Updated Top 250 Dynasty Baseball Prospects

Today, we refresh our Top 250 dynasty fantasy baseball prospects list at RotoBaller, which was last updated back in March. Providing accurate prospect valuations is a difficult job at any time, but the pandemic made it an even more challenging gig over the past 12-16 months. The 2020 minor league season was entirely wiped out and many prospects were left to their own devices while the lucky few were invited to work out at the alternate training sites run by their respective clubs.

That meant we had limited ways to track players' developments for more than a year. We've already seen a lot of players take huge jumps forward in their developments this season (Hello, Alek Manoah), while others have struggled to play catch-up and shake off the rust. It appears as though many of the prospects given the opportunity to participate in the alternate training sites have performed very well in 2021, while the lower level prospects who were more likely to spend time working out on their own have not developed as smoothly over the past year. We're also in the first year of consolidated Minor League Baseball and many of the leagues saw significant realignment and change.

So this all leads us to the updated Top 250 list for dynasty baseball. There have been a lot of changes with the list in roughly four months and there will be more ahead with the 2021 amateur draft less than a month away and the short-season leagues due to open in July. Let's see who you should be actively targeting in your dynasty leagues and who you should be keeping an eye on.

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Top 250 Fantasy Baseball Prospects

Ranking	Player	Pos	Team	Age	ETA
1	Wander Franco	SS	TB	20	2021
2	Jarred Kelenic	OF	SEA	21	2021
3	Julio Rodriguez	OF	SEA	20	2022
4	Marco Luciano	SS	SF	19	2023
5	CJ Abrams	SS	SD	20	2022
6	Riley Greene	OF	DET	20	2022
7	Nick Gonzales	2B	PIT	21	2022
8	Spencer Torkelson	1B	DET	21	2022
9	Bobby Witt Jr.	SS	KC	20	2022
10	Brandon Marsh	OF	LAA	23	2021
11	MacKenzie Gore	SP	SD	21	2021
12	Adley Rutschman	C	BAL	23	2022
13	Alek Manoah	SP	TOR	23	2021
14	Jo Adell	OF	LAA	21	2021
15	Max Meyer	SP	MIA	21	2022
16	Jackson Kowar	SP	KC	24	2021
17	Noelvi Marte	SS	SEA	19	2023
18	Triston Casas	1B	BOS	21	2022
19	Brennen Davis	OF	CHC	21	2022
20	Francisco Alvarez	C	NYM	19	2023
21	Spencer Howard	SP	PHI	24	2021
22	Sixto Sanchez	SP	MIA	22	2021
23	Jasson Dominguez	OF	NYY	18	2024
24	Austin Martin	3B	TOR	21	2022
25	Nate Pearson	SP	TOR	24	2021
26	Grayson Rodriguez	SP	BAL	21	2022
27	Hunter Greene	SP	CIN	21	2021
28	Vidal Brujan	2B	TB	23	2021
29	Zac Veen	OF	COL	19	2023
30	Corbin Carroll	OF	ARI	20	2022
31	Joey Bart	C	SF	24	2021
32	Ronny Mauricio	SS	NYM	19	2023
33	Pete Crow-Armstrong	OF	NYM	19	2023
34	Nolan Gorman	3B	STL	20	2022
35	Garrett Mitchell	OF	MIL	22	2022
36	Heliot Ramos	OF	SF	21	2022
37	Robert Hassell	OF	SD	19	2023
38	Michael Busch	2B	LAD	23	2022
39	DL Hall	SP	BAL	22	2022
40	Daniel Lynch	SP	KC	24	2021
41	Asa Lacy	SP	KC	21	2022
42	George Kirby	SP	SEA	23	2021
43	Emerson Hancock	SP	SEA	21	2022
44	Reid Detmers	SP	LAA	21	2021
45	Jordan Walker	3B	STL	18	2023
46	Orelvis Martinez	3B/SS	TOR	19	2023
47	Luis Matos	OF	SF	19	2023
48	Gunnar Henderson	SS	BAL	19	2023
49	Oswald Peraza	SS	NYY	20	2022
