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If you’re the proud owner of Trevor Rogers, Ian Anderson, Yermin Mercedes or Adolis Garcia, you’re probably feeling pretty good right now. Who is the next rookie that’s going to pop up and help out?
The 2021 fantasy baseball season has entered its third month, but there is still a lot of baseball to be played. There are still a plethora of promising minor league players that could have significant impacts on your fantasy seasons. Our Top 50 redraft prospects list aims to provide you with a weekly update on the hottest players in the minors that could have big impacts on the 2021 season.
This week’s list saw the graduation of three players: Tucker Davidson (Braves), Taylor Trammell (Mariners), and Edward Olivares (Royals). Cubs pitching prospect Cory Abbott was also due to make the list this week, but was promoted to the majors over the weekend. A number of organizations had their hot prospects added this week including St. Louis, Miami, Baltimore, and Atlanta. *This list is a ranking for 2021 redraft leagues only and is not a dynasty ranking. It also does not include any prospects on MLB rosters.
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Top Impact Prospects for Redraft Leagues
These prospect rankings are for 2021 redraft leagues.
| Ranking | Player | Pos | Team | Age | ETA |
| 1 | Wander Franco | SS | TB | 20 | JUNE |
| 2 | Vidal Brujan | IF/OF | TB | 23 | JUNE |
| 3 | Jo Adell | OF | LAA | 21 | JUNE |
| 4 | Jesus Sanchez | OF | MIA | 23 | JUNE |
| 5 | Jackson Kowar | SP | KC | 24 | JUNE |
| 6 | Keibert Ruiz | C | LAD | 22 | JUNE |
| 7 | Josh Lowe | OF | TB | 23 | JUNE |
| 8 | Joey Bart | C | SF | 24 | JUNE |
| 9 | Jarren Duran | OF | BOS | 24 | JULY |
| 10 | Seth Beer | 1B | ARZ | 24 | JULY |
| 11 | Shane Baz | SP | TB | 21 | JULY |
| 12 | Jhoan Duran | SP | MIN | 23 | JULY |
| 13 | Daniel Lynch | SP | KC | 24 | JULY |
| 14 | MacKenzie Gore | SP | SD | 22 | JULY |
| 15 | Nate Pearson | SP | TOR | 24 | JULY |
| 16 | Hunter Greene | SP | CIN | 21 | JULY |
| 17 | Brandon Marsh | OF | LAA | 23 | JULY |
| 18 | Cal Raleigh | C | SEA | 24 | JULY |
| 19 | Nick Lodolo | SP | CIN | 23 | JULY |
| 20 | Deivi Garcia | SP | NYY | 22 | JULY |
| 21 | Drew Waters | OF | ATL | 22 | AUGUST |
| 22 | Max Meyer | SP | MIA | 22 | AUGUST |
| 23 | Jose Garcia | SS | CIN | 23 | AUGUST |
| 24 | Roansy Contreras | SP | PIT | 21 | AUGUST |
| 25 | Lewin Diaz | 1B | MIA | 24 | AUGUST |
| 26 | Gabriel Moreno | C | TOR | 21 | AUGUST |
| 27 | Brent Rooker | OF | MIN | 26 | AUGUST |
| 28 | Nick Pratto | 1B | KC | 22 | AUGUST |
| 29 | Triston Casas | 1B | BOS | 21 | AUGUST |
| 30 | CJ Abrams | SS | SD | 20 | AUGUST |
| 31 | Adley Rutschman | C | BAL | 23 | AUGUST |
| 32 | Joe Ryan | SP | TB | 24 | AUGUST |
| 33 | Jake Burger | 3B | CWS | 25 | AUGUST |
| 34 | Matthew Liberatore | SP | STL | 21 | AUGUST |
| 35 | DL Hall | SP | BAL | 22 | AUGUST |
| 36 | Michael Busch | 2B | LAD | 23 | AUGUST |
| 37 | Tanner Houck | SP | BOS | 24 | AUGUST |
| 38 | Brailyn Marquez | SP | CHC | 22 | AUGUST |
| 39 | Jeter Downs | SS/2B | BOS | 22 | AUGUST |
| 40 | Heliot Ramos | OF | SF | 21 | AUGUST |
| 41 | Nolan Gorman | 3B | STL | 21 | AUGUST |
| 42 | Josiah Gray | SP | LAD | 23 | AUGUST |
| 43 | Kyle Bradish | SP | BAL | 24 | AUGUST |
| 44 | Packy Naughton | SP | LAA | 25 | AUGUST |
| 45 | Grayson Rodriguez | SP | BAL | 21 | AUGUST |
| 46 | Jake Eder | SP | MIA | 22 | AUGUST |
| 47 | Alec Burleson | OF | STL | 22 | AUGUST |
| 48 | Bobby Witt Jr. | SS | KC | 20 | AUGUST |
| 49 | Shea Langeliers | C | BOS | 22 | AUGUST |
| 50 | Nolan Jones | 3B | CLE | 23 | AUGUST |
Top 10 Prospects for 2021
1. Wander Franco, SS: Franco has been hot in June as he reclaims the top spot on this list from his teammate who slips to the second slot. The 20-year-old phenom is 9-for-19 (.474) since the beginning of the month and now has a 142 wRC+ through 26 games.
