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Week 3 of the Major League Baseball season is underway and we're already witnessing some impressive rookie performances led by Chicago's surprise contributor Yermin Mercedes and Miami's impressive young arm Trevor Rogers.
But a strong start to the year doesn't always guarantee a full, successful season. If we look back to the stunted 2020 season, Luis Robert had an excellent first half of the year with a 132 wRC+ but he slipped to 73 wRC+ in the second half. Kyle Lewis saw an even more pronounced split with a 190 wRC+ in the first half and a 57 wRC+ in the second half. It will be even more challenging for prospects to keep up their performances for a full 162-game schedule.
Graduating from the list this week after exceeding the rookie limits (130 AB, 50 IP) are Dylan Carlson, Andres Gimenez, Nick Madrigal, and Leody Taveras. With more than two weeks now in the books, let's peruse the list of key prospects for redraft leagues that could give your fantasy season a boost either now or later on in the season.
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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 | Jarred Kelenic | OF | SEA | 21 | MAY |
| 4 | Andrew Vaughn | 1B | CWS | 22 | APRIL |
| 5 | Ke’Bryan Hayes | 3B | PIT | 24 | INJURED |
| 6 | Trevor Rogers | SP | MIA | 22 | APRIL |
| 7 | Tarik Skubal | SP | DET | 24 | APRIL |
| 8 | Wander Franco | SS | TB | 20 | MAY |
| 9 | Triston McKenzie | SP | CLE | 23 | APRIL |
| 10 | Yermin Mercedes | C/DH | CWS | 28 | APRIL |
| 11 | Jonathan India | 2B | CIN | 24 | APRIL |
| 12 | Jazz Chisholm | SS | MIA | 23 | APRIL |
| 13 | Casey Mize | SP | DET | 23 | APRIL |
| 14 | Tejay Antone | P | CIN | 27 | APRIL |
| 15 | Garrett Crochet | RP | CWS | 21 | APRIL |
| 16 | Emmanuel Clase | RP | CLE | 23 | APRIL |
| 17 | Julian Merryweather | RP | TOR | 29 | APRIL |
| 18 | Bobby Dalbec | 1B | BOS | 25 | APRIL |
| 19 | Alex Kirilloff | OF | MIN | 23 | MAY |
| 20 | Nate Pearson | SP | TOR | 24 | MAY |
| 21 | MacKenzie Gore | SP | SD | 22 | MAY |
| 22 | Sixto Sanchez | SP | MIA | 22 | INJURED |
| 23 | Brandon Marsh | OF | LAA | 23 | MAY |
| 24 | Tanner Houck | SP | BOS | 24 | APRIL |
| 25 | James Karinchak | RP | CLE | 25 | APRIL |
| 26 | Jo Adell | OF | LAA | 21 | MAY |
| 27 | Michael Kopech | RP | CWS | 24 | APRIL |
| 28 | Akil Baddoo | OF | DET | 22 | APRIL |
| 29 | Dane Dunning | SP | TEX | 26 | APRIL |
| 30 | Taylor Trammell | OF | SEA | 23 | APRIL |
| 31 | Luis Patino | SP | TB | 21 | JUNE |
| 32 | Ryan Weathers | RP | SD | 21 | APRIL |
| 33 | Logan Gilbert | SP | SEA | 23 | JUNE |
| 34 | Adrian Morejon | P | SD | 22 | APRIL |
| 35 | Chris Rodriguez | RP | LAA | 22 | APRIL |
| 36 | Spencer Howard | SP | PHI | 24 | MAY |
| 37 | Tyler Stephenson | C | CIN | 24 | APRIL |
| 38 | Kyle Isbel | OF | KC | 24 | APRIL |
| 39 | Joey Bart | C | SF | 24 | JUNE |
| 40 | Vidal Brujan | IF/OF | TB | 23 | JUNE |
| 41 | Phillip Evans | OF | PIT | 28 | APRIL |
| 42 | Brent Rooker | OF | MIN | 26 | INJURED |
| 43 | Luis Garcia | SP | HOU | 24 | APRIL |
| 44 | Alejandro Kirk | C | TOR | 22 | APRIL |
| 45 | Nolan Jones | 3B | CLE | 22 | JULY |
| 46 | Jarren Duran | OF | BOS | 24 | JUNE |
| 47 | Trevor Larnarch | OF | MIN | 24 | JULY |
| 48 | Daulton Jefferies | SP | OAK | 25 | JUNE |
| 49 | A.J. Puk | SP | OAK | 25 | INJURED |
| 50 | Cristian Pache | OF | ATL | 22 | APRIL |
Top 10 Prospects for 2021
1. Randy Arozarena, OF: Last week, I recommended patience with Arozarena's relatively slow start to the year. On Saturday, he showed up to play with three hits and his first home run of the season (which was just his second extra-base hit). He's quietly had at least one hit in every game this season and he now has a 143 wRC+. The 34% strikeout rate needs some work.