50	Hedbert Perez	OF	MIL	17	2024
51	Matthew Liberatore	SP	STL	21	2022
52	Royce Lewis	SS/OF	MIN	21	2022
53	Jhoan Duran	SP	MIN	23	2021
54	Matt Manning	SP	DET	23	2021
55	Shane Baz	SP	TB	21	2022
56	Nick Lodolo	SP	CIN	23	2021
57	Austin Hendrick	OF	CIN	20	2024
58	Quinn Priester	SP	PIT	20	2023
59	Luis Campusano	C	SD	22	2021
60	Keibert Ruiz	C	LAD	22	2021
61	Kristian Robinson	OF	ARI	20	2023
62	Alek Thomas	OF	ARI	20	2022
63	Nolan Jones	3B	CLE	22	2021
64	Josiah Gray	SP	LAD	23	2021
65	Josh Lowe	OF	TB	23	2021
66	Tucker Davidson	SP	ATL	24	2021
67	Cade Cavalli	SP	WSH	22	2022
68	Brett Baty	3B	NYM	21	2023
69	Jesus Sanchez	OF	MIA	23	2021
70	Jose Garcia	SS	CIN	22	2021
71	Brailyn Marquez	SP	CHC	22	2021
72	Clarke Schmidt	SP	NYY	24	2021
73	Erick Pena	OF	KC	17	2024
74	Jarren Duran	OF	BOS	24	2021
75	Gabriel Moreno	C	TOR	20	2022
76	Brice Turang	SS	MIL	21	2022
77	Oneil Cruz	SS	PIT	22	2022
78	Tyler Freeman	2B/SS	CLE	21	2022
79	Geraldo Perdomo	SS	ARI	21	2021
80	J.J. Bleday	OF	MIA	23	2022
81	Edward Cabrera	SP	MIA	22	2021
82	Mick Abel	SP	PHI	19	2024
83	Jackson Rutledge	SP	WSH	21	2022
84	Cristian Hernandez	SS	CHC	18	2025
85	Brennan Malone	SP	PIT	20	2023
86	Tyler Soderstrom	C	OAK	202	2023
87	Josh Jung	3B	TEX	22	2021
88	Kyren Paris	2B/SS	LAA	19	2023
89	Deivi Garcia	SP	NYY	21	2021
90	Alejandro Kirk	C	TOR	22	2021
91	Simeon Woods Richardson	SP	TOR	20	2022
92	Taylor Trammell	OF	SEA	23	2021
93	Robert Puason	SS	OAK	19	2024
94	Matthew Allan	SP	NYM	19	2024
95	J.T. Ginn	SP	NYM	21	2023
96	Bryson Stott	SS	PHI	23	2022
97	Michael Toglia	1B	COL	22	2022
98	Bobby Miller	SP	LAD	21	2023
99	Kyle Harrison	SP	SF	19	2023
100	Jordan Groshans	3B/SS	TOR	21	2022
101	Carlos Colmenarez	SS	TB	18	2025
102	Luis Gil	SP	NYY	22	2022
103	Luis Medina	SP	NYY	21	2022
104	Jeter Downs	2B	BOS	22	2021
105	Xavier Edwards	2B	TB	21	2022
106	Jared Kelley	SP	CHW	19	2023
107	Matt Canterino	SP	MIN	23	2022
108	Jordan Balazovic	SP	MIN	22	2022
109	Nick Pratto	1B	KC	22	2022
110	George Valera	OF	CLE	20	2023
111	Daniel Espino	SP	CLE	20	2023
112	Diego Cartaya	C	LAD	19	2023
113	Cal Raleigh	C	SEA	24	2021
114	Sam Huff	C	TEX	23	2021
115	Cole Winn	SP	TEX	21	2023
116	Liover Peguero	SS	PIT	20	2023
117	Tahnaj Thomas	SP	PIT	21	2023
118	Zack Thompson	SP	STL	23	2022
119	Bo Naylor	C	CLE	20	2022
120	Masyn Winn	SS/P	STL	18	2024
121	Slade Cecconi	SP	ARI	21	2023
122	Bryce Jarvis	SP	ARI	23	2023
123	Kody Hoese	3B	LAD	23	2022
124	Wilman Diaz	SS	LAD	17	2024
125	Seth Corry	SP	SF	22	2022
126	Heston Kjerstad	OF	BAL	21	2023
127	Tanner Houck	SP	BOS	24	2021
128	Austin Wells	C/OF	NYY	21	2023
129	Chris McMahon	SP	COL	22	2023
130	Greg Jones	SS	TB	23	2023
131	Jordyn Adams	OF	LAA	21	2023
132	Ivan Herrera	C	STL	20	2022
133	Michael Harris	OF	ATL	20	2023
134	Cole Henry	SP	WSH	21	2023
135	Jake Eder	SP	MIA	22	2022
136	Dax Fulton	SP	MIA	19	2024
137	Drew Waters	OF	ATL	22	2021
138	Cristian Pache	OF	ATL	22	2021
139	Daulton Jefferies	SP	OAK	25	2021
140	Shea Langeliers	C	ATL	23	2022
141	A.J. Puk	SP	OAK	25	2021
142	Jeremiah Jackson	2B	LAA	20	2023
143	Maximo Acosta	SS	TEX	18	2024
144	Brent Rooker	OF	MIN	26	2021
145	Isaac Paredes	3B	DET	21	2021
146	Jonathan Bowlan	SP	KC	24	2023
147	Alec Burleson	OF	STL	22	2022
148	Anthony Volpe	SS	NYY	19	2023
149	Nick Bitsko	SP	TB	18	2024
150	Brendan McKay	SP	TB	25	2021
