Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Prospects for Week 8

May 18, 2021

Marc's updated Top 50 fantasy baseball prospects rankings for Week 8 outlining the top MLB prospects, rookies, and call-ups to have impacts in fantasy baseball redraft leagues for 2021.

We're about two weeks into the 2021 minor league season and players are already graduating to the major leagues, including last week's No. 1 ranked prospect. The first wave of promotions saw the Seattle Mariners make a huge splash by promoting Jarred Kelenic along with his teammate Logan Gilbert. The Miami Marlins also got in on the fun and recalled Braxton Garrett.

Don't expect the promotions to slow down any time soon. The Rays could soon promote either Wander Franco or Vidal Brujan from Triple-A with Josh Lowe also a possibility. In Los Angeles, Brandon Marsh is now healthy and has likely jumped over Jo Adell on the Angels' depth chart. Miami could soon inject a jolt to its lineup if Jesus Sanchez continues to tear the cover off the ball at Triple-A.

This list focuses solely on the 2021 fantasy season and prospects' dynasty (long-term) values are not considered. To be eligible for this list, players must have fewer than 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched at the MLB level and must currently be playing in the minor leagues with a shot at reaching the majors in 2021.

Top Impact Prospects for Redraft Leagues

These prospect rankings are for 2021 redraft leagues.

Top 10 Prospects for 2021

1. Wander Franco, SS/3B: The 20-year-old Franco has five multi-hit games at Triple-A already. He hasn't hit for as much power over the past week but he has 2-0 BB-K with five hits in his last four games so he's making a ton of contact. Franco also started a game at third base for the first time this season. *Update: Marc Topkin wrote an article recently stating Franco is likely to be down in Triple-A for a while longer with mid-June as the earliest he expects to see the talented youngster in the majors. I might move Franco down a little bit next week given the new insight but I think still he'll be an immediate-impact guy when he arrives. I also believe the Rays will field the best team possible (within their budget constraints) in an effort to stay competitive in 2021 while keeping player development firmly in mind. 

2. Brandon Marsh, OF: Marsh had a late start to the season while recovering from a shoulder injury but he has four hits including a triple and a homer through his first three games of the season. He also has four walks with only three strikeouts and has stolen a base.

3. MacKenzie Gore, SP: Gore's second start of the year went better than his first but he's still struggling with his control. He's allowed 13 hits through his first 10 innings at Triple-A. He's kept the damage to a minimum by keeping the ball in the park.

4. Jesus Sanchez, OF: Sanchez had some time off this past week, but he still managed to hit two home runs and keep his season average near .500. He had a pretty disappointing 2019 season, but it looks like he may have picked up some new tricks while spending 2020 at the alternate training site.

5. Jarren Duran, OF: Duran is hitting for power at the Triple-A level while also showing his speed on the base paths, although he's been caught twice in five attempts. His four home runs are just one away from his career-high, which was set in 132 games in 2019.

6. Vidal Brujan, IF/OF: Brujan has slowed down since his scorching start to the season, but he remains a strong option for the Rays given his ability to play multiple positions. His plus speed would also fit in well in a lineup that has four players with three or more stolen bases. The power display (five homers in 11 games) has come out of nowhere.

7. Spencer Howard, P: This young right-hander is brimming with potential, but he's struggled with his control so far and the organization has kept his innings to a minimum early on. Through two minor league starts Howard has allowed just one hit and no runs in five innings of work.

8. Josh Lowe, OF: The fact that the Rays club has three players in the Top 10 speaks to how much depth the organization still possesses. Lowe has a modest 1-8 BB-K through eight games, but he's hitting .303 and seven of his 10 hits have gone for extra bases. He also has two steals and the potential to develop into a 20-20 player.

9. Jo Adell, OF: Adell has seen seven of his nine hits go for extra bases, but strikeouts continue to be an issue. He's whiffed 15 times in nine games and his 36% strikeout is going to have to come down significantly before he'll find sustained success at the MLB level.

