no dangerous macros or harmful code embedded in the file. It does maintain a connection back to my Google source file to enable you to download updated information. Click “Enable Editing” to accept this reminder and be able to interact with the Excel file.

You may at times also see an Excel warning that external data connections can be harmful. These are common warning messages and good reminders that you do have to be careful what you download on the web. Click “Enable Content” to allow the data connection to pull in refreshed player ID data.

If you trust me and do download the Excel file, here’s how to refresh it.

Step	Description
1.	Select a cell inside of the player ID data. It does not matter which player or piece of data. It just has to be something inside the blue and white table.
2.	Right-click on the selected cell and choose the menu option to “Refresh”.
3.	You will begin to see various status messages as Excel begins to refresh the connection. You may see information being relayed in the bottom right of Excel. A popup may appear. And status information may even appear in the bottom left of Excel (I couldn’t grab a screenshot quick enough). The entire refresh may take 60 seconds or so. And it may depend on how much time has transpired since your last update. You don’t really get a “This is Done!!!” message. You’ll just know you’re ready to proceed when all the statuses stop changing.

Origin

I created the Player ID Map in 2013. I started my ID map largely from information from Tim Blaker’s map. Tim continues to provide updates in his mapping file, but our maps have different purposes. I needed the flexibility to add new names and systems and not be reliant upon someone else. But I continue to use Tim’s map as an input to mine when I’m performing major updates for new players that enter the baseball world.

The Player ID Map has grown since 2013. I continue to add new systems, new name formats, and even new information about each player that will help me provide spreadsheet tools the the SFBB audience.

Do People Really Use This Thing?

I’m surprised at how often it’s used. At the time I write this article, the file has been downloaded or refreshed over 280,000 times (Who knows. 200,000+ of them could be me tinkering in spreadsheets). If I could only figure out a way to charge ten cents each time it’s used…

It’s an integral part to building long-lasting and flexible fantasy baseball spreadsheets that can take advantage of many different sources of baseball data.

Does the Player ID Map Include All MLB Players?

No. The tool is intended to be used for fantasy baseball purposes. Accordingly, the goal is to include only “fantasy relevant” players. That’s a purposely vague threshold. In the preseason, I generally keep the top 750ish players accordingly to NFBC ADP included in the Player ID Map. This should be enough players to cover most normal leagues. It’s possible the Player ID Map will not be deep enough for your 20-team NL-only league, your AL Central-only league, or your middle-reliever contest. Keep reading for advice on how to get more players added to the Player ID Map.

Are Players Ever Removed from the Player ID Map?

No. Leaving old and retired players in the spreadsheet allows for people (myself, might I refer you to The Process) to conduct historical research. An “Active” column was added to the spreadsheet in the fall of 2020. This field has values of “Y” for active players and “N” for inactive players. I err on the side of leaving players in an active state, if there is any uncertainty about them being retired or not. You can filter out inactive players using this new field, allowing you to trim the list of players to a more reasonable length.

What Are Some Practical Examples of How to Use the Player ID Map?

My most obvious example is the Projection Aggregator Excel tool I’ve created. This spreadsheet can work with up to five separate baseball projection systems and calculate the average projection for players across those different systems. The Player ID Map is the tool that makes this all possible. It’s what knows to average the Steamer projection for player ID 10155, Baseball HQ projection for player 3857, and the Baseball Prospectus PECOTA projection for player 59432. That same tool enables you to create a hyperlink to the Statcast data for player 545361, determine if player 8861 has been drafted in an NFBC league, and link to the Rotowire player page for player 10956. This player is Mike Trout.

What ID Systems Are Included in the Player ID Map?

As of December 2020, these are the columns in the Player ID Map:

What Other Information is Included in the Player ID Map?

Why Are the Columns in Such a Weird Order?

Because many folks have spreadsheets directly connected to the Player ID Map, I have no choice but to leave the ordering alone. Columns appear in the order in which they were originally added to the spreadsheet (the rightmost columns are the most recent).

How to Handle Missing Players or Make Edits

There is no clear-cut answer on the best approach here. There are two basic options:

1. Reach out to me via email (smart fantasy baseball at g mail dot com) or Twitter and request player(s) be added. Then wait for an updated version to become available. Please keep in mind the “fantasy relevant” threshold previously discussed. This becomes especially subjective during the season. But I’ll do my best to keep things up-to-date.


2. If you cannot wait for my updates, you are welcome to make your own edits directly in your copy of the Player ID Map. Just be careful not to refresh the connection or your edits will be lost.

Follow @smartfantasybb

Can I use the Player ID Map in a Google Sheet?