2. Vidal Brujan, IF/OF: After showing unexpected power early in the season, Brujan hasn’t hit a home run in 10 games. However, he’s still hitting well and wreaking havoc on the base paths with four steals over his past three games.
3. Jo Adell, OF: Adell leads the minor leagues in home runs with 15 in the span of 26 games, but he’s been bumped up this list because he’s making significantly more contact and has become less of a one-dimensional player in June. He’s on a six-game hit streak and has gone 8-for-15 (.533) over his last three appearances.
4. Jesus Sanchez, OF: Sanchez hit his first home run in 14 games on Saturday. However, he has hits in eight of his last nine games. If the 23-year-old outfielder can find a way to produce consistent power, he has a chance to be an impact outfielder.
5. Jackson Kowar, SP: Kowar has been nearly unhittable in Triple-A and lowered his ERA to 0.85 with another strong start last week. Through six appearances, he’s allowed just 18 hits in 31 2/3 innings and has a K-BB ratio of 41-10.
6. Keibert Ruiz, C: Ruiz has four multi-hit games during his last six appearances in Triple-A. Overall, he’s hitting .308 with 11 extra-base hits in 12 games.
7. Josh Lowe, OF: Lowe has hit well all season long while playing in the shadows of Wander Franco and Vidal Brujan. He has been really good lately and is 5-for-11 with a homer and two stolen bases over his past three games.
8. Joey Bart, C: Bart entered June hitting .378, but is now down to .310 after a recent cold streak. However, he still looks close to MLB ready when the next opportunity arises.
9. Jarren Duran, OF: Duran is currently participating in the US Olympic qualifying tournament.
10. Seth Beer, 1B/OF: Beer doesn’t get a ton of attention because he plays in Arizona’s system and he’s very limited defensively with his best position definitely being designated hitter. However, he’s done nothing but hit since turning pro and has a 124 wRC+ through 26 games at Triple-A.
Prospects 11-20
11. Shane Baz, SP: Over his last two Double-A starts, Baz has a K-BB ratio of 18-0 over 10 innings of work. Until this season, the hard-throwing righty had inconsistent control, but he has allowed just two walks in 27 2/3 innings in 2021.
12. Jhoan Duran, SP: Duran uncharacteristically struggled with his control during his last outing, but he still has 16 strikeouts in 11 innings of work at Triple-A. He’s made just three starts after getting a late start to the year due to injury.
13. Daniel Lynch, SP: Lynch has the talent to be the best pitching prospect in the Royals’ system, which is saying something considering the organization’s pitching depth. However, inconsistent command has haunted him in 2021.
14. MacKenzie Gore, SP: Speaking of inconsistent command, Gore has also struggled this year and he hasn’t pitched since May 24 when he walked five batters in three innings of work. He has been dealing with a blister issue.
15. Nate Pearson, SP: Add Pearson to the list of young hurlers that have been having issues with consistency in 2021. Pearson has four pitches that posses above-average potential, but he may need to ease his way into the majors as a reliever before things click for him.
16. Hunter Greene, SP: The 21-year-old Greene hadn’t pitched in more than two years when he entered the 2021 season, but it hasn’t slowed him down. He has a 2.31 ERA and a K-BB ratio of 51-10 over 35 innings of work. *I am a little worried with how many innings the Reds organization has allowed him to throw given his long layoff.
17. Brandon Marsh, OF: Marsh hasn’t played since June 1 after going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in that game. He got a late start to the season after dealing with a shoulder injury.
18. Cal Raleigh, C: Raleigh has quietly put up a 16-game hitting streak and has a .361 batting average on the season. Known more for his power in previous seasons, he has shown a much better approach at the plate in 2021.
19. Nick Lodolo, SP: Lodolo has had no issues with Double-A so far in 2021. The 23-year-old southpaw has a 1.01 ERA with a K-BB ratio of 38-6 in 26 2/3 innings of work.
20. Deivi Garcia, SP: Garcia has bounced around a bit between the majors and the minors so far this season and he hasn’t seen much success at either stop. A little consistency in his routine could help him find a groove.
Prospects 21-30
21. Drew Waters, OF: Waters hasn’t had a great season, but the toolsy outfielder has shown flashes of his high ceiling. He just needs to make more contact. With Atlanta battling depth issues, he could get a shot at the majors this summer.
22. Max Meyer, SP: Meyer has been excellent in his first six pro starts. In his last outing, he struck out nine batters in five innings of work. Overall, he has a K-BB ratio of 31-9 in 29 innings.
