RADIO
The 2021 season is finally upon us. Games are underway and rookies are already making their impacts felt. Last season, even with the shortened season, multiple rookies had major fantasy impacts including Kyle Lewis, Jake Cronenworth, and Alec Bohm.
As always, Rotoballer will be with you throughout the season to help guide you through the polluted rookie waters in 2021 as the season expands back to 162 games. I'm going to tell you who the top rookies are, as well as how and when they're going to help you. This Top 50 list will be updated on a weekly basis to provide a quick reference to those top freshman players that you need to snag off the waiver wire or pry away from your opponents via a well-timed trade.
For the first month or so until the minor league season begins, I will be ranking any prospect below the MLB rookie cutoff of 130 at-bats for hitters and 50 innings for pitchers (service time is not being considered). Ryan Mountcastle was removed from the list this week when he surpassed the 130 at-bat mark. Once the minor league season begins, we will remove any players currently on big-league rosters and focus solely on potential prospect call-ups.
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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 | Randy Arozarena | OF | TB | 26 | APRIL |
| 2 | Ian Anderson | SP | ATL | 22 | APRIL |
| 3 | Dylan Carlson | OF | STL | 22 | APRIL |
| 4 | Jarred Kelenic | OF | SEA | 21 | MAY |
| 5 | Bobby Dalbec | 1B | BOS | 25 | APRIL |
| 6 | Andrew Vaughn | 1B | CWS | 22 | APRIL |
| 7 | Ke'Bryan Hayes | 3B | PIT | 24 | APRIL |
| 8 | Jonathan India | 2B | CIN | 24 | APRIL |
| 9 | Tarik Skubal | SP | DET | 24 | APRIL |
| 10 | Triston McKenzie | SP | CLE | 23 | APRIL |
| 11 | Jazz Chisholm | SS | MIA | 23 | APRIL |
| 12 | Trevor Rogers | SP | MIA | 22 | APRIL |
| 13 | Alex Kirilloff | OF | MIN | 23 | MAY |
| 14 | Taylor Trammell | OF | SEA | 23 | APRIL |
| 15 | Nate Pearson | SP | TOR | 24 | MAY |
| 16 | MacKenzie Gore | SP | SD | 22 | MAY |
| 17 | Wander Franco | SS | TB | 20 | MAY |
| 18 | Kyle Isbel | OF | KC | 24 | APRIL |
| 19 | Alejandro Kirk | C | TOR | 22 | APRIL |
| 20 | Casey Mize | SP | DET | 23 | APRIL |
| 21 | Tejay Antone | P | CIN | 27 | APRIL |
| 22 | Garrett Crochet | RP | CWS | 21 | APRIL |
| 23 | Andres Gimenez | SS | CLE | 22 | APRIL |
| 24 | James Karinchak | RP | CLE | 25 | APRIL |
| 25 | Tanner Houck | SP | BOS | 24 | APRIL |
| 26 | Nick Madrigal | 2B | CWS | 24 | APRIL |
| 27 | Luis Garcia | SP | HOU | 24 | APRIL |
| 28 | Brandon Marsh | OF | LAA | 23 | MAY |
| 29 | Jo Adell | OF | LAA | 21 | JUNE |
| 30 | Adrian Morejon | P | SD | 22 | APRIL |
| 31 | Michael Kopech | RP | CWS | 24 | APRIL |
| 32 | Dane Dunning | SP | TEX | 26 | APRIL |
| 33 | Tyler Stephenson | C | CIN | 24 | APRIL |
| 34 | Ryan Weathers | RP | SD | 21 | APRIL |
| 35 | Chris Rodriguez | RP | LAA | 22 | APRIL |
| 36 | Carlos Hernandez | RP | KC | 24 | APRIL |
| 37 | A.J. Puk | SP | OAK | 25 | MAY |
| 38 | Ryan Jeffers | C | MIN | 23 | APRIL |
| 39 | Akil Baddoo | OF | DET | 22 | APRIL |
| 40 | Cristian Pache | OF | ATL | 22 | APRIL |
| 41 | Bryan Abreu | RP | HOU | 23 | APRIL |
| 42 | Yermin Mercedes | C/DH | CWS | 28 | APRIL |
| 43 | Spencer Howard | SP | PHI | 24 | MAY |
| 44 | Leody Taveras | OF | TEX | 22 | APRIL |
| 45 | Adbert Alzolay | P | CHC | 26 | APRIL |
| 46 | Pavin Smith | OF | ARZ | 25 | APRIL |
| 47 | Brent Rooker | OF | MIN | 26 | APRIL |
| 48 | Jake Fraley | OF | SEA | 25 | APRIL |
| 49 | Luis Campusano | C | SD | 22 | APRIL |
| 50 | Bobby Bradley | 1B | CLE | 24 | MAY |
Top 10 Prospects for 2021
1.Randy Arozarena, OF: Arozarena has the ingredients to be a star: Power, speed, and the ability to hit for average... plus a love of the bright lights. Don't give up on him because he's off to a slow start this year (spring and early season).