151	Miguel Hiraldo	SS/3B	TOR	20	2023
152	Aaron Bracho	2B	CLE	20	2023
153	Ethan Hankins	SP	CLE	20	2023
154	Yoelqui Cespedes	OF	CHW	23	2022
155	Adrian Morejon	SP	SD	21	2021
156	Hunter Bishop	OF	SF	22	2023
157	Hudson Head	OF	PIT	19	2023
158	Roansy Contreras	SP	PIT	21	2022
159	Jared Jones	SP	PIT	19	2023
160	Ryan Jeffers	C	MIN	23	2021
161	Carmen Mlodzinski	SP	PIT	21	2023
162	Jeremy Pena	SS	HOU	23	2022
163	Patrick Bailey	C	SF	21	2023
164	Will Wilson	SS	SF	22	2022
165	Corbin Martin	SP	ARI	25	2021
166	Luis Toribio	3B	SF	20	2023
167	Seth Beer	1B/DH	ARI	24	2021
168	Michael Baumann	SP	BAL	25	2022
169	JJ Goss	SP	TB	20	2023
170	Braxton Garrett	SP	MIA	23	2021
171	Braden Shewmake	SS	ATL	23	2021
172	Kyle Muller	SP	ATL	23	2021
173	Lewin Diaz	1B	MIA	24	2021
174	Joe Ryan	SP	TB	25	2021
175	Cole Wilcox	SP	TB	21	2023
176	Blake Walston	SP	ARI	20	2024
177	Aaron Schunk	3B	COL	23	2022
178	Ryan Rolison	SP	COL	23	2021
179	Alexander Canario	OF	SF	20	2023
180	Matthew Thompson	SP	CHW	20	2023
181	Kyle Isbel	OF	KC	24	2021
182	Daniel Cabrera	OF	DET	22	2023
183	Gage Workman	3B	DET	21	2023
184	Pedro Leon	OF	HOU	22	2022
185	Korey Lee	C	HOU	22	2022
186	Hunter Brown	SP	HOU	22	2023
187	Forrest Whitley	SP	HOU	23	2022
188	D’Shawn Knowles	OF	LAA	20	2023
189	Francisco Morales	SP	PHI	21	2022
190	Yhoswar Garcia	OF	PHI	19	2024
191	Johan Rojas	OF	PHI	20	2024
192	Jared Shuster	SP	ATL	22	2023
193	Ethan Small	SP	MIL	24	2022
194	Lyon Richardson	SP	CIN	21	2023
195	Vladimir Gutierrez	SP	CIN	25	2021
196	Luisangel Acuna	SS	TEX	18	2024
197	Tink Hence	SP	STL	18	2024
198	Cody Bolton	SP	PIT	22	2022
199	Alexander Vizcaino	SP	NYY	23	2022
200	Gilberto Jimenez	OF	BOS	20	2023
201	Dillon Dingler	C	DET	22	2022
202	Tanner Burns	SP	CLE	22	2022
203	Brayan Rocchio	SS	CLE	20	2023
204	Miguel Amaya	C	CHC	22	2022
205	Gabriel Arias	SS	CLE	20	2022
206	Hudson Haskin	OF	BAL	22	2023
207	Yoendrys Gomez	SP	NYY	21	2023
208	Rafael Marchan	C	PHI	22	2021
209	Jhon Torres	OF	STL	21	2023
210	Thaddeus Ward	SP	BOS	24	2022
211	Justin Foscue	2B	TEX	21	2023
212	Hans Crouse	SP	TEX	22	2022
213	Logan Davidson	SS	OAK	23	2022
214	Ryan Pepiot	SP	LAD	23	2022
215	Andy Pages	OF	LAD	20	2023
216	Miguel Vargas	3B	LAD	21	2022
217	Davis Wendzel	SS	TEX	24	2022
218	Kyle Bradish	SP	BAL	24	2021
219	Heriberto Hernandez	OF/C	TB	21	2023
220	Ezequiel Duran	2B	NYY	22	2023
221	Kevin Alcantara	OF	NYY	18	2024
222	Junior Santos	SP	NYM	19	2023
223	Peyton Burdick	OF	MIA	23	2023
224	Sherten Apostel	3B	TEX	21	2021
225	Khalil Lee	OF	NYM	22	2021
226	Daz Cameron	OF	DET	24	2021
227	Bayron Lora	OF	TEX	18	2025
228	Alex Santos II	SP	HOU	19	2024
229	Isaiah Greene	OF	CLE	19	2024
230	Carson Tucker	SS	CLE	19	2024
231	Nick Loftin	SS	KC	22	2023
232	Austin Cox	SP	KC	24	2022
233	Chris Vallimont	SP	MIN	24	2022
234	Aaron Sabato	1B	MIN	21	2023
235	Levi Kelly	SP	ARI	22	2023
236	Josh Winder	SP	MIN	24	2021
237	Andrew Dalquist	SP	CHW	20	2023
238	Edward Olivares	OF	KC	25	2021
239	Ronaldo Hernandez	C	BOS	23	2022
240	Misael Urbina	OF	MIN	19	2024
241	Bryan Mata	SP	BOS	21	2022
242	TJ Sikkema	SP	NYY	22	2022
243	Tony Santillan	SP	CIN	24	2021
244	Norge Vera	SP	CHW	21	2024
245	Estevan Florial	OF	NYY	23	2021
246	Jake Burger	3B	CHW	25	2021
247	Luis Rodriguez	OF	LAD	18	2025
248	Rece Hinds	3B	CIN	20	2023
249	Cory Abbott	SP	CHC	25	2021
250	M.J. Melendez	C	KC	22	2022

