The State of FanGraphs 2025

Welcome to the 20th season of FanGraphs Baseball! In what’s becoming an annual tradition, allow me to run through all of the cool new features we’ve added to the site in the past year:
- Customizable player page dashboards and player cards, like heat maps, rolling averages, and more (Member exclusive)
- The fantasy Player Rater
- Division I college data
- NPB data
- Spring training data
- New heat maps
- Pitch modeling game logs
- WAR-based Playoff Odds
- Steamer platoon, context neutral, and percentile projections (Member exclusive)
- Historical Steamer, ZiPS, and ATC projections (Member exclusive)
- OOPSY projections
- FanGraphs Walk-Off (Member exclusive)
We’ve also enhanced and improved a ton of our existing features, including:
- Revamping our player pages
- Upgrading our spray charts
- Improving player search
- Improving our live data feed
- Relaunching the community research blog
Over the past five years, we’ve moved from relying primarily on advertising revenue to support the site to a subscription Membership model. We initially did this out of necessity during the pandemic, but we’ve also learned that we’re able to better serve our readers through this approach. The last few years have seen digital advertising rates fluctuate dramatically; as I detailed in last year’s update, the space can be opaque and difficult to navigate. All of that revenue uncertainty makes it hard to plan new initiatives and hire new staff. We are a baseball site of baseball experts for baseball enthusiasts of all stripes. We aren’t SEO experts or marketing geniuses. Membership allows us to focus on bringing you the very best baseball content and tools we can.
With Membership, you’ve gotten headlines like “Davis Schneider, I Mustache You How You’re Doing This.” You’ve gotten 5,000 words on foul tips to the throat. You’ve gotten dozens of player interviews. There have been over 350,000 words written on prospects in the past year alone, and more than 40 many-thousand-word deep dives into the most recent Hall of Fame slate. Want 25,000 words on the players with the highest trade value in baseball, or 100,000 words of positional power rankings previewing the season, or nearly 50,000 words of tiered fantasy rankings? We’ve got you covered.
Membership comes with ad-free browsing, one-click data exports, and unlimited FanGraphs and RotoGraphs articles. It has also allowed us to bring you greater site customization; indeed, customization has become a key tenet of Membership. We don’t want to force you to see baseball or FanGraphs the way we do. We want to let you choose what you want to see and how you want to see it, from flipping the site into Dark or Classic mode, to removing photos from the home page, to setting up your own player page dashboards and custom reports and leaderboards.
It has taken 20 years of work to bring you the site that you’re visiting today. There are so many features that are being actively maintained and improved upon that it’s frankly hard even for me to keep track of them all. Between the writing, the Depth Charts, the projections, all of the RosterResource and fantasy tools, the various models and stats, the podcasts, and the Membership benefits, I really think there’s no baseball site that pulls data from more places and ties it all together for you quite like FanGraphs does.
And we’re independent. We have no corporate overlords or outside investors, and we don’t partner with sportsbooks. Our 15 full-time staff members and 17 contributing writers are supported by advertising revenue and your Membership dollars.
I know that we’re all facing economic uncertainty right now, but if you’re in a position to do so, I hope you’ll consider a Membership. It’s the best way to both experience the site and help us make FanGraphs even better.
David Appelman is the creator of FanGraphs.
Proud member since 2020! Just do it!
If that’s true, how much do I need to donate towards membership to make it look like I’ve been a member here longer? 😉
I might buy a retroactive subscription for a past year.
I’d prefer to move the date forward so it looks like I’m not a member yet, but they know I will be in 2037.
The site says you’ve been a member since 2016!
However, maybe they were an ashamed member prior to 2020. You have to look at all of the possibilities.
Yes, they probably used to be known as ihatecats247 but now is ashamed of those dark, anti-fuzzy years.
Commenting to see how long I’ve been a member!
Ha!
Doing the same.
Ditto
Great work
Same
same same
Same…
You know what it is.
Might as well join in the fun
Former member?
How long have I been a member?
I, for one, would never do such a thing.
