Looking for a new category to add in your fantasy baseball league? Something that is simple, kinda rewards the little guy and a category that has a cool name? Might you consider Troubles? What the hell is a Trouble anyway? We will lay it out in what follows.
THE LITTLE GUY
All leagues count HRs to keep track of the power boys. Darn near all leagues also use SBs to keep track of the rabbits. We have batting average for the guys who slap the ball around the yard as well, but what about the hitters who fall in-between?
WHAT IS A TROUBLE?
*The first place I ever saw this category mentioned was in USA Today by John Hunt in his weekly fantasy baseball column.
I bet most of you might have deduced what it is by now. Troubles is simply the combination of triples and doubles (hence TR-OUBLES). The formula is mighty simple to figure out, so even if you have nacho cheese on your fingers, you should still be able to make due.
Troubles = Triples + Doubles
Simple, easy, straight forward, and I have to think, useful. After all, we using doubles and triples in points leagues, so why not consider adding them to a roto setup if you are looking to move beyond 5×5?
2023 LEADERS IN DOUBLES
| Name | Team | G | AB | PA | H | 1B | 2B |
| Freddie Freeman | LAD | 161 | 637 | 730 | 211 | 121 | 59 |
| Corey Seager | TEX | 119 | 477 | 536 | 156 | 81 | 42 |
| Anthony Santander | BAL | 153 | 591 | 656 | 152 | 82 | 41 |
| Mookie Betts | LAD | 152 | 584 | 693 | 179 | 99 | 40 |
| Marcus Semien | TEX | 162 | 670 | 753 | 185 | 112 | 40 |
| Jeimer Candelario | – – – | 140 | 505 | 576 | 127 | 63 | 39 |
| Matt Chapman | TOR | 140 | 509 | 581 | 122 | 64 | 39 |
| William Contreras | MIL | 141 | 540 | 611 | 157 | 101 | 38 |
| Nathaniel Lowe | TEX | 161 | 623 | 724 | 163 | 105 | 38 |
| Kyle Tucker | HOU | 157 | 574 | 674 | 163 | 92 | 37 |
| Julio Rodríguez | SEA | 155 | 654 | 714 | 180 | 109 | 37 |
| Nick Castellanos | PHI | 157 | 626 | 671 | 170 | 102 | 37 |
| Spencer Steer | CIN | 156 | 582 | 665 | 158 | 95 | 37 |
| Alex Verdugo | BOS | 142 | 546 | 602 | 144 | 89 | 37 |
| Ezequiel Tovar | COL | 153 | 581 | 615 | 147 | 91 | 37 |
| José Ramírez | CLE | 156 | 611 | 691 | 172 | 107 | 36 |
| Austin Hays | BAL | 144 | 520 | 566 | 143 | 89 | 36 |
| Joey Meneses | WSN | 154 | 611 | 657 | 168 | 118 | 36 |
| Steven Kwan | CLE | 158 | 638 | 718 | 171 | 123 | 36 |
| Lane Thomas | WSN | 157 | 628 | 682 | 168 | 101 | 36 |
| Luis Robert Jr. | CHW | 145 | 546 | 595 | 144 | 69 | 36 |
| Christian Walker | ARI | 157 | 582 | 661 | 150 | 79 | 36 |
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | ATL | 159 | 643 | 735 | 217 | 137 | 35 |
| Yandy Díaz | TBR | 137 | 525 | 600 | 173 | 116 | 35 |