 

The Top 10 Prospects

1. Wander Franco, SS: The 20-year-old Franco faced a big challenge at the beginning of 2021 with a promotion to Triple-A. He started off the season in modest fashion but he's picked up his game in June. As of this writing, he was hitting well over .400 for the month and had an overall 146 wRC+ through 33 games.

2. Jarred Kelenic, OF: When the list was created, it looked like Jarred Kelenic was in the majors to stay, but he's now back in the minors. He had an ugly start to his MLB career, but it's not unusual for prospects to stumble in their first taste of big-league action.

3. Julio Rodriguez, OF: Rodriguez, 20, could possibly be in Triple-A or the majors by now if he hadn't been slowed by injuries in 2019 and by the pandemic in 2020. He has a natural feel for hitting, advanced power for his age, and he's shown more willingness to take a walk in 2021.

4. Marco Luciano, SS: The Giants organization is fairly conservative in its development of players, and while many clubs acted aggressively when assigning their top prospects in 2021, San Francisco started out Luciano at Low-A. He's not hitting for a huge average right now, but he's showing excellent plate rates while producing above-average power with 18 of his 34 hits going for extra bases, including seven homers.

5. CJ Abrams, SS: The Padres organization is aggressive with its player development and the 20-year-old Abrams was jumped all the way from Rookie ball to Double-A in 2021. He's not hitting for quite as much authority as he did in his debut back in 2019, but he's still showing extra-base pop, blazing speed (nine steals in nine tries), and is hitting .301 through 29 games.

6. Riley Greene, OF: Greene made a big jump from Low-A ball to Double-A ball in 2021 and it's taken him a little time to catch his breath. His natural baseball skill has allowed him to survive the jump and while he's striking out too much and not realizing his full power potential, he has a 122 wRC+ through 34 games as a 20-year-old against much older competition.

7. Nick Gonzales, 2B: This is probably the first big "Huh?" on the list for most readers. Gonzales had video-game-like numbers while playing at the college equivalent of Coors Field which caused some people to take his numbers with a grain of salt. However, he also posted very good numbers on the road and in the summer Cape Cod League. He also has tantalizing bat speed.

8. Spencer Torkelson, 1B: I was a little worried about Torkelson coming out of college with some pretty high strikeout rates for a college player, but after a slow start to his pro career this season, he's really picked things up and made some impressive adjustments. He recently got bumped up to Double-A after opening the year in High-A ball.

9. Bobby Witt Jr., SS: Witt Jr. got a little over-hyped this spring with some great results in major league camp. The Royals then pushed him a little too hard with an assignment to Double-A after he last played in Rookie Ball. He's done OK thanks to his strong athleticism, but he's gotten a little too homer-happy and needs to get back to being more of a well-rounded player.

10. Brandon Marsh, OF: Marsh looked ready for a big breakout in 2021 after impressing the Angels' coaching staff at the alternate training site in 2020. However, the start of his season was delayed by a shoulder injury and that issue cropped up again after only a handful of games.

 

Prospects 11-25

11. MacKenzie Gore, SP: As we've already experienced with multiple examples in 2021, even the best pitching prospects can be volatile. We definitely have not seen the best of Gore this year, but we also recently found out that he's been battling blister issues all season.

12. Adley Rutschman, C: The first-overall selection from the 2020 draft took a little time to get his feet under him at the pro level,but he now has a 171 wRC+ through 34 Double-A games. He's hitting for average, power and has an excellent BB-K ratio of 28-28. Now we have to hope the rigors of catching on a daily basis don't wear him down too much over a full season.

13. Alek Manoah, SP: Manoah made the biggest jump of any pitcher on the Top 250 dynasty list between March and now and he very likely won't qualify for the list by the time the next update occurs. He made massive strides at the Jays' alternate training site in 2020 and his strong makeup and drive to succeed helped him make the huge jump from short-season ball in 2019 to Triple-A in 2021. He needed just a handful of starts to show Toronto that he was ready for The Show and he looks like he belongs.

