First Pitch Arizona 2025 - Speakers/Contributors

Speaker/ Contributor List is in progress and subject to change.

Britton Allan (Pallazzo Podcast)

Britton is a co-host of the wildly popular and always irreverent Pallazzo Podcast. He's a fantasy baseball fanatic with a track record of smashing success and crushing defeat. He lives in Nashville with his two wonderful daughters and fantastic wife Sarah, who also happens to be a brilliant editor for BaseballHQ. Go Big Orange.

Andy Andres (BaseballHQ.com)

Andy teaches Statistics and Data Science at Boston University, but also developed the highly successful MOOC “Sabermetrics 101: An Introduction to Baseball Analytics” to about 70,000 registered learners on the edX.org platform. As a Datacaster/Stringer and Pitch Clock Operator/FTC for MLB, he is responsible for running the various in-game clocks and keeping score of games for various Internet applications like MLB.com’s Gameday.

Greg Ambrosius (National Fantasy Baseball Championship)

Greg is the founder of the National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC) and is currently the General Manager of Consumer Fantasy Games at SportsHub Technologies. Greg has been the editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine since 1989 and is a former president of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) and the Fantasy Sports Association (FSA). Greg is a member of the FSTA Hall of Fame and the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame.

Ryan Bloomfield (BaseballHQ.com)

Ryan is a three-time FSWA award winner and 12-time finalist, most recently winning the 2024 award for Best Baseball Article. He has been writing for BaseballHQ.com since 2012, where he pens weekly Speculator and FAAB columns. Ryan is an Associate Editor of the Baseball Forecaster and has contributed to the book since 2013. He's a co-host on the Bubba and the Bloom podcast with fellow speaker Brian "Bubba" Entrekin.

Mike Carter (F antrax.com)

Mike is a senior writer at Fantrax covering bullpens weekly during the season and writes two weekly waiver wire pieces and a prospect piece at RotoBaller as well. He also co-hosts the FSWA award-nominated Fantasy Baseball Beat podcast with Chris Torres and Dave Funnell, where beat writers are interviewed and give their takes on players and player usage. He is also a mental health advocate. Mike can be followed at the worst Twitter handle of all time, @mdrc0508.

Derek Carty (THE BAT X)

Derek is a DFS- and sports betting-focused analyst whose work you may find at ESPN, RotoGrinders, EV Analytics, or any number of other places. He is the creator of THE BAT X projection system for season-long (at FanGraphs), DFS (at RotoGrinders), and sports betting (at EV Analytics), which is routinely found to be the most accurate original projection system in fantasy in third-party studies. Derek has won 10+ MLB expert league titles with 25+ top-three finishes (roughly 50%), including being the youngest-ever winner of LABR. He was previously a regular on ESPN's Baseball Tonight and is a proud graduate of MLB's Scout School.

Matt Cederholm (BaseballHQ.com)

Matt has been playing Rotisserie baseball since before the reserve roster existed. He’s been a BaseballHQ.com writer since 2010, and has written the Big Hurt column since 2017 (he’s a doctor, but not that kind of doctor). He holds a PhD in Economics and even has a full-time job.

Ariel Cohen (FanGraphs.com)

Ariel was the 2019 FSWA Baseball Writer of the Year, the 2020 FSWA Baseball Article of the Year awardee, and is the 2024 Best Baseball Podcast winner for his Beat the Shift podcast. He is an 10-time FSWA award nominee. He is the creator of the ATC (Average Total Cost) Projection System, and was the 2020 Tout Wars Head to Head winner. He writes for FanGraphs, CBS Sports, SportsLine, RotoBaller and is the host of the Beat the Shift Podcast (@Beat_Shift_Pod). Follow Ariel on Twitter/X at @ATCNY.

