The History of Fantasy Baseball
Fantasy sports are massive, especially in the United States, with every sport seemingly having a massive following of people who spend hours picking the players based on statistics and value for money. This is especially the case for baseball and in this article, we’ll tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about fantasy baseball so you can build the ultimate fantasy baseball team.
What is fantasy baseball?
Fantasy baseball is a popular game that’s played by baseball fans who pick their players and manage their baseball team using players that play in the real world, collecting points after each game. It’s been around for a while, originating in the 1970s and this coincided with an explosion of interest in the wider fantasy sports space. It’s only got bigger since then!
There are many different leagues and so the rules can vary, but the common rules are that each fantasy player will have a set budget with which they can select a maximum number of players. The better a player is the more they’ll cost, and vice versa. Players are then allocated points after their performances and this will allow fantasy players to shoot up the rankings.
The game has evolved a lot since its inception with there being a variety of different variations currently on the market, ranging from your bog-standard league system to head-to-head rankings and super competitive tournaments that you need to qualify for.
A newer addition is a short-form version where fantasy players are able to pick new teams each week in an effort to guess specific results and calculate who the best-performing players will be. This allows for weekly prizes instead of having to wait until the end of the season.
We’ve seen huge progress made in the fantasy sports space in recent years and interest has grown proportionately with statistics becoming more and more important in the real-world game too. Have you heard of Sabernetics? Popularized by Billy Beane, this method is statistics focussed and essentially mirrors the fantasy game, becoming a key part of the professional game at all major clubs.
The technology boom again pushed the fantasy space up in popularity, making it easier than ever for baseball fans to access their teams and make tweaks to their rosters on a weekly basis. There are fantasy-specific apps on the mobile app stores as well as more fantasy sports websites than you can count. It’s hard to overstate how big it is.
With its popularity showing no signs of waning, it seems likely that fantasy baseball will continue to grow in the years to come. So if you’ve ever fancied giving it a go, now is the perfect time to start!
Why is fantasy baseball so popular?
Fantasy baseball is popular for a number of reasons and while there are many, many reasons, we think the three we’ve got below are the most important.
Firstly, it is a very accessible game that can be played by anyone with even a passing interest in baseball. Unlike many other fantasy sports, you don’t need to be an expert on the sport to be able to play fantasy baseball and have a chance of doing well.
Secondly, it is a very social game that encourages interaction between friends and family members. Unlike many other fantasy sports games, which are mostly played online, this one is often played in person, with friends or family members getting together to draft their teams and then track their progress throughout the season.
Finally, fantasy baseball is a great way to add an extra level of excitement to watching real-life games. Rather than just cheering for your favorite team, you also have a vested interest in how individual players perform, as they could make the difference between your team winning or losing points each week.
How has fantasy baseball become mainstream?
Fantasy sports have broken into the mainstream because of the impact they’ve had on popular culture, especially on social media more recently and in TV and film if you look back a little further.
One of the most high-profile examples of this is the 2010 film “Moneyball”, which tells the true story of how the Billy Beane and Oakland Athletics used Sabermetrics to build a successful team on a shoestring budget. The film even includes a scene where the protagonists are shown playing fantasy baseball.
It has also been mentioned several times on “The Simpsons”, including an episode where Homer becomes completely obsessed with the game, to the detriment of his family. In another episode, one of the characters creates a false profile so they can try to rig the game in their favor and come out on top.
More recently, fantasy baseball was given a feature on the popular TV show “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, in which Captain Holt becomes obsessed with his fantasy team despite him having more pressing matters at work that need addressing. The episode even features a cameo from a famous fantasy-loving ESPN correspondent – fantasy is absolutely massive right now!
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