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When the spring began, I would have been called crazy for suggesting that players like Yermin Mercedes, Akil Baddoo, and Adolis Garcia would be among the top rookies for the month of April. But here we are.
The hitters are starting to outshine the pitchers now that a number of big arms have graduated from the list and other hurlers have struggled to stay healthy. Even more young pitchers, including Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Dane Dunning, and Huascar Ynoa, should graduate from the list in short order. The offensive side of the rookie class of 2021 will get even more impressive when Jarred Kelenic and Wander Franco receive their first promotions to the majors.
To be eligible for this list, rookies must have received fewer than 130 at-bats and pitchers must have thrown fewer than 50 innings. Rookies graduating from the list this week include pitchers Ian Anderson, Trevor Rogers, and Triston McKenzie, as well as infielder Bobby Dalbec.
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Top Prospects for 2021 Fantasy Baseball
These prospect rankings are for 2021 redraft leagues.
| Ranking | Player | Pos | Team | Age | ETA |
| 1 | Jazz Chisholm | SS | MIA | 23 | APRIL |
| 2 | Jarred Kelenic | OF | SEA | 21 | MAY |
| 3 | Yermin Mercedes | C/DH | CWS | 28 | APRIL |
| 4 | Akil Baddoo | OF | DET | 22 | APRIL |
| 5 | Wander Franco | SS | TB | 20 | MAY |
| 6 | Ke’Bryan Hayes | 3B | PIT | 24 | INJURED |
| 7 | Andrew Vaughn | 1B/LF | CWS | 22 | APRIL |
| 8 | Alex Kirilloff | OF | MIN | 23 | APRIL |
| 9 | Adolis Garcia | OF | TEX | 28 | APRIL |
| 10 | Dane Dunning | SP | TEX | 26 | APRIL |
| 11 | Brandon Marsh | OF | LAA | 23 | MAY |
| 12 | Jonathan India | 2B | CIN | 24 | APRIL |
| 13 | Casey Mize | SP | DET | 23 | APRIL |
| 14 | Ryan Weathers | RP | SD | 21 | APRIL |
| 15 | Zach McKinstry | 2B/OF | LAD | 25 | INJURED |
| 16 | Emmanuel Clase | RP | CLE | 23 | APRIL |
| 17 | Michael Kopech | RP | CWS | 24 | APRIL |
| 18 | James Karinchak | RP | CLE | 25 | APRIL |
| 19 | Tarik Skubal | SP | DET | 24 | APRIL |
| 20 | Jo Adell | OF | LAA | 21 | MAY |
| 21 | Tejay Antone | P | CIN | 27 | APRIL |
| 22 | Luis Patino | SP | TB | 21 | APRIL |
| 23 | Nate Pearson | SP | TOR | 24 | MAY |
| 24 | Spencer Howard | SP | PHI | 24 | APRIL |
| 25 | Huascar Ynoa | SP | ATL | 22 | APRIL |
| 26 | MacKenzie Gore | SP | SD | 22 | MAY |
| 27 | Garrett Crochet | RP | CWS | 21 | APRIL |
| 28 | Taylor Trammell | OF | SEA | 23 | APRIL |
| 29 | Chris Rodriguez | RP | LAA | 22 | APRIL |
| 30 | Tyler Stephenson | C | CIN | 24 | APRIL |
| 31 | Tanner Houck | SP | BOS | 24 | APRIL |
| 32 | Victor Gonzalez | RP | LAD | 25 | APRIL |
| 33 | Sixto Sanchez | SP | MIA | 22 | INJURED |
| 34 | Garrett Whitlock | RP | BOS | 24 | APRIL |
| 35 | Joey Bart | C | SF | 24 | JUNE |
| 36 | Logan Gilbert | SP | SEA | 23 | MAY |
| 37 | Brent Rooker | OF | MIN | 26 | APRIL |
| 38 | Luis Garcia | P | HOU | 24 | APRIL |
| 39 | Bobby Bradley | 1B | CLE | 24 | MAY |
| 40 | Adbert Alzolay | SP | CHC | 26 | APRIL |
| 41 | Taylor Widener | SP | ARZ | 26 | APRIL |
| 42 | Jarren Duran | OF | BOS | 24 | JUNE |
| 43 | Vidal Brujan | IF/OF | TB | 23 | JUNE |
| 44 | Nolan Jones | 3B | CLE | 22 | JUNE |
| 45 | Dom Nunez | C | COL | 26 | APRIL |
| 46 | Seth Brown | OF | OAK | 28 | APRIL |
| 47 | Alejandro Kirk | C | TOR | 22 | APRIL |
| 48 | Pavin Smith | OF | ARZ | 25 | APRIL |
| 49 | Daulton Jefferies | SP | OAK | 25 | JUNE |
| 50 | Nick Maton | IF | PHI | 24 | APRIL |
Top 10 Prospects for 2021
1. Jazz Chisholm, 2B/SS: A combination of rookie graduations from the list and strong play have pushed Chisholm up into the No. 1 slot. He has some swing-and-miss to his game, but the multi-faceted fantasy output makes him a strong target in all formats.