14. Jo Adell, OF: Adell remains a very frustrating prospect. He has massive power, but he also has big holes in his swing which leads to massive strikeout rates. He could still hit with impressive power if he dialed back the big hacks and focused more on making consistent, hard contact. He's shown flashes of doing that, but needs to be more consistent before he becomes an impact bat at the MLB level.

16. Jackson Kowar, SP: Kowar was absolutely dominant at Triple-A with a 0.85 ERA and K-BB ratio of 41-10 in 31 2/3 innings of work to earn a promotion to the majors, but then he was crushed in his first two MLB starts. Nerves appear to have played a huge role in his struggles early on.

17. Noelvi Marte, SS: With Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez nearing the ends of their minor league careers, they will likely pass the No. 1 prospect title in the Mariners system to the power-hitting Marte. Just 19, he has a 168 wRC+ in Low-A ball and has shown good power with eight home runs through 34 games.

20. Francisco Alvarez, C: I caused more than a few eyebrows to raise with my last Top 250 list update when Alvarez was ranked among the Top 20 players. It should be less of a shock now that we've seen Alvarez dominate pitchers at the Low-A level (.417 average, 15-7 BB-K ratio in 15 games) and earn a promotion to High-A. Just 19, he's producing a 128 wRC+ with impressive power against much older competition.

23. Jasson Dominguez, OF: Dominguez remains the tantalizing unknown. He was signed as an international free agent with a ton of hype, but the pandemic has kept him out of the public eye. The Yankees decided to play it safe with him and have him start the 2021 minor league season at extended spring training. He'll likely open the year in July in short-season ball or Low-A. Given how advanced he was supposed to be for his age, it's a little surprising he didn't open the year in Low-A.

24. Austin Martin, SS/OF: It took Martin some time to acclimate himself to the talent level at Double-A after jumping all the way up from the college ranks thanks to the pandemic, but he's looking good with an on-base average above .400 and a 132 wRC+. He's also splitting his time between shortstop and center field, two key defensive positions.

25. Nate Pearson, SP: Like MacKenzie Gore, Pearson struggled through a forgettable first month of the minor league season after having huge expectations heaped upon him early on. His command has taken a step back over the past year in part due to a collection of injuries. It can also take taller pitchers longer to get their pitching mechanics in sync and Pearson stands 6-foot-6.

 

Prospects 26-50

26. Grayson Rodriguez, SP: I've always ranked Rodriguez very aggressively and he's long been underrated as a prospect because he toils in the Baltimore system as opposed to a club in a media-heavy environment like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. He dominated High-A ball to earn an early promotion to Double-A and he hasn't missed a beat.

27. Hunter Greene, SP: Greene has easy velocity and can surpass 100 mph despite missing more than two seasons due to injuries (Tommy John) and the pandemic. Because of his smooth delivery, he projects to have above-average command/control as he continues to mature. All he really needs to do now is focus on the development of his secondary offerings.

28. Vidal Brujan, IF/OF: Brujan is back to his old self after an unexpected early power display. He hit seven homers in May, but had yet to go deep as of mid-June. Still, he has the ability to hit for a high average, steal a lot of bases, and score a ton of runs while offering defensive versatility.

29. Zac Veen, OF: I had Veen as the top overall talent in the 2020 amateur draft. He's off to a decent start in his first taste of pro ball, and full-season ball, after missing his debut last year due to the pandemic. He's holding his own with a 104 wRC+, 17% walk rate, and 20 steals in 34 games. The raw power is there to tap into and I'm confident he'll cut down on the swing-and-miss tendencies with more experience.

31. Joey Bart, C: Bart has battled nagging injuries in 2021, but he's shown an advanced bat and looks MLB ready. He'll probably always have some swing-and-miss to his game but he should still hit for a solid average with power.

32. Ronny Mauricio, SS: Mauricio doesn't get as much love as some other prospects because he's still growing into his frame and has battled inconsistent contact. He might take a little longer to develop than some of the other hitters, but he should produce above-average pop in time with his feel for hitting TBD.

33. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF: I've always been one of the biggest Crow-Armstrong fans around. His floor seems to be a Kevin Kiermaier type of player, but I see a plus defensive outfielder with much more feel for hitting. His ceiling will ultimately hinge on how much power he develops, but he should provide a high average, good on-base numbers, and speed.

34. Nolan Gorman, 3B: Gorman entered the year with the reputation of being a slugger and nothing more. He kicked off 2021 with a much-improved approach at the plate that led to him hitting .328 through the middle of June. However, he hit just three homers in the first month of the year. Gorman then exploded for seven long-balls in the first half of June and maintained his solid approach.

35. Garrett Mitchell, OF: Mitchell was seen as a raw-but-toolsy talent in college and earned a first-round selection for his immense potential. He looked impressive in the spring, but an early-season injury kept him out of action for much of May. Mitchell has plus speed and has shown an excellent eye at the plate. If he can keep the swing-and-miss tendencies in check, he could develop into a very good player.