Yes. Using the following formula in a Google Sheet will pull in a live and direct connection to the Player ID Map:

Simply type that formula into cell A1 on a blank sheet and the entire Player ID Map will be pulled in.

How Often Are Changes Made?

Updates are concentrated in the following windows:

1. During the preseason (mid-November – March) – The updates are to stay aligned with the players expected to be fantasy-relevant in the next seasons. Updates will include free agency team changes, revisions to position eligibility, players coming to MLB from overseas, and rookies gaining attention for the upcoming season.
2. During the first two months of the season (April – May) – If I’m being honest, this is about how long I can keep up with the churn of MLB rosters, called up rookies, shifts in playing time, etc. Updates will generally include new players that have become fantasy-relevant early in the season.
3. After the season – These updates are to capture any previously missing players from the Player ID Map that had relevance during the previous season (I generally add any player with 100 Plate Appearances or 50 IP).

Who Maintains the Player ID Map?

I’m embarrassed to admit that I manually maintain the spreadsheet. I will use Excel formulas to pull in blocks of missing IDs, but there are also many times where I manually look up players and simply type in their ID and name under the various systems and websites. But hey… Somebody’s got to do this, right?

I Downloaded One of Your Old Books. The Player ID Map Won’t Update? What’s the Deal?

Yes. I wrote a couple of instructional books on how to build your own points league or SGP files from scratch before developing this updating/refreshing version of the Player ID Map. There are a couple of ways to work around this.

1. You can follow this more manual process of updating the player list.
2. Or you can download the new version of the Player ID Map, move it into your spreadsheet, and adjust all existing formulas to reference the new Player ID Map instead of the old one. This will be labor intensive, but you’ll benefit from having the connected ID map into the future.

Conclusion

Hopefully the peak behind the curtain about how the ID map is maintained and updated is helpful to you. If you find that it’s missing something important or that will help many fantasy baseball players, please reach out to me and let me know. We can figure it out.

Be smart.

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The post Everything You Need to Know About the Player ID Map first appeared on Smart Fantasy Baseball.

Title	Description
	The Process – 2021 Edition ***UPDATED for 2021*** We are sorry to announce that there will not be major updates to The Process for the 2021 edition. Among other things, the shutdown and restarting of the season, the rule changes, the odd schedules, and the seven-inning games would have us questioning the validity of any innovative research. With that in mind, we’ve decided to offer two editions this year, so our readers can choose the version that’s right for them. 2021 Appendix Edition (PDF) – $7.99 This is the edition for owners that have previously read the 2020 edition and are now looking for updated 2021 appendix data. This slimmed-down version contains just the 65-page appendix containing SGP analysis, Steamer projections, standings data for 2018-2020, and Jeff and Tanner’s thoughts on how to use the standings data from the 2020 season. Click here to purchase the Appendix Only 2021 Edition in a PDF e-book format for $7.99.   Full 2021 Edition (PDF) – $17.99 If you have not previously bought the book, this is the edition for you. The body of this book is the same as the 2020 edition, with an updated appendix. The appendix is updated for various leagues’ standings gains points (SGP), 2021 Steamer projections with the SGP, projected handedness splits, and others. Click here to purchase the Full 2021 Edition in a PDF e-book format for $17.99.     Full 2021 Edition (Paperback) – $22.99 Click here to order the paperback edition on Amazon.
	Automated SGP Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2021*** The Automated SGP Ranking Tool will help you convert your favorite projection set (Steamer, The Bat, Razzball, RotoWire, PECOTA, etc.) into Excel-based rankings and dollar values tailored to your own league’s settings. The process takes only minutes. No messy Excel formulas. Just load your projections into the file, adjust a few settings, and standings gain points rankings are calculated automatically. Click here to read more about the tool.
	Automated Points League Ranking Excel Tool – $17.99 ***UPDATED for 2021*** Powered by the same concepts as the Automated SGP Ranking Tool, the Automated Points League Ranking Tool does all the same things, just for nearly any imaginable points league. The tool works with any popular projection set and allows you to enter your league’s unique point scoring system, then instantly converts those projections into tailored point totals and dollar values. The process take minutes and will give a huge advantage over owners that are not tailoring rankings specifically to the league scoring system. Click here to read more about the points league tool.
	Projection Aggregator – $9.99 ***UPDATED for 2021*** An easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet that can combine (or average) up to three different projection sets. The aggregator can use just about any well-known projection set you can find on the web (if you find one that doesn’t work, let me know!). Simply download your favorite projection sets, fill out some settings, and you’re done. No complicated formulas or VLOOKUPS for you to add.

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The post Tools for the 2021 Season – Available Now!!! first appeared on Smart Fantasy Baseball.