Jason Collette (RotoWire.com)

Jason has been helping fantasy owners since 2001 at RotoJunkie, Fanball, and currently at RotoWire where his Collette Calls column won best baseball column in 2018. He was also the 2013 FSWA Fantasy Baseball Writer of the Year (bribes pay off!). You can hear Jason on Saturdays on the RotoWire SiriusXM Fantasy show throughout the season as well as on The Sleeper and The Bust podcast with Paul Sporer and Justin Mason each Sunday. You can follow his work on BlueSky at jasoncollette.bsky.social.

Patrick Davitt (BaseballHQ.com)

“PD” has been playing fantasy baseball since the late 1980s, almost always roto-style scoring and 12-team only, but with some other formats sprinkled in. He's been a contributor to BaseballHQ since the early '90s and started the BaseballHQ Radio pod in 2006 (20th year!). PD lives in Waterloo, Ontario with his wife Lysè and their eight-year-old mutt Leo. In his little spare time, PD is an avid reader and member of multiple book clubs.

Rob DiPietro (Pull Hitter Patreon)

Rob has provided fantasy baseball analysis since 2020 on his Patreon (PullHitter Fantasy Baseball) and podcast (PullHitter Podcast) where his guests discuss game theory and market trends. In 2023, he started co-hosting the Launch Angle Podcast with Jeff Zimmerman and Rob Silver. Rob has been focusing on playing fantasy baseball at the NFBC since 2020, where he won the Draft Champions overall in his first year playing on a single bullet and was runner-up in the same contest in both 2023 & 2024.

Doug Dennis (BaseballHQ.com)

Doug has been Baseball HQ’s Bullpen Buyers Guide columnist since 1999. In addition, he has written articles for the Baseball Forecaster, USA Today, Sports Weekly, ESPN.com, ESPN the Magazine and he assisted the St. Louis Cardinals with player analysis for two years.

Brian Entrekin (BaseballHQ.com)

Most know Brian as "KC Bubba" and for his many podcasts—most importantly Benched with Bubba and Bubba & the Bloom. He writes for many outlets including BaseballHQ and FantasyPros. You can also find Bubba on Twitter @bdentrek.

Jeff Erickson (RotoWire.com, Sirius/XM Radio)

Jeff is a co-founder of RotoWire and the first two-time winner of Baseball Writer of the Year from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. He's also in the FSWA Hall of Fame. He roots for the Reds, Bengals, Red Wings, Pacers and Northwestern University (the real NU). You can listen to Jeff on RotoWire Fantasy Sports Today on SiriusXM Fantasy from noon-2:00p ET. During baseball season, he also hosts "Prop Points" on VSiN.

Steve Gardner (USA TODAY Sports)

Steve has served as the LABR commissioner since 2006 and has won six LABR titles (AL 2010, 2015, 2017; Mixed 2014, 2019; NL 2017). He also won NL Tout Wars in 2011 and 2018 and two FSTA experts leagues (2012, 2015). He received the FSWA award for Baseball Article of the Year in 2014, is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame, the Baseball Writers Association of America, and has covered 19 World Series for USA TODAY. Follow him on Twitter @SteveAGardner and on BlueSky ‪@steveagardner.bsky.social‬.

Stephen Goodwin (phantasea.io)

Stephen is an NFBC Player and the creator of phantasea.io. He has a passion for all thing roto and the game of fantasy baseball.

Michael Govier (Pallazzo Podcast)

Michael is a born and raised Michigander. He's the host of the Pallazzo Podcast Fantasy Baseball show, which wrapping up its 6th year in production, and a three-year veteran of Tout Wars. He loves the Tigers, and is kindly referred to as your friendly neighborhood bozo :)

Rick Graham (PitcherList.com)

Rick is currently a Senior Fantasy Analyst and Reliever Manager for Pitcher List, where he has been covering bullpens since 2017. He has playing and coaching experience at the collegiate level and previously contributed at Rotoballer. Rick also participates in Tout Wars (NL-only) and co-hosts the In The Pen Podcast (@InThePenPod) with Jake Crumpler. Follow Rick’s work on Twitter and/or Bluesky at @iAmRickGraham.