2. Ian Anderson, SP: Anderson has outstanding command of his three-pitch repertoire for his age. His simple-is-best approach works extremely well.
3. Dylan Carlson, OF: We saw a true picture of Carlson in his first game of the season: Lots of power, patience but also some swing-and-miss to his approach. There was some talk of him hitting in the middle of the lineup but he opened in the seven-hole.
4. Jarred Kelenic, OF: The top prospect in baseball didn't make the opening day roster but he'll likely be up before too long and will have a strong impact on the Mariners' lineup.
5. Bobby Dalbec, 1B: Dalbec gets a prime spot on the list for his premium power potential and strong spring showing. He's going to strike out upwards of 30% but he offsets that negative aspect to his game by taking a healthy dose of walks.
6. Andrew Vaughn, OF/1B: I'm a little worried that learning a new position on the fly will have a negative impact on Vaughn's offensive game early on but he has an excellent mix of hitting ability and power.
7. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B: Hayes made a statement early by homering in his first game of the 2021 season but I still have concerns that he hits too many balls on the ground. If the balls are ending up in the air more consistently then he quickly moves up this list. The wrist injury he suffered over the weekend is also worrisome.
8. Jonathan India, 2B: India's strong spring approach followed him into the first game of the season, which is great news for the Reds. He's not a source of big-time power but he does everything else well.
9. Tarik Skubal, SP: Skubal has a chance to be a very good pitcher for the Tigers in 2021 but he's going to lose his command from time to time and throw up some dud performances. Still, neither his command nor his control has to be perfect for him to overpower a lineup.
10. Triston McKenzie, SP: McKenzie has the stuff to pitch near the top of a big-league rotation for a long time. Having missed so many innings in recent years, the club will no doubt be cautious with him in 2021.
Prospects 11-20
11. Jazz Chisholm, 2B/SS: It's only been two games but Chisholm's approach has looked much better than it has in the past. He's making more consistent contact and maintaining his power/speed threat.
12. Trevor Rogers, SP: Rogers looked outstanding in the spring and if his breaking ball continues to improve then his outlook is very bright.
13. Alex Kirilloff, OF: I'm disappointed to see that both Kirilloff and Brent Rooker failed to make the 26-man roster from the starter of the years but the injury to Josh Donaldson pushed Luis Arraez out of the outfield picture. Rooker got the first call over Kirilloff.
14. Taylor Trammell, OF: Trammell has an intriguing mix of power and speed but he's always struck out a lot. And that trend will likely continue as pitchers have been working him away early on. He's going to need to make an adjustment.
15. Nate Pearson, SP: Pearson started throwing off the mound recently but he pitched in only one spring game -- way back on March 1 -- which means he'll need to build up quite a bit before he's activated.
16. MacKenzie Gore, SP: Gore lacks a clear path to a starting gig in San Diego but an opportunity should arise before too long (either in the bullpen or the rotation) and he has the skills to quickly adjust to his new surrounding.
17. Wander Franco, SS/3B: The Rays haven't tipped their collective hand on the plans for Franco in 2021 but it's clear he doesn't need much additional seasoning. He's been working out at third base and that could be his path to the majors.
18. Kyle Isbel, OF: A bit of a surprising add to the opening day roster, Isbel can pepper the field with hard line drives. I like this under-the-radar move and it could pay dividends for fantasy managers that invest early.
19. Alejandro Kirk, C: I thought the Jays might carry three catchers when they announced that Kirk had made the Jays so he could spend some time at DH but that didn't happen. If Rowdy Tellez continues to struggle like he did in the spring, it could still happen. Either way, the Jays aren't going to let Kirk rot on the bench so he'll play fairly often.
20. Casey Mize, SP: Having Mize on the opening day roster seems like a mistake to me. Outside of maybe one game, he was pretty bad. Both his command and control have been off since the 2020 season.
Prospects 21-30
21. Tejay Antone, RP: Antone will open the year in the bullpen but I'm not convinced he'll stay there. He has the stuff to be an impact starter.
22. Garrett Crochet, RP: Crochet opens the year in the bullpen but if injuries crop up, I could see him sliding into the starting rotation. He's in a better place to make the move than Michael Kopech and there's not much starting pitching depth in the upper minors.
23. Andres Gimenez, SS: Gimenez is probably more advanced with the glove than the bat at this point but he could provide a boost with his speed.
24. James Karinchak, RP: Karinchak is going to have an opportunity to close games for Cleveland but he's mostly a one-inning guy and with the unusual season ahead it looks like multi-inning relievers (including power arms capable of racking up Ks) may have large fantasy impacts this year.
25. Tanner Houck, SP: Like Mize above, I'm a little surprised to see Houck on the opening day roster for the Red Sox given his command/control struggles in the spring. However, he had a very nice run in the majors late last season (unlike Mize) and started off the 2021 season in style.
26. Nick Madrigal, 2B: Madrigal can really hit and the speed is intriguing but his lack of power causes him to slip down this ranking. He's also coming off a pretty bad shoulder injury.