2. Jarred Kelenic, OF: The return of Kyle Lewis from the injured list blocks one avenue for Kelenic’s arrival but fellow rookie Taylor Trammell is hitting just .155 through 18 games.
3. Yermin Mercedes, C/DH: Mercedes just keeps producing. We’re approaching the end of April and he’s still hitting more than .400 with a 230 wRC+.
4. Akil Baddoo, OF: The strikeout rate of 41% remains problematic and Baddoo hasn’t run much, but 10 of his 13 hits have gone for extra bases. There is a lot of power production here.
5. Wander Franco, 3B/SS: Rays fans are likely getting itchy in anticipation of Franco's arrival, but I think the club would like to see him get at least a few weeks of traditional minor league action before giving him a shot at the majors.
6. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B: Hayes remains on the injured list after recently reaggravating his wrist injury.
7. Andrew Vaughn, OF/1B: I’ve been preaching patience with Vaughn while some fantasy managers have been cutting their early losses. The strikeouts have slowed down now and he’s 5-for-15 (.333) over his last four games.
8. Alex Kirilloff, OF: Kirilloff may finally be getting an extended look at the MLB level due to the Twins’ injury issues. His confidence looks to be at an all-time low, so it may take him five to 10 games to get into the groove.
9. Adolis Garcia, OF: Garcia has come out of nowhere to turn into one of the Rangers’ most feared hitters in just 10 games. He’s just two years removed from hitting more than 30 homers at the triple-A level for the Cardinals.
10. Dane Dunning, SP: Dunning was torched in his last outing, but had previously allowed just one run in three starts. He’s a solid fantasy option moving forward, especially with the Rangers' offense waking up.
Prospects 11-20
11. Brandon Marsh, OF: The Angels just aren’t built to provide an opportunity for their impressive rookie outfielders with Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Justin Upton, and Jared Walsh all deserving of playing time. The club also has future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols) cloggi9ng up a crowded OF/1B/DH picture.
12. Jonathan India, 2B: India appears to be pulling out of a hitting slump and has provided a little more pop over the past few games.
13. Casey Mize, SP: The quality of rookie pitching has fallen off recently, and Mize remains one of the better options among the modest bunch. He’s an inning away from graduating from the list and has a disappointing career ERA of 6.24.
14. Ryan Weathers, SP: With Adrian Morejon out for the year, Weathers has been pushed into the starting rotation. So far, he’s looked very good in the new role.
15. Zach McKinstry, 2B/OF: McKinstry slips a bit this week after hitting the injured list due to an oblique issue. The injury could give Gavin Lux, who has battled injuries himself, another shot to win the second base gig.
16. Emmanuel Clase, RP: Clase has four saves, a 30% strikeout rate, and a massive 74% ground-ball rate. He’d be even more valuable if Cleveland was actually good.
17. Michael Kopech, RP: Kopech wasn't getting saves or holds out of the bullpen, but he has allowed just three hits with 17 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings. That earned him his first start on Sunday and he dominated the Rangers.
18. James Karinchak, RP: The majority of the save opportunities are going to Emmanuel Clase, but Karinchak has three holds and one save. He has yet to allow an earned run this season.
19. Tarik Skubal, SP: The control issues (12 walks in 16 1/3 innings) do not look good. The Tigers organization has really struggled with the development of both Casey Mize and Skubal despite their pedigree and impressive tools.
20. Jo Adell, OF: A few weeks of traditional game action once minor league play gets underway could really benefit Adell, who has battled contact issues.
Prospects 21-30
21. Tejay Antone, RP: Antone has been overpowering in relief and really deserves to be in the starting rotation. He has 17 strikeouts with just four hits allowed in 10 2/3 innings.
22. Luis Patino, SP: On Sunday, Patino received his first promotion to the majors since his offseason trade from the Padres to the Rays. The 21-year-old right-hander has a sky-high ceiling, but the club will closely monitor both his pitch and his inning totals.
23. Nate Pearson, SP: Pearson recently transitioned to mound work during his rehab from a spring injury. The right-hander has the talent to be an ace starter, but a long list of injuries has slowed his progress.
24. Spencer Howard, P: Howard was recently recalled from the minors and he’s been inconsistent with six hits and four runs allowed through 4 1/3 innings. He’s being used out of the bullpen for now, but could shift to the starting rotation later on.