37. Robert Hassell III, OF: I'm a big Hassell III fan and love his feel for hitting. He's also shown good speed this year with 13 stolen bases in 34 games and has a 141 wRC+ in his first taste of pro ball. I believe the power will come with 20+ homer potential as he fills out and adjusts his swing path.

41. Asa Lacy, SP: Lacy is a big, strong lefty with the potential to be a dominant arm at the big league level. However, he's struggled mightily with his control in 2021 and also showed signs of control issues during his college career although the shortened season in 2020 may have helped hide the issue a bit.

42. George Kirby, SP: Kirby has battled with some injuries in 2021, but he's been a very good pro pitcher thanks to his solid stuff and plus-plus control. If he can show average-or-better command of his pitches, he has a chance to be a No. 3 starter or better for the Mariners.

43. Emerson Hancock, SP: I wasn't the biggest Hancock fan entering the 2020 draft and my opinion on him hasn't changed much although his rank reflects his potential. He has two very good pitches, and if he can show improved command/control and a reliable third offering, he could be a No. 2/3 starter. If not, he could end up as a dominant reliever.

44. Reid Detmers, SP: Detmers isn't flashy, but he has a chance to be a reliable, mid-rotation arm for the Angels. Which is not a bad thing because the club desperately needs pitching help.

45. Jordan Walker, 3B: I had Walker aggressively ranked in the 2020 draft as the 15th-best talent available even though others had him as more of a supplemental-round or second-round talent. He missed close to a month this year with an undisclosed injury, but he's also produced a 181 wRC+ as a 19-year-old in his first taste of pro-action.

46. Orelvis Martinez, SS: Martinez is prone to strikeouts at times, but he has plus raw power and a developing hit tool. He needs a little time to develop further but there is a big upside here.

47. Luis Matos, OF: Matos entered the 2021 season with just five games of experience in North America, but he's hitting close to .300 through 32 games. He doesn't walk much because he has such a strong feel for the barrel and he needs to continue to add strength to develop into a plus hitter, but he's also just 19.

48. Gunnar Henderson, SS: The Orioles have seen a number of prospects take big steps forward in their developments in 2021 despite the lost 2020 season. Henderson is showing signs of developing into a run-producer capable of generating above-average power.

49. Oswald Peraza, SS: I've reversed my feelings on Peraza a bit after his strong start to the 2021 season. In previous looks, I've never seen the player that the glowing scouting reports alluded to. However, he was consistently good at the plate with improved pop in High-A ball before earning a bump to Double-A as a 21-year-old.

 

Prospects 51-75

52. Royce Lewis, SS/OF: Lewis remains a massive tease due to his considerable athletic abilities, but he's just never been able to put it all together. Losing the full 2021 season to injury isn't going to help. On the positive side, he has plus makeup so I'm not going to underestimate him.

53. Jhoan Duran, SP: Duran has the potential to be a beast with the ability to hit triple digits and then drop 15-20 mph with his off-speed stuff. However, there are some durability concerns and he's struggled with his command. There is some reliever risk here.

54. Matt Manning, SP: Manning has had a nightmare 2021 season at Triple-A while batting long-ball issues. He allowed eight home runs in his first three games of the season and has been fighting his command all year. If everything clicks, he has a higher ceiling than Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal.

55. Shane Baz, SP: Baz has some serious helium. He can hit the upper-90s with his heater, shows a breaking ball with plus potential, and his control has taken a huge step forward in 2021.

56. Nick Lodolo, SP: Lodolo is another pitcher that has looked much improved in 2021. The lefty doesn't have the same ceiling as some of the other arms among the Top 100, but he has a higher floor and could be a very reliable mid-rotation arm for the Reds.

57. Austin Hendrick, OF: Hendrick was ranked by many as neck-and-neck with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Robert Hassell III in the 2020 draft, but this prep outfielder was much more physically mature with a more questionable approach at the plate. He's spent considerable time on the IL this year, but the 36.5% strikeout rate is worrisome.

60. Keibert Ruiz, C: Ruiz can struggle to maintain consistent effort, but he's been very good in 2021 while showing a plus hit tool and improved power. He probably really needs to get out of the Dodgers system given the catching depth and he could be an intriguing trade chip this summer as he'd bring back a good return.

65. Josh Lowe, OF: Lowe gets overlooked in a very deep Rays system, but he has 20-20 (HR-SB) upside. He reminds me a little bit of Kyle Tucker.

67. Cade Cavalli, SP: Cavalli was a beast at the High-A level in 2021 and earned a recent bump to Double-A, which will be a better test of his ability. I'm leery of pitchers in the Washington system because the organization doesn't have a great track record developing them.