I think mine will say 2020 or 2025… but I bought my first yearly membership (and subscription to the Hardball Times) in 2016!
O brother…
Same
Now I’m doing that!
same
same
Me?
Am I doing this right?
Ha same
indeed!
Checking myself!
Interesting
Same
I wonder how it’s determined? Mine says 2024 but I had a membership during COVID
i thought this was another self-indulgent Bowmann article based on the head-line
DA – FG is great. Quirky articles are fun.
#1 thing you’re missing is a great podcast. Miss DC a lot …and Carson a little.
*Herb Alpert trumpet tune starts up*
“By gawd, that’s Custulli’s music!”
Still miss Cistulli’s mispronunciation of Lead prospect analyst when introducing Eric on the pod!
I miss Dave and Carson (and Jeff) too, but Effectively Wild is a fangraphs podcast and pretty damn great.
Once I heard Meg worked for Goldman Sachs for 5 years her message seemed insincere
I mean, I schlepped for a less-than-scrupulous company earlier in my career, too. Sometimes, it takes working in the belly of the beast to understand how monstrous of a beast it is.
You won’t listen to a podcast because one of the hosts at one point worked for an investment bank?
Yes, money is obviously Meg’s top priority as she quit a job at Goldman Sachs to create a career as a baseball writer
I would bet everything I own that you have no idea what Goldman Sachs even does.
Says the non-FG.
Are bad bets like that why you’re shirtless and too cheap for a FG membership?
worse. I work at a federal agency, so my message seems insincere or thoughtful for 4 to 8 years in an alternating pattern dating back to the start of my legal career.
Oh, who am I kidding? I said it was a legal career. that means I’m always insincere.
I’ll second the earlier comment saying Effectively Wild is fantastic, because it is – and the world desperately needs a Ben Clemens-hosted podcast
Keep doing what you do. We love it. Thanks!
Thanks. That’s all. Just thanks for the analysis, statistics, and verve.
Best site on the internet
Best value for any subscription out there.
I freeloaded for years, but once you changed to a subscription model, I signed up instantly. It’s impossible to imagine what following baseball / playing fantasy would be like without this site. Thank you for continuing to deliver the best baseball content, and for continuously improving and expanding your offerings.
What is a Fangraphs Walk Off?
Fun member benefit! https://www.fangraphs.com/walk-off
Today I learned I’m in the top 96% of FanGraphs readers. Elite!
Every member gets that…
Surprised to learn I am top 8%. I come here a lot, but maybe it is too much…haha
i’m deeply disappointed with my numbers, like Joey Votto was after his ’22 season. But, Chained to a Cloud by Slowdive was my most played song. So I’ve got that going for me.
Spotify Wrapped but FanGraphs
Platinum, baby!
I did not know this existed until just now! How long has Fangraphs been providing this? I just watched mine AND I LOVE IT!!!
Best baseball content nowadays by far, thanks!
Thrilled to continue supporting the site with my membership! It’s an incredible value, and the site has such a strong ethos. One small complaint – I’ve noticed that in several articles lately I’m being served ads before I’m able to watch an embedded video.
If they’re embedded videos from MLB dot com, those ads we unfortunately can’t do much about.
Gotcha, that explains it. Thanks for the follow-up!
There are ad blocking solutions that work remarkably well. I haven’t seen an ad before any video content here…
Considering the price of the Nintendo Switch 2, paying for Fangraphs is a walk in the park!
In fairness, we don’t have the Mario Kart IP.
Can we get a ZiPS ranking on the Mario Kart Drivers?
I’m hearing great things about Waluigi for this year…
think about the fundraising opportunity in having the FG staff dress up as MK characters at a go kart race track, though
My subscription lapsed because I’m a dumb guy and didn’t update my payment info. I couldn’t reactivate it fast enough!
Best website ever. Happy to be here.
Love your work. Bought two FG mugs because membership felt too cheap for what I was getting.
My annual comment to note that, despite labeling warning against doing so, my mug has held up just fine in the top rack of my dishwasher for many years!
Well done and keep at it. Invaluable resource.