10. Alek Manoah, SP: The Blue Jays have a winning record despite receiving some poor results from the starting rotation and suffering through a lot of pitching injuries. Meanwhile, Manoah has yet to allow a run through two starts. In 12 innings, he's allowed just three hits with a K-BB of 17-2, but he has hit four batters.

Prospects 11-20

11. Josiah Gray, SP: Gray has yet to make his second start of the season, but he was excellent in his first outing and struck out 10 batters over five innings of work.

12. Jackson Kowar, SP: The Daniel Lynch experiment didn't go so well, which could open up an opportunity for Kowar. The 24-year-old right-hander has allowed just two runs in 15.2 innings with a 22-6 K-BB so far this season.

13. Keibert Ruiz, C: Ruiz received a brief taste of MLB action recently, but barring an injury to a Dodgers catcher, he's not going to get much of an extended look in LA. There are some clubs that could really use a catcher, so keep an eye on the trade rumors because the Dodgers also have some holes to fill thanks to injuries.

14. Jhoan Duran, SP: Duran is getting closer to being activated after being held out of minor league action due to trapezius tightness.

15. Daniel Lynch, SP: Lynch received his first taste of big-league action recently, but he allowed 18 hits and 15 runs in just eight innings which earned him a one-way ticket back to Omaha.

16. Jeter Downs, IF: It has been a slow start to the season for Downs ,who is hitting just .237 with a BB-K of 4-17 in 10 games. However, he had three hits on Saturday and broke a string of seven straight games with at least one strikeout, so perhaps he's ready to heat up.

17. Nate Pearson, SP: Well, Pearson is injured again. He's dealing with what's being called "a minor shoulder issue." The Jays organization has done a terrible job keeping its pitchers healthy this season and Pearson is in danger of falling into the injury-prone category.

18. Tanner Houck, SP: Houck was shut down earlier this month with a sore flexor muscle and has yet to start throwing again.

19. Seth Beer, 1B: Beer has 12 hits - including eight for extra bases - in just nine games. With Christian Walker injured, it could soon be time to see what this rookie can do at the MLB level.

20. Brent Rooker, OF: It continues to be a rough season for Rooker, who has battled through injuries and inconsistencies while wasting a big-league opportunity in the process. Still, the power and ability to get on base consistently has remained.

Prospects 21-30

21. Tucker Davidson, SP: Things didn't go so well for Davidson during his first taste of big-league action in 2020 (seven runs in 1 2/3 innings), but he looks like he deserves another shot after posting a K-BB of 14-3 with one run allowed in 14 innings.

22.. Bobby Bradley, 1B: Bradley suffered through a very slow start to the year, but he looks to be pulling out of it lately. Over his last five games, he's 5-for-18 (.278) with two home runs and a BB-K of 2-6.

23. Matt Manning, SP: To earn his first big league opportunity, Manning will have to solve his home run issues. He has an impressive 13-1 K-BB through 11 innings, but he has given up six homers.

24. Deivi Garcia, SP: The 10 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings are nice. The eight walks during that same span are not.

25. Brailyn Marquez, SP: Marquez is working his way back after contracting COVID-19, but he's expected to return soon.

26. Jose Garcia, SS: It's only Double-A, but Garcia is hitting well in the early going with a .318 average, four home runs, and a BB-K of 6-11.

27. Nick Lodolo, SP: After posting a K-BB of 10-0 in his first start of the year, Lodolo dipped to an ugly 4-3 ratio in his second start. He'll need to find more consistency to move up from Double-A.

28. Lewin Diaz, 1B: Diaz is off to a solid start in the minors by hitting for power and making lots of contact, but the prospect is blocked by Jesus Aguilar.

29, Matthew Liberatore, SP: This young lefty had a rough second start of the season when he allowed five runs in six innings of work. Over two starts he's walked just one batter in 12 innings, so once his command improves, he could help the big league club.

30. Gabriel Moreno, C: The Jays could be in a really good spot later this year when Alejandro Kirk comes off the injured list if Moreno keeps hitting. The 21-year-old catcher skipped over High-A ball and has 15 hits in his first eight Double-A games.