68. Brett Baty, 3B: Baty is another player with significant helium in 2021. He has a chance to be a solid hitter with strong on-base numbers and above-average power.

69. Jesus Sanchez, OF: Sanchez recently earned another shot at the majors after disappearing for almost two years due to modest outputs. He's consistently hit for a high average this season, but the power has continued to come and go.

74. Jarren Duran, OF: Duran started to show improved power during his stay at the alternate training site in 2020 and he has 10 homers through his first 24 games of 2021. However, he needs to avoid falling into the trap of chasing home runs and losing the other aspects of his game.

75. Gabriel Moreno, C: Yet another big helium player, Moreno has shown signs of developing into a plus-hitting catcher for a few years now. He flirted with .400 into early June and has shown improved pop.

 

Prospects 76-100

77. Oneil Cruz, SS: Cruz has massive potential, but he has also battled with maturity issues, so I've been hesitant to rank him too aggressively. He's looked outstanding so far in 2021 at Double-A.

80. J.J. Bleday, OF: Bleday entered pro ball with a lot of hype, but he's shown some serious rust so far in 2021. Miami has also perhaps been a little too aggressive with him.

81. Edward Cabrera, SP: Cabrera recently returned to action after missing almost six weeks due to an injury. He has No. 2/3 starter upside if everything clicks.

87. Josh Jung, 3B: Jung is another prospect that has missed significant time early on in 2021 due to injury, but he has a chance to hit for both power and average. I love his bat but he'll likely move over to first base at some point in the not-to-distant future.

88. Kyren Paris, 2B/SS: Paris is a player that I ranked very aggressively entering the 2019 draft and he was just 17 at the time. He has a very good feel for hitting, although he's also had some swing-and-miss issues that need to be addressed.

90. Alejandro Kirk, C: Kirk would probably have graduated from this list by now if not for an injury that's kept him on the sidelines. He has a natural feel for hitting and good power.

91. Simeon Woods Richardson, SP: Woods Richardson has consistently produced above-average results as a pro despite always being one of the younger players in his league. However, he has just average-ish fastball velocity, which limits his ceiling.

 

Prospects 101-150

103. Luis Medina, SP: Medina made some big strides with his control over the past year, but he's started to slip back into old habits and has a walk rate up over 14%. However, he's been downright dominant at times and has held batters to a .161 average and has a 38% strikeout rate. He could very well end up as a one- or two-inning reliever.

104. Jeter Downs, SS/2B: Downs has struggled to shake off the rust after the lost season, but he's looked better lately and has an intriguing power/speed offering.

107. Matt Canterino, SP: A rising prospect to keep an eye on, Canterino is on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. He's been outstanding as a pro thanks to his high-spin fastball even though he has just average velocity.

109. Nick Pratto, 1B: Pratto is essentially coming off of two lost years. This 2019 season was ugly and then the pandemic hit. He looked better in the spring and has maintained that success through the first 33 games of the minor league season. He has a 194 wRC+ in Double-A.

112. Diego Cartaya, C: Cartaya is another good, young prospect to watch in the Dodgers system. He's hitting .353 and has seen 11 of his 18 hits go for extra bases (including six homers) in just 13 games.

113. Cal Raleigh, C: Raleigh looks like a completely different hitter after the downtime in 2020. In 29 Triple-A games, he's making excellent, hard contact and has seen more than half of his 42 hits go for extra bases.

117. Tahnaj Thomas, SP: Thomas has returned from the lost season with some rust and appears to have lost all the strides he made in improving his control back in 2019. However, he still hits 100 mph with ease and could end up as a high-leverage reliever if he can't rediscover the strike zone.

120. Masyn Winn, OF/SP: An ultra-athletic, two-way player in high school, Winn is expected to continue with both roles in pro ball, although he has yet to pitch in a game this year. He's looked promising at the plate with a 15% walk rate, all-field approach, and 12 steals in 34 games but he needs to get stronger.

128. Austin Wells, C: Drafted out of high school as a good-hit, questionable-glove backstop, Wells has a 140 wRC+ and good plate rates so far. However, he has struggled to throw out base runners and has nine passed balls in 24 games. He could end up in the outfield.

130. Greg Jones, SS: Jones is known more for his speed and athleticism, but he has seven home runs in 22 games at High-A in 2021. The power output has come with swing-and-miss issues though, as shown by his 30% strikeout rate.

133. Michael Harris, OF: Harris is an intriguing player that does a little bit of everything well. The 20-year-old has a 133 wRC+ through 32 games, but he's been a little over-aggressive at times.

135. Jake Eder, SP: Eder, a fourth-round pick from 2020, has been outstanding as a pro. There are some who see him as a reliever due to inconsistent command and lack of a reliable third pitch, but this lefty deserves attention for the success he's had while starting his pro career in Double-A.

140. Shea Langeliers, C: Known more for his glove, Langeliers has shown unexpected pop this season with nine homers in 30 games. However, it has come with a 27% strikeout rate.