Toby Guevin (BatFlipCrazy.com)

Toby, also known as BatFlip Crazy, is a high stakes fantasy player and analyst with a focus on NFBC leagues. In 2024, his brainchild, the Champions League, debuted as a contest at the NFBC. Hopefully it lasts longer than his previous brainchild, the “Pocket Aces” strategy.

Brent Hershey (BaseballHQ.com)

Brent is the General Manager of Content for BaseballHQ.com and serves as co-editor of the Baseball Forecaster and editor of the Minor League Baseball Analyst annuals. He has been writing at BaseballHQ.com since 1998. Follow him on Twitter @BrentHQ.

John Kracum (Scoresheet.com)

John is one of the operators of Scoresheet Baseball, the only fantasy baseball simulation using current-year stats to play full 162-game fantasy seasons alongside the pros. He learned how to use Microsoft Excel by entering MLB data for his dad's Scoresheet team in the early 1990s, and somehow has stuck with the game. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and daughters and spends too much of his time rewatching Schwarzenegger movies.

Peter Kreutzer (rotoman.substack.com)

Peter is the publisher of Rotoman's Fantasy Baseball Guide. He is on the board of Tout Wars. He has written for The Fantasy Baseball Guide: Professional Edition, MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN.com, and Peter Golenbock's How to Win At Rotisserie Baseball. He's often found these days at Pattonandco.com.

Eric Longenhagen (FanGraphs.com)

Eric is the hirsute FanGraphs Lead Prospect Analyst who is entering his 10th year at the site.

Matt Martingale (Elias Sports Bureau)

Matt started playing fantasy baseball and working at Elias in 1995. He loves baseball history and has written notes on multiple sports for clients such as ESPN, MLB Network, NFL Network, and Turner Sports. He finished 13th overall in TGFBI in 2023.

Ray Murphy (BaseballHQ.com)

Ray is the General Manager of Administration for BaseballHQ.com and co-editor of the Baseball Forecaster annual. He has been writing at BaseballHQ.com since 1999. Primarily a mixed-league player, he is a four-time league champion in the NFBC Main Event (including 4th-overall finishes in both 2012 and 2016), and also won (in a tie) the inaugural LABR mixed league in 2012, a TGFBI league title in 2018, and Tout Wars Mixed Draft in 2019.

Joe Orrico (FantasyPros.com)

Joe has played fantasy baseball since 2013, and he’s been in the content space as a writer and podcast host since 2021. His background is in Journalism and Sports Media, and he currently works as a producer, writer, and host for FantasyPros, FanGraphs, and FTN Fantasy. You can hear him regularly on the FantasyPros Basbsall Podcast and The Sleeper and the Bust. Joe is a Tout Wars participant and you can find him on Twitter @JoeOrrico99.

Dean Peterson (National Fantasy Baseball Championship)

Dean is a facilitator for live NFBC events in Chicago and a former 12-year Tout Wars veteran representing STATS LLC, where he also kept the data flowing to support your favorite fantasy games for many years. He is a life-long fan of Strat-O-Matic baseball, where he currently administers one league and participates in 3 others.

Nick Pollack (PitcherList.com)

Nick founded PitcherList.com in 2014 after years pitching in college, coaching travel baseball, and giving private pitching instruction. He's the 2022 FSWA Baseball Writer of the Year and has been published in the Washington Post, CBS Sports, and FanGraphs. He currently can be found discussing starting pitching to his heart's content exclusively at his home site. Creator of the CSW stat and too many terrible fantasy baseball terms.

Eric Samulski (Rotoworld.com)

Eric is a writer/content creator for NBC Sports/Rotoworld. He's a three-time FSWA winner and eight-time finalist. He's the co-host of the On the Corner Podcast with Nick Pollack. Eric played college baseball and a year of professional baseball overseas and writes weekly waiver wire columns and pitch mix analysis which can be found at NBCsports.com. He was also the hidden character Air Dog in NBA Jam.