27. Luis Garcia, SP: The pitcher, not the infielder. Houston is desperate for pitching so Garcia should have a long rope even if he struggles early.
28. Brandon Marsh, OF: I'm not sure who's going to get the first shot when the time comes but I have a feeling that Marsh may have earned an opportunity with his strong showing at the alt site in 2020 and a solid spring.
29. Jo Adell, OF: Adell showed better contact in the spring, which was great to see, but he's coming off a two year run with major swing-and-miss issues so I need to see the adjustments at the MLB level before I fully buy in to the changes.
30. Adrian Morejon, P: Injuries will push Morejon into the starting rotation early but he could spend most of the year as a multi-inning reliever.
Prospects 31-40
31. Michael Kopech, RP: Kopech has missed a lot of time in recent years after sitting out the 2020 season and, prior to that, recovering from Tommy John surgery. The good news is that his electric stuff is still evident.
32. Dane Dunning, SP: I like Dunning as a solid-but-unspectacular starting pitcher. But I have some concerns that Texas has a tendency to ruin pitchers.
33. Tyler Stephenson, C: If he can find regular playing time, Stephenson could be an above-average hitting catcher for the Reds.
34. Ryan Weathers, RP: Weathers is normally a starter but he's shown the ability to be an impact arm out of the bullpen.
35. Chris Rodriguez, RP: If he can stay healthy, Rodriguez has a chance to be a major rookie sleeper this year as a multi-inning reliever. He has electric stuff and a deep repertoire.
36. Carlos Hernandez, RP: Hernandez isn't a household name by any stretch of the imagination but he came out throwing bullets in his first game of the season and struck out five batters in two innings while hitting triple digits.
37. A.J. Puk, P: Puk was a bit of a surprise omission from the opening day roster but it was probably the right move. He needs his innings closely monitored after suffering numerous serious injuries in recent years.
38. Ryan Jeffers, C: Like Tyler Stephenson above, Jeffers has the skills to be an impact bat behind the plate. But I'm also expecting a bounce-back season from Mitch Garver so I'm not sure how much playing time the rookie will get.
39. Akil Baddoo, OF: Baddoo had an eye-opening spring and possesses an intriguing power-speed mix. However, is he a starting outfielder or a fourth outfielder this year?
40. Yermin Mercedes, C/DH: When a player goes 5-for-5 and then 3-for-4, it deserves attention. Mercedes doesn't have a clear path the regular playing time but he could still be valuable as a strong bat with catcher eligibility.
Prospects 41-50
41. Cristian Pache, OF: Pache's plus defensive skills earned him an everyday role in center field with the Braves but it remains to be seen if his bat is ready to make waves.
42. Bryan Abreu, RP: Abreu showed improvements with both his command and his control this spring which is promising. Houston is also desperate for pitching so this hard-thrower could be in the right place at the right time.
43. Spencer Howard, SP: Howard just can't stay healthy and his stuff was down in 2020. Even if he gets healthy, how many innings can he reasonably be expected to pitch in 2021?
44. Leody Taveras, OF: Taveras has intriguing speed and some developing power but he strikes out way too much (32% in 2020) for a player that needs to be on base -- or at least put the ball in play -- to use his best skill.
45. Adbert Alzolay, P: If he can avoid long-ball issues and show at least average command, he has a chance to be a solid contributor for the Cubs. However, he's going to get into big trouble if he keeps posting walk rates around 15%.
46. Pavin Smith, OF: A corner outfielder (and natural first baseman), Smith just doesn't have the power to be an impact regular for the Diamondbacks.
47. Brent Rooker, OF: Rooker ended the spring with a thud and ended up off the 26-man roster. However, he was the first man up when the injury to Josh Donaldson occurred (moving Luis Arraez back to the infield). I love his raw power potential.
48. Jake Fraley, OF: Prior to joining the Mariners organization, Fraley was a very patient hitter with a strong on-base presence. He became more aggressive after leaving the Rays organization which hasn't worked out so well for him. On opening day, he walked three times which was a very encouraging development.
49. Luis Campusano, C: Campusano is here for a good time, not a long time. Austin Nola's broken finger likely won't keep him out for much longer which could then bounce this offensive-minded catcher from the big-league roster. Still, I'm intrigued by his offensive potential.
50. Bobby Bradley, 1B: Bradley is just two years removed from slugging 30+ home runs at the Triple-A level. He hit much better than perennial-disappointment Jake Bauers but the club decided not to bring the best club north when spring ended. I doubt Bradley, who got into great shape in the offseason, will be down for long.
Others Under Consideration: Deivi Garcia (Yankees), Luis Patino (Rays), Jarren Duran (Red Sox), Daulton Varsho (D-Backs), Logan Gilbert (Mariners), Shane McClanahan (Rays), Jose Garcia (Reds), Jackson Kowar (Royals), Dean Kremer (Orioles), Julian Merryweather (Blue Jays)
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