147. Alec Burleson, OF: Burleson got off to a quick start to the season at Double-A but has quieted down a bit. Still, he had just 11 games of pro experience prior to the pandemic, so he's more than holding his own with a 124 wRC+ and the Cardinals do an excellent job of identifying underrated college players.

148. Anthony Volpe, SS: Volpe had only modest first-round buzz coming out of high school in 2019 when the Yankees took him 30th overall. I had him ranked as an easy first-round talent and he's looked excellent in 2021 with a 158 wRC+, more walks than strikeouts, and 16 steals in 33 games.

 

Prospects 151-250

156. Hunter Bishop, OF: Bishop hasn't been healthy in 2021 and he's appeared in just three games. He has an intriguing power/speed mix, but he also struggles to make consistent contact.

158. Roansy Contreras, SP: The Yankees parted with Contreras in the Jameson Taillon deal and it's looking like a great move for the Pirates. He's on the smallish side for a pitcher, but he has a chance to develop three above-average offerings.

164. Will Wilson, SS: A first-round pick of the Angels, the Giants essentially bought Wilson for taking on a bad contract during an offseason trade in the winter of 2019. He doesn't have a huge upside, but he could be a solid everyday player up the middle if he can make a little more contact as he moves up.

167. Seth Beer, DH: Beer has been consistently good as a pro and has hit everywhere that he's played. Unfortunately, he's not very good defensively and really needs to find his way to the American League where he can serve as the DH.

174. Joe Ryan, SP: Ryan is another solid prospect that gets lost in a very good Rays system. He throws strikes and has never had a strikeout rate lower than 35% at any minor league stop.

183. Gage Workman, SS: Selected in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, Workman is an athletic-but-raw former college player. He has a high-bust probability, but he also has a small chance at being something special. I had him ranked as a second-round talent in that draft.

184. Pedro Leon, OF/SS: It took Leon some time to get his feet underneath him in his first taste of pro-action, but he's shown some flashes of the power/speed mix that convinced the Astros to give him $4 million to sign.

193. Ethan Small, SP: Small isn't overpowering in terms of velocity, but he has a sneaky-good fastball and promising changeup. Both of those offerings have helped him strike out batters at a rate around 45% in 14 career starts.

201. Dillon Dingler, C: Lost a bit in the shadow of Spencer Torkelson, Dingler received an early season bump from High-A to Double-A like his teammate. He had a 148 wRC+ in 32 games before his promotion.

202. Tanner Burns, SP: Burns has been very good in 2021 while getting very little attention. He has a 30% strikeout rate and has thrown a lot of strikes while posting a 2.51 ERA in 28 2/3 innings at High-A.

206. Hudson Haskin, OF: A hit/run prospect, Haskin doesn't have big home-run potential, but he's getting on-base at a .400 clip and has 12 steals in 31 games. He's also 22 and playing in Low-A ball.

214. Ryan Pepiot, SP: A 2019 third-round steal, Pepiot has been excellent in 2021 with a 39% strikeout rate in six Double-A starts. His control needs some work as does his breaking ball, but there is upside here.

215. Andy Pages, OF: The 20-year-old Pages has plus raw power as hinted at by his nine home runs in 37 games at High-A, but he needs to focus on making consistent contact to realize his full potential.

219. Heriberto Hernandez, OF: Hernandez generated buzz in the Rangers system as a catcher with outstanding offensive results in Rookie ball. He hasn't seen as much success since moving to the Rays in the offseason and he's also moved to the outfield permanently.

220. Ezequiel Duran, 2B: Duran is an intriguing offensive-minded infielder in the Yankees system that has a chance to reach the majors and hit for power if he keeps showing improved contact abilities.

223. Peyton Burdick, OF: Burdick is a very raw but toolsy former third-round pick out of college. He's struggling to put it all together as a pro and the Marlins have done him no favors by needlessly rushing him to Double-A.

236. Josh Winder, SP: A former seventh-round pick, Winder has turned himself into a very good pro pitcher. He has a 2.12 ERA with a 32% strikeout rate thanks to above-average control and sneaky-good (but not overpowering) stuff.

238. Edward Olivares, OF: Olivares remains one of my favorite sleepers due to his power/speed potential, but he's streaky and needs a chance to play every day.

246. Jake Burger, 3B: Between serious injuries and the pandemic, Burger missed three straight seasons and last appeared at Low-A in 2018. He's held his own at Triple-A in 30 games,which is pretty impressive.

250. M.J. Melendez, C: Melendez, 22, is a player that's been on my radar for a few years. However, a poor approach at the plate has always been his downfall. He has plus raw power as seen by his 11 homers in 30 games, but he regularly strikes out at a clip consistently above 30%. This year at Double-A has been different as he's sitting at a strikeout rate of 23% with a 12.5% walk rate.

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