Thank you for everything! One possible improvement: make articles more mobile friendly. Sometimes the ads make the articles unreadable.
You get ads on mobile when you’re logged in?
You shouldn’t be getting ads anywhere as a member. If you’re clicking from social media, sometimes that embedded browser will not have you logged in. Not much we can do about that.
Thanks. Yes it is when I click through from X. I’ll try logging in and hopefully it will remember.
This is probably the site I’ve consistently read longer than any other, and has almost certainly kept me interested in the sport during the many years of the past decade when my Phillies couldn’t.
Maybe this feature has been on this site for a while, but I really, really appreciate that when I look at a player’s MiLB stats by season, I noticed that you created a summary line for each year so I don’t have to do the math for players who saw 3+ levels in one year.
Saves me so much time. Thank you.
This was definitely a major QOL improvement
Little changes like this have made such a huge difference. Adding the team for each player in the player search bar saved me from pulling out the last few hairs I still have left. That was always such a pain when searching for someone with a really common name.
~Luis F. Castillo has entered the chat~
Longtime reader, first-time commenter. Big fan of this site.
And it hadn’t occurred to me until reading it in this post but: thank you for not partnering with sportsbooks. I have no moral ax to grind, it’s just refreshing not to be bombarded with those ads here.
It is refreshing not to have to hear the ad readers dumb takes: “I REALLY LIKE TYLER FITZGERALD SCORING OVER 0.5 RUNS TONIGHT TIM”
No one cares. NO ONE CARES.
oh hell yes
This is huge, and I’m here for it.
yeah, if fangraphs started doing gambling articles, I’d be out of here
Just for the record I love my membership!
This is unquestionably the best tome of baseball stats info and high quality written analysis available in the observable universe.
But I sure do miss NotGraphs
I’ll be a member forever.
Glad to help out the fine, hardworking people here at FanGraphs!
Thank you. I enjoy membership. That said, I am considering dropping support for any platform that has any presence on or in any meaningful way patronizes X/twitter – including writers.
Just the best. And better every year. Tone down or get rid of the politics
No, more politics. Let Meg cook.
I like baseball as a distraction from politics as anyone… but when you’ve got Arizona redistributing educational funds to pay for ballpark upgrades, baseball is entwined with politics.
And good luck trying to report on the CBA without politics.
“politics” always seems to be code for “things I disagree with” in cases like this.
Thanks for everyone’s hard work.
The last good website
The title of the eventual retrospective biography of Fangraphs.
Thank you to all of the writers and behind the scenes employees for your valuable work. I use your site daily to read new articles or do my own independent research. Congratulations on 20 years!
Fangraphs rules, and my only regret is that I didn’t become a member sooner
have ya’ll ever considered doing a lifetime subscription?
certainly for myself, but it’d also be a cool gift idea for the more casual fan that i’m always trying to convert come holiday time. $60 for a year seems like a cheap gift, but for family and close friends, $300-400 for lifetime would be an almost instant buy.
From a me point of view, I would love that.
But the problem with lifetime subscriptions is that they can kill you if you have a membership decline. I’m aware of lifetime subscription models where the org takes a not-really-its-fault subscription decline and suddenly a third of your members are lifetime members and you had best have saved a bunch of money.
And if you say, “invest it,” I would just note that I once read in a book that the market could go down.
Again – lifetime is fun. But you have to plan way way ahead to do that, and your power users will probably stay with you anyway.
How I wish there were sites like this for my other passions. You all do exceptional work, and renewing my Fangraphs subscription is a no-brainer every year.
I am glad to be a supporter via subscription; very enjoyable and well worth it. Thank you.
Your efforts have made a good site even better. I’m sure the growth of your membership illustrates that. I’m amazed at how often I use the Fangraphs site. Keep it up!
If Banknotes Harper thinks a FanGraphs membership is a good investment of one’s lettuce, you should too.
“and we don’t partner with sportsbooks”
Thank you.
Typing just to find out how long I’ve been here.