| Trea Turner | PHI | 155 | 639 | 691 | 170 | 104 | 35 |
| J.P. Crawford | SEA | 145 | 534 | 638 | 142 | 88 | 35 |
| Lourdes Gurriel Jr. | ARI | 145 | 551 | 592 | 144 | 83 | 35 |
| Ian Happ | CHC | 158 | 580 | 691 | 144 | 84 | 35 |
2023 LEADERS IN TRIPLES
| Name | Team | G | AB | PA | H | 1B | 2B | 3B |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | KCR | 158 | 641 | 694 | 177 | 108 | 28 | 11 |
| Corbin Carroll | ARI | 155 | 565 | 645 | 161 | 96 | 30 | 10 |
| Ketel Marte | ARI | 150 | 569 | 650 | 157 | 97 | 26 | 9 |
| Gunnar Henderson | BAL | 150 | 560 | 622 | 143 | 77 | 29 | 9 |
| Shohei Ohtani | LAA | 135 | 497 | 599 | 151 | 73 | 26 | 8 |
| TJ Friedl | CIN | 138 | 488 | 556 | 136 | 88 | 22 | 8 |
| Will Benson | CIN | 108 | 287 | 329 | 79 | 45 | 15 | 8 |
| Amed Rosario | – – – | 142 | 510 | 545 | 134 | 95 | 25 | 8 |
| Ke’Bryan Hayes | PIT | 124 | 494 | 525 | 134 | 81 | 31 | 7 |
| Steven Kwan | CLE | 158 | 638 | 718 | 171 | 123 | 36 | 7 |
| Elly De La Cruz | CIN | 98 | 388 | 427 | 91 | 56 | 15 | 7 |
| Jake Cronenworth | SDP | 127 | 458 | 522 | 105 | 64 | 24 | 7 |
| Seiya Suzuki | CHC | 138 | 515 | 583 | 147 | 90 | 31 | 6 |
| Wander Franco | TBR | 112 | 442 | 491 | 124 | 78 | 23 | 6 |
| Brandon Marsh | PHI | 133 | 404 | 472 | 112 | 69 | 25 | 6 |
| Brandon Nimmo | NYM | 152 | 592 | 682 | 162 | 102 | 30 | 6 |
| Kevin Kiermaier | TOR | 129 | 370 | 408 | 98 | 63 | 21 | 6 |
| CJ Abrams | WSN | 151 | 563 | 614 | 138 | 86 | 28 | 6 |
| Kyle Tucker | HOU | 157 | 574 | 674 | 163 | 92 | 37 | 5 |
| José Ramírez | CLE | 156 | 611 | 691 | 172 | 107 | 36 | 5 |
| Ozzie Albies | ATL | 148 | 596 | 660 | 167 | 99 | 30 | 5 |
| Charlie Blackmon | COL | 96 | 359 | 413 | 100 | 63 | 24 | 5 |
| Trea Turner | PHI | 155 | 639 | 691 | 170 | 104 | 35 | 5 |
| Alex Verdugo | BOS | 142 | 546 | 602 | 144 | 89 | 37 | 5 |
| Bryan Reynolds | PIT | 145 | 574 | 640 | 151 | 91 | 31 | 5 |
| Matt Vierling | DET | 134 | 479 | 530 | 125 | 89 | 21 | 5 |
| Willi Castro | MIN | 124 | 358 | 409 | 92 | 60 | 18 | 5 |
| J.T. Realmuto | PHI | 135 | 489 | 540 | 123 | 70 | 28 | 5 |
| Andrés Giménez | CLE | 153 | 557 | 616 | 140 | 93 | 27 | 5 |
| Jake McCarthy | ARI | 99 | 276 | 312 | 67 | 53 | 7 | 5 |
| MJ Melendez | KCR | 148 | 533 | 602 | 125 | 75 | 29 | 5 |
| Alek Thomas | ARI | 125 | 374 | 402 | 86 | 55 | 17 | 5 |
| Drew Waters | KCR | 98 | 302 | 337 | 69 | 45 | 11 | 5 |
| Eduardo Escobar | – – – | 100 | 288 | 309 | 65 | 48 | 6 | 5 |
| Brenton Doyle | COL | 126 | 399 | 431 | 81 | 50 | 16 | 5 |
2023 TROUBLES LEADERS
| Name | Team | G | AB | PA | H | 1B | 2B | 3B | TROUBLES |
| Freddie Freeman | LAD | 161 | 637 | 730 | 211 | 121 | 59 | 2 | 61 |