23. Jose Garcia, SS: Now known as Jose Barrero, this young infielder has struggled a bit recently, but still has a 142 wRC+ through 23 games at the Double-A level.
24. Roansy Contreras, SP: Contreras has now allowed runs in just one of his five starts so far this season at Double-A. In his last outing, he threw six innings of shutout baseball and struck out eight batters without issuing a walk.
25. Lewin Diaz, 1B: Diaz had a very rough May, but things have looked up in June. Over his last three games, he’s gone 6-for-12 (.500) with two home runs.
26. Gabriel Moreno, C: Moreno continues to enjoy a breakout season and is hitting .367 with four home runs in 20 games at Double-A. He’s consistently produced strong offensive numbers through his career.
27. Brent Rooker, OF: After battling injuries and inconsistency for much of the first two months of 2021, Rooker appears to be finally getting in a groove at Triple-A. He has two home runs over his last five games.
28. Nick Pratto, 1B: Pratto hasn’t hit a home run since the end of May, but he’s still getting on base at a monster clip. He has a 7-5 BB-K ratio over his last five games.
29. Triston Casas, 1B: Casas is currently participating in the US Olympic qualifying tournament.
30. CJ Abrams, SS: Abrams recently missed a week with an ankle injury, but he’s starting to round back into shape now that he’s healthy again. He had three hits on Saturday and has a 124 wRC+ as a 20-year-old in Double-A.
Prospects 31-40
31. Adley Rutschman, C: Rutschman has been very good this season, but his hits have come in bunches. Over his last 11 games, he has a trio of three-hit games. Overall, he’s hitting .281 with seven home runs and a BB-K ratio of 24-24 in 27 games at Double-A.
32. Joe Ryan, SP: Ryan is currently participating in the US Olympic qualifying tournament.
33. Jake Burger, 3B: Burger has a 126 wRC+ in 23 games this season at Triple-A, which is even more impressive when you consider he missed three straight seasons and blew out his Achilles twice. He also made the jump from Low-A to Triple-A with ease.
34. Matthew Liberatore, SP: Liberatore is currently participating in the US Olympic qualifying tournament.
35. DL Hall, SP: Hall has allowed runs in just two of his six starts this season. In his last appearance, he allowed three runs in six innings of work, but also produced a K-BB ratio of 7-1.
36. Michael Busch, 2B: Busch has six home runs in 23 games at Double-A, but he hasn’t played since the end of May.
37. Tanner Houck, SP: Houck remains on the injured list at Triple-A.
38. Brailyn Marquez, SP: Marquez remains on the injured list as he recovers from COVID-19.
39. Jeter Downs, SS/2B: Downs was out of action recently for more than a week, but he returned on Saturday and went 2-of-4. He’s slowly pulling himself out of a disappointing start to the 2021 season.
40. Heliot Ramos, OF: Ramos entered June with a .314 average, but is down to .286 after a rough five-game stretch. He has impressive raw power, but has hit just three homers and has a 31% strikeout rate in 27 games.
Prospects 41-50
41. Nolan Gorman, 3B: Gorman has three multi-hit games in five June appearances. Over that stretch, he’s 7-for-21 (.333) with just two strikeouts. Overall, he has a 121 wRC+ in 27 games.
42. Josiah Gray, SP: Gray is currently on the injured list at Triple-A while recovering from a shoulder issue.
43. Kyle Bradish, SP: After dominating Double-A for three starts, Bradish was moved up to Triple-A where he's allowed three runs on nine hits and four walks in 8 1/3 innings of work over two starts.
44. Packy Naughton, SP: Naughton hasn’t pitched since May 23 when he allowed just one hit with eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings of work.
45. Grayson Rodriguez, SP: Rodriguez produced a K-BB ratio of 40-5 in 23 1/3 innings of work at High-A, which earned him a promotion to Double-A. In his first start at that level, he struck out eight batters and allowed just one run in five innings of work.
46. Jake Eder, SP: Eder was the Marlins’ fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft and he has been outstanding in pro ball so far. In five starts at Double-A, he has a 0.73 ERA and has 42 strikeouts with just 12 hits allowed in 24 2/3 innings.
47. Alec Burleson, OF: The Cardinals identify college talent perhaps better than any organization in baseball and Burleson looks like a steal as the 70th overall pick from the 2020 draft. He’s hitting .304 with seven home runs in 26 games at Double-A.
48. Bobby Witt Jr., SS: Witt Jr. has been a little homer-happy at Double-A. He has nine home runs, but just one double in 27 games. He also has 28% strikeout rate and needs to focus on developing a more well-rounded game.
49. Shea Langeliers, C: Langeliers has been one of the hottest hitters in the minors lately. Over the past seven games, he’s gone 13-for-28 (.464) with four home runs.
50. Nolan Jones, 3B: Jones has been struggling mightily in 2021, but he’s hitting more balls in the air which should eventually help him tap into his plus raw power.
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