25. Huascar Ynoa, SP: Ynoa has been one of Atlanta’s better pitchers so far this season, but he needs to find a way to keep the ball in the park.
26. MacKenzie Gore, SP: The emergence of Ryan Weathers as a reliable starter — along with the potential return of Dinelson Lamet — won’t help Gore find a path to the majors.
27. Garrett Crochet, RP: Crochet’s numbers don't look terrible, but he had allowed three unearned runs in six innings of work prior to Sunday. He is also still missing close to 4 mph from his 2020 velocities. Crochet has just one hold and no save opportunities.
28. Taylor Trammell, OF: Trammell’s struggles continue and he’s hitting just .155. However, he’s still taking walks and hitting for power.
29. Chris Rodriguez, P: The control comes and goes for Rodriguez, but the 22-year-old hurler has a 30% strikeout rate out of the bullpen and could see starts in the second half of the year.
30. Tyler Stephenson, C: The young catcher has hits in five of his last six appearances, but two of those have come as a pinch-hitter and he’s not playing enough to be an impact fantasy player just yet.
Prospects 31-40
31. Tanner Houck, SP: Houck has provided glimpses of the pitcher that burst on the scene back in 2020, but his command has been inconsistent in 2021.
32. Victor Gonzalez, RP: The strikeouts have been showing up again a little more consistently and Gonzalez now has six holds and a save for a very good Dodgers club.
33. Sixto Sanchez, SP: Sanchez remains out with a shoulder injury.
34. Garrett Whitlock, RP: The Rule 5 pick has provided much-needed innings out of the bullpen for a surprisingly good Red Sox team. He also has a 35% strikeout rate and a 60% ground-ball rate.
35. Joey Bart, C: Buster Posey continues to look like he stumbled upon the Fountain of Youth during the offseason, so Bart will likely spend a fair bit of time at triple-A during the first half of the year unless an injury pops up.
36. Logan Gilbert, SP: Seattle continues to hang tough with a red-hot Oakland club, but the starting pitching has been a bit of a weak spot. Gilbert could help solve that issue.
37. Brent Rooker, OF: The Twins continue to underwhelm this season, so there is hope that the club will shake things up and Rooker will start to see some regular playing time now that he’s off the injured list.
38. Luis Garcia, P: Garcia’s control comes and goes, but he’s shown the ability to miss bats and limit hits when everything is clicking. With a high-powered offense behind him, he has a chance to rack up some wins.
39. Bobby Bradley, 1B: Cleveland continues to waste its solid pitching while trotting out a poor offense. Big league first basemen Jake Bauers (-21 wRC+) and Yu Chang (32 wRC+) just aren’t getting the job done. Bradley deserves a shot.
40. Adbert Alzolay, SP: Alzolay will likely lose his rookie eligibility after his next start, but he’s going out with a bang. The right-hander has struck out 13 batters in his last 10 innings.
Prospects 41-50
41. Taylor Widener, SP: Widener was better in his last outing and struck out seven Cincinnati Reds batters. Still, his strikeout rate of 19% is fairly pedestrian.
42. Jarren Duran, OF: The club is firing on all cylinders right now, but Duran should be ready to help out whenever he’s needed.
43. Vidal Brujan, IF/OF: The Yankees may be pulling out of an early-season funk and the Rays could use a spark to get the offense going. Brujan’s speed could provide that boost.
44. Nolan Jones, 3B: As mentioned above, Cleveland’s offense hasn’t been very good, so it might be time to start giving the kids a shot.
45. Dom Nunez, C: Nunez is splitting time with Elias Diaz, who is the superior defender, and the rookie has an ugly 3-17 BB-K ratio in 39 at-bats. However, six of his eight hits have gone for extra bases, including four homers.
46. Seth Brown, OF: Brown has hit well when given the opportunity to play and he has a 158 wRC+ through 11 games. He slugged more than 30 home runs at the minor league level twice between 2017-2019.
47. Alejandro Kirk, C: Kirk’s bat has been slowly waking up since a sluggish start to the season. Toronto’s offense has been disappointing and starting catcher Danny Jansen is hitting just .054, so the rookie could see more opportunities to play.
48. Pavin Smith, OF: Smith has shown flashes of promise, but his overall offensive production has been modest (93 wRC+) due to his lack of power (one homer in 17 games).
49. Daulton Jefferies, SP: The Oakland A’s have been red-hot, but the starting rotation has shown signs of weakness, which Jefferies could eventually help with.
50. Nick Maton, IF: Maton projects to be more of a future utility player, but his MLB debut has gone extremely well with hits in his first five games and three multi-hit performances.
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