| Marcus Semien | TEX | 162 | 670 | 753 | 185 | 112 | 40 | 4 | 44 |
| Steven Kwan | CLE | 158 | 638 | 718 | 171 | 123 | 36 | 7 | 43 |
| Corey Seager | TEX | 119 | 477 | 536 | 156 | 81 | 42 | 0 | 42 |
| Kyle Tucker | HOU | 157 | 574 | 674 | 163 | 92 | 37 | 5 | 42 |
| Alex Verdugo | BOS | 142 | 546 | 602 | 144 | 89 | 37 | 5 | 42 |
| Anthony Santander | BAL | 153 | 591 | 656 | 152 | 82 | 41 | 1 | 42 |
| Jeimer Candelario | – – – | 140 | 505 | 576 | 127 | 63 | 39 | 3 | 42 |
| Mookie Betts | LAD | 152 | 584 | 693 | 179 | 99 | 40 | 1 | 41 |
| José Ramírez | CLE | 156 | 611 | 691 | 172 | 107 | 36 | 5 | 41 |
| Nathaniel Lowe | TEX | 161 | 623 | 724 | 163 | 105 | 38 | 3 | 41 |
| Ezequiel Tovar | COL | 153 | 581 | 615 | 147 | 91 | 37 | 4 | 41 |
| Matt Chapman | TOR | 140 | 509 | 581 | 122 | 64 | 39 | 2 | 41 |
| Corbin Carroll | ARI | 155 | 565 | 645 | 161 | 96 | 30 | 10 | 40 |
| Spencer Steer | CIN | 156 | 582 | 665 | 158 | 95 | 37 | 3 | 40 |
| Trea Turner | PHI | 155 | 639 | 691 | 170 | 104 | 35 | 5 | 40 |
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | ATL | 159 | 643 | 735 | 217 | 137 | 35 | 4 | 39 |
| William Contreras | MIL | 141 | 540 | 611 | 157 | 101 | 38 | 1 | 39 |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | KCR | 158 | 641 | 694 | 177 | 108 | 28 | 11 | 39 |
| Julio Rodríguez | SEA | 155 | 654 | 714 | 180 | 109 | 37 | 2 | 39 |
| Nick Castellanos | PHI | 157 | 626 | 671 | 170 | 102 | 37 | 2 | 39 |
| Lane Thomas | WSN | 157 | 628 | 682 | 168 | 101 | 36 | 3 | 39 |
| Ian Happ | CHC | 158 | 580 | 691 | 144 | 84 | 35 | 4 | 39 |
| Austin Hays | BAL | 144 | 520 | 566 | 143 | 89 | 36 | 2 | 38 |
| Ke’Bryan Hayes | PIT | 124 | 494 | 525 | 134 | 81 | 31 | 7 | 38 |
| Christian Walker | ARI | 157 | 582 | 661 | 150 | 79 | 36 | 2 | 38 |
| Gunnar Henderson | BAL | 150 | 560 | 622 | 143 | 77 | 29 | 9 | 38 |
The league leader in doubles, who nearly hit the historic level of 60, Freddie Freeman leads in Troubles.
Marcus Semien comes in second which isn’t a surprise given his 40 doubles.
The third spot is held by just the kinda guy that Troubles is looking to give a boost to in Steven Kwan. Tied for 4th are names like Verdugo/Candelario. Fifth has names like Tovar/Chapman. Austin Hays and Ke’Bryan Hayes also appear in the top-27 overall players with names like Lourdes Gurriel and Joey Meneses just missing the leader board with marks of 37 while Andrew Benintendi had 36 and Connor Joe had 35.
Are Troubles exciting? Nah.
Are Troubles revolutionary? No.
Might you consider adding Troubles to your fantasy league in 2024? Potentially.
Here is an excel sheet with the full leaderboards for you to download.