Prospects 31-40

31. Hunter Greene, SP: Greene has started off the season very well, especially considering that he hadn't pitched in a competitive game since 2018 due to Tommy John surgery and the pandemic. He has a K-BB of 15-1 in 10 innings of work so far.

32. Max Meyer, SP: Meyer had an excellent first pro appearance, but his second performance was less compelling. He allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks over four innings of work.

33. Geraldo Perdomo, SS: This young shortstop got off to a very slow start to the 2021 season, but he's 6-for-20 (.300) over his past five games.

34. Adley Rutschman, C: Talk about making adjustments. Rutschman posted a BB-K of 3-11 through his first six games and looked overmatched. However, over his last four games his BB-K is 9-1. He's also 3-for-10 with a double and a homer during that latest stretch of games.

35. Roansy Contreras, SP: If Contreras is looking to catch people's attention, he's doing a good job of it. Through two Double-A starts he has yet to allow a run and his K-BB is an eye-popping 22-2.

36. Michael Busch, 2B: Busch played just 10 games in 2019 after signing, so he's essentially starting his pro career in Double-A, which can't be easy. However, he's getting on base (eight walks) and hitting for power (four homers) through his first 11 games.

37. Shane Baz. SP: Baz has shown improved control so far in 2021 with just one walk through eight innings of work spanning two starts. He's also posted a strikeout rate of 37% during that span.

38. Heliot Ramos, OF: Ramos is trending in the wrong direction. After keeping the strikeouts down and hitting for power over his first seven games, he's now struck out eight times with just one single over his last three games.

39. Travis Swaggerty, OF: Swaggerty had four hits in his first two games at Triple-A this season, but he's had just three more base-knocks since then to drop his batting average to .194. However, with a BB-K of 5-6 in 36 games, he's not overmatched and the hits should soon start to drop in for him.

40. DL Hall, SP: If Hall can stay healthy, he has a shot at reaching the majors in 2021. Through his first two Double-A starts he has yet to allow a run and has a K-BB of 19-2 in 9 1/3 innings.

Prospects 41-50

41. Nolan Jones, 3B: The 23-year-old Jones is mired in an ugly 3-for-33 slump with 18 strikeouts.

42. Drew Waters, OF: With a disappointing BB-K of 2-12 through eight games, Waters is still working on translating his tools into usable baseball skills.

43. Triston Casas, 1B: Casas has three home runs through his first 10 Double-A games, but he's also hitting almost everything else on the ground. That trend needs to change if he's going to see prolonged success.

44. Taylor Trammell, OF: Trammell was unable to pull out of his miserable tailspin at the MLB level so he's getting some time to find his footing in Triple-A. He has nine hits with just two strikeouts through his first three games back in the minors.

45. CJ Abrams, SS: Given his lack of pro experience, Abrams is holding his own very well at the Double-A level. He has a .295 batting average with three steals through 11 games, although the 12 strikeouts are something to keep an eye on.

46. Vladimir Gutierrez, SP: The 25-year-old Cuban really struggled with his command in 2019, but he's looked better since spending the 2020 season at the alternate training site. Through two Triple-A starts he has a K-BB of 14-4 with just six hits allowed in 11 innings.

47. Jonathan Stiever, SP: Stiever has been solid through his first two starts at Triple-A. He's given up two runs in seven innings of work, but he has just five strikeouts.

48. Edward Olivares, OF: Through his first 11 Triple-A games, Olivares has 15 hits, a BB-K of 6-9, and four stolen bases in five tries.

49. Luis Campusano, C: Campusano has an .802 OPS through his first nine Triple-A games, so he's hitting pretty well. However, he willl likely need another injury to occur to receive another big league shot in 2021.

50. Bobby Witt Jr., SS: Witt Jr. is finding Double-A to be a little tougher than spring training was, at least in the early going. Through 10 games he's hitting .200 with 12 strikeouts and just one extra-base hit.

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