Sara Sanchez (BaseballHQ.com)

Sara is a baseball analyst who divides her time between her love of the Cubs and fantasy baseball. She’s written for FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus. You can currently find her fantasy analysis at BaseballHQ. She’s the 2022 GLARF champion and the 2022 runner-up in the Tout Wars 12-team alternate categories mixed league. Her fantasy takes are powered by nitro cold brew, rosé, and the vibes in the left field bleachers at Wrigley Field.

Eno Sarris (TheAthletic.com)

Eno is the national baseball analytics writer and lead fantasy baseball columnist at The Athletic. Slings Stuff+ at FanGraphs, ranks at the Athletic, and has the best AL-LABR finish ever so at least there’s that. He's still bugging players about their latest adjustments and bugging the nerds about their latest findings. Find him wherever the good beer is.

Ron Shandler (RonShandler.com)

Ron’s eponymous Baseball Forecaster has been creating fantasy baseball winners since 1986. He is the founder of BaseballHQ.com, spearheaded the creation of Tout Wars and co-founded this First Pitch Arizona event. Ron owns dozens of top-3 finishes in national experts leagues since 1994, has written for numerous publications and websites, including USA Today, ESPN, and The Athletic, and is an FSGA/FSWA Hall-of-Famer. He tweets random brain flakes @RonShandler. Copies of his historical memoir, "Fantasy Expert,” will be available at this conference.

Paul Sporer (FanGraphs.com)

Paul is a writer/podcaster at Fangraphs, serving as lead editor of the Rotographs side while hosting The Sleeper and The Bust podcast with Justin Mason. He is also the Perfect Team Content Director for the Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP). He is a diehard Detroit Tigers fan, growing up just outside the city in the 80s and 90s, falling asleep to Ernie Harwell on the radio all throughout his childhood. He now resides in Austin, TX with his mini-dachshund Charlotte.

Frank Stampfl (CBSSports.com)

Frank is the host of the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast with CBS Sports. Frank is a two-time Tout Wars H2H champ (2021, 2022) and also competes in NL LABR.

Derek VanRiper (TheAthletic.com)

Derek (“DVR”) is a podcast producer and host at The Athletic (Rates & Barrels). He has played fantasy baseball for 20+ years, competing in a wide array of draft and auction formats including industry leagues (Tout Wars, LABR, TGFBI, XFL) and the NFBC.

Brian Walton (TheCardinalNation.com; Creativesports.com)
Brian runs TheCardinalNation.com, covering the St. Louis Cardinals and their minor league system. He is also one of the managing principals of Creativesports.com and competes in the XFL, Xperts Fantasy League, LABR and Tout Wars. Brian was the 2009 National League Tout Wars champion, scoring the most points in league history.

Sam Wirsching (Pallazzo Podcast)

Sam hails from the Seattle area where he is married with kids (age 20 and 15) and runs a chain of pet food and supply stores. When he isn’t there playing with dogs or his family you can find him in his basement organizing baseball cards and watching Cal Raleigh highlights.

Jeff Zimmerman (FanGraphs.com)

Jeff is one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, and writes for RotoGraphs. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including one for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.

Todd Zola (Mastersball.com)

Todd is the principal owner of Mastersball.com along with writing for RotoWire, Fantasy Index and ESPN. He can be heard year-round for an hour every Saturday on MLB Network Radio and in-season on SiriusXM Fantasy Radio. Todd participates in LABR, Tout Wars, and the XFL and is a multiple-time champion in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship. In 2017, Todd was named the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Baseball Writer of the Year. In 2020, he was inducted into the FSWA Hall of Fame. In 2024, Todd was the editor-in-chief of the relaunched Fantasy Index Baseball Magazine.