Happily a paying member since 2020
Happy, enthusiastic member for several years and I plan to keep it that way. Love the site, love the features (especially the dashboards) and see the value to other subscribers in the stuff I don’t use or read. Love that you’re not shoving sports betting down our throats. Love the quirkiness of the staff / writers that still comes together in a cohesive framework. Would like the prospect content to be 50% fewer words and 25% faster to arrive, but that’s just me.
Would love to see more options in the shop (especially shirts/hoodies).
Keep up the great work!
FanGraphs is just about the only subscription I never consider ending – keep up the awesome work!
I don’t think there’s another site like this on any topic, much less for sports. Not exaggerating at all to say that this website and the people who comment on it make me much happier.
your well-informed observations are examples of how a reader gets insights not only from the writers, but also from commenters in a still-readable comment section. Thanks to you and others for elevating the discussion.
On the topic of the implementation of the X amount of articles per month for non-members: This approach, while initially reducing my useage of the FG site, did ultimately convince me to sign back up for a yearly membership. Just wanted to get this out there incase feedback about that decision could be useful to you!
Yay!
Last year, I provided David with an easy program to avoid my paying for goods and services. He ignored all my advice (which included not paying Szymborski, going all-AI articles, and other Good Business Practices.)
We’re in the same place, so let’s try again.
I’ll just stick to the online bet-on-your-phone sportsbooks this time. They have money! They will do articles for you!
“Oh, I’m not comfortable supporting a product aimed at poor-impulse-control folks which leads to additional bankruptcies and other social ills.” Hey, correlation does not mean causation! Maybe the bankruptcies and other unpleasantness lead to more legalized sports betting via phone! Maybe there’s a common source for both! We can never know.
Instead, you are taking money from me. To quote Zeep Xanflorp, this is like slavery with extra steps.
As Appelman’s failures as a business owner continue unabated, I will remain a member to keep them afloat. But I remain aggrieved at having to pay money to people for working to entertain and inform me.
WAIT, PAY SZYMBORSKI PLZ
WORKS ON CONTINGENCY?
NO, MONEY DOWN!
Hot damn I miss Phil…
Looking forwarding to remaining a member for many years to come
Love the site, will be subscribing until I stop watching baseball. Hard to find anywhere that has the same quality of data (including data accessibility, ability to manipulate) and prospects writing.
We’ve seen some great writers come and go and you always seem to find quality replacements. You do a great job with your AAA team and finding free agents to build an informative and entertaining site!
Do the membership people!
Many thanks from a long time member, and I couldn’t thank all involved enough!! Fangraphs has been a wonderful addition to my life since I found it 10 years ago. It is often difficult for a senior citizen to keep his mind sharp but interacting with the sharp minds here at Fangraphs, both the writers and the excellent cast of bloggers who add so much to the site, that I am constantly challenged to say something that adds, even when I reminisce and defend the game I grew up with, to the conversation. I visit every day and every time I find something interesting and I look forward to continuing for years to come.
Bosoxforlife, I enjoy your comments. Seems every other post you tell us some absurd fact indicating how old you are. I’m starting to think maybe you’re immortal? I love it.
Anyway you’re damn sharp.
It’s amazing to read completely thoughtful analytical takes interspersed with reflections on watching Willie Mays or Mel Ott or whoever.
Thank you! I have been blessed to still have my faculties and a long history of loving baseball. On August 18,1948 the family was traveling from SW Connecticut to Portland, ME to visit my dad’s brother and his family. In those days it was a 2 day trip and dad surprised us by stopping in Boston and taking us to Fenway Park where we watched the Red Sox beat up on the Philadelphia Athletics and I have been hooked ever since. My career in golf enabled me to attend major league games from coast, Boston, New York and Miami to coast, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego and LA and I will be adding PNC Park to my life list when I attend the U.S.Open in Pittsburgh in June. It has been a great journey. There have been ups, 1967 & 1975 and even 1986 and downs, even at the same time, but 2004 was a couple of weeks of joy that paid off every down I ever had. Everything from here on is just gravy.
Yay. Whoo. Etc.
I bought several memberships. Honestly, dollar for dollar this, along with my sam harris podcast membership, are the best investments ive made. I have read fangraphs almost daily for over a decade. It always brightens my days when im stressed and anxious. The humor, the nerdiness, the good takes.. its a treasure and i will be a paying member for as long as this sute exists.
Thanks.
This is the best money I spend. Keep up the great work, FanGraphs Fam!
Worth every penny!
You had me at “we don’t partner with sportsbooks.”
FanGraphs is phenomenal, and supporting them by purchasing a membership was an easy call.
I went through a period of economic uncertainty a few years ago, but other than then I’ve been a member for more than a decade as well as a daily reader. Thanks for the past and the future!
Memeber since ^
Thanks for keeping your annual SotFG well well under an hour. Politicians should learn from you.
Thanks for all you guys do
February 17, 2014
That certainly is a date
“There’s no baseball site that pulls data from more places and ties it all together for you quite like FanGraphs does.” ~ David Appelman
You got that right. This is hands-down the best baseball site on the Internet, and I’m proud to be a sustaining member since 2019. Frankly, I can’t believe it took me that long to become a member, since I was reading the site for years before that point.
Seriously, folks. If you’re here and you’re not a member (and you’re financially able to become a member), it’s a no-brainer. The level of statistical deep dives mixed with zinger dad-puns and relevant (and sometimes amusing) GIFs makes this the most joyous reading I do all day, every day, even in the offseason.
Hats off to the staff and contributing writers for making this community so rich in so many ways.
I reached a point where I could support the journalism I like and so far have been fortunate to be able to continue.
You da Man David, thank you for another year!
I love Fangraphs, thanks for your diligence!
Love the site!
Spent way too long as a lurking non-paid member … not sure why I waited so long but it’s next best available date is to start today. Thanks for all the Fangraphs team does.
I’ve been reading FG since, like 2010, and I have no idea how long I’ve been a member for (I believe it was a converted FanGraphs+ subscription?).
I’m just chiming in to say that I have a mountain of gratitude for all former, current, and future writers & staff that have made FG what it is.
Anybody remember NotGraphs?
I, for 1, am intrigued
Member for life here – if you offered it, I’d sign up!
Always happy to support the best sports site in the world!
Love the work yall do. Proud to be a member.
Once you experience this site without the ads, you can’t go back. Subscription is absolutely worth it.
$60 per year, or $10 per month of baseball, is a comically cheap price for what you provide
checking as well
Thanks for the info
Cheers to another year of baseball!
I just learned about several new features, LOL
Member since 2016. No team to root for so a lot less interested in MLB. I canceled MLB.TV.
It’s going to become like my interest in NFL or NBA. If a superstar is playing I’m mildly interested.
Do you think FG will ever get the black mugs again?
Paul Sporer and Justin Mason’s work on their podcast made me feel like you guys deserved the membership just as a tip!
I won’t cancel this membership until I’m dead or the internet is gone.
love the site!
Thanks for everything!
Another looong term freeloader; recent sub guy here. Happy to pony up the funds to support such an incredibly informative site.
Thanks team!
As a reader and subscriber for many, many years, I have a few things I’d like to say.
Now that you’ve transitioned to a membership model, you have to think about how to grow your membership. Things like SEO and marketing are important to your survival. Even if you need to divert resources away from content and devote more into growing and expanding the brand, do it.
FanGraphs’ content delivery strategy hasn’t changed much since I started reading the site. FanGraphs has essentially ignored social media since its inception and the site has never leveraged video as far as I can remember. These are two areas of growth, and I hope David and co recognize how important these things can be to the longterm health of the site.
I think PFF is an interesting case study for Fangraphs. PFF did many things well and other things not so well. David and co. would be wise to learn from them. While it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison between the two companies, many of the same concepts apply.
Much love to everyone at FG — I really enjoy the site and I appreciate how much it has grown over the past few decades. Thank you for all that you do for nerds like me.
Just sayin’… If you *do* need an SEO expert who loves baseball and is intimately familiar with the site, I gotchu.
YEEHAW