2. Ian Anderson, SP: Anderson had a poor outing against the Phillies on Saturday while struggling with his command. However, he still managed a solid K-BB of 6-1. He's now allowed three home runs in two starts but that should improve as his command improves and he throws better quality strikes. Overall, Anderson has 13 strikeouts in 10.1 innings of work.
3. Jarred Kelenic, OF: There's not much to say here with Kelenic at the alternate training site but you have to think the top prospect in baseball will get the call soon. Aside from Mitch Haniger, the production from the Mariners' outfield has been quite poor.
4. Andrew Vaughn, LF/1B: He's off to an ugly start but he's also being asked to play an unfamiliar position. The biggest issue has been the swing-and-miss with a strikeout rate of 35%. That's very unlike Vaughn and with a robust walk rate at almost 18%, I think he'll start to calm down, settle in, and see things turn around soon.
5. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B: We're in a bit of a holding pattern with Hayes and his injured wrist. Unfortunately, these types of injuries can linger if they're not allowed to fully heal.
6. Trevor Rogers, SP: Rogers was one of the biggest movers on this week's list and it's more than justified after a strong spring and two excellent regular-season starts. Rogers' biggest need entering the season was an improved breaking ball and his slider has actually been better than his changeup in the early going. Still, it's his fastball that's been dominant. MLB hitters are managing just a .087 batting average against the pitch.
7. Tarik Skubal, SP: I recently cautioned that we would see some really strong performances from Skubal with some bad ones mixed in due to struggles with his command. That's exactly what happened on Saturday when he allowed three home runs. I remain confident that we'll see a lot more good outings than bad ones moving forward.
8. Wander Franco, SS/3B: Franco is currently down at the alternate training site working to become comfortable at the hot corner after spending most of his career at shortstop. With Willy Adames (SS) and Joey Wendle (3B) hitting well, there isn't a ton of urgency to get Franco up to the majors just yet.
9. Triston McKenzie, SP: The tall, lanky Indians pitcher was awaiting his Sunday start when this piece was written. In his only game in 2021, McKenzie showed solid stuff but his fastball velocity was still sitting around 92 mph like in 2020. He was more 93-95 mph prior to his long injury layoff. Still, he knows how to pitch.
10. Yermin Mercedes, C/DH: One of the biggest surprises of the young season, Mercedes has done what I thought we might see from Alejandro Kirk of the Blue Jays as an offense-first catcher. Mercedes is creaming fastballs (.778 BA), breaking balls (.364), and off-speed pitches (.571). One thing to note, he's hitting mostly to the pull side so expect teams to adjust how they're pitching to him and also how they're lining up their fielders.
Prospects 11-20
11. Jonathan India, 2B: India got off to a fast start to the year but he's slowed down a bit over the past few games. His lack of walks could come back to haunt him if pitchers start exploiting his aggressiveness. Still, he looks like a strong hitter.
12. Jazz Chisholm, 2B/SS: Chisholm is hitting just .200 but three of his four hits have gone for extra bases and he has two stolen bases. He also has five walks in seven games.
13. Casey Mize, SP: Mize has made just one start so far this season and had mixed results due to inconsistent command. He's coming off a brutal spring so proceed cautiously but he has the talent to excel.
14. Tejay Antone, RP: Antone came close to opening the season on the injured list due to lingering injuries (hip/groin) but he's looked good in two appearances so far and his fastball has been sitting at 98.5 mph. He's higher on this list than other relievers because I think he could be an impact starter later this year.
15. Garrett Crochet, RP: The White Sox rookie has been nearly unhittable in the early going and he's been commanding all three of his pitchers. As a result, I could see him transitioning to a starting role later this season.
16. Emmanuel Clase, RP: Clase's fastball is *sitting* at 100.7 mph through his first three appearances of the season. He also has yet to allow a hit or a walk and has one save under his belt. Karinchak who?
17. Julian Merryweather, RP: Merryweather has been a revelation early and has already saved two games for the Blue Jays. He's allowed just one hit in four innings and has seven strikeouts.
18. Bobby Dalbec, 1B/3B: Dalbec has had a very slow start to the year with just two singles in 21 at-bats but power hitters tend to be streaky. I'm not ready to worry... quite yet.
19. Alex Kirilloff, OF: Kirilloff is still hanging out at the Twins' alternate training site but I don't think Kyle Garlick is going to produce enough to keep the top prospect down for long.
20. Nate Pearson, SP: The Blue Jays are bringing their injured rookie starter back slowly as he recovers from a groin injury. When returns, his swing-and-miss stuff should make him a valuable fantasy commodity.
Prospects 21-30
21. MacKenzie Gore, SP: Aside from the Fernando Tatis Jr. injury, there are a lot of things going well in San Diego right now. With a solid pitching rotation and more arms eventually coming back from the injured list, it could be hard for Gore to find meaningful innings barring more injuries.
22. Sixto Sanchez, SP: Sanchez's season has been delayed by a shoulder injury. He also induces a lot of ground-ball outs rather than strikeouts which hurts his fantasy value.
23. Brandon Marsh, OF: With news that Dexter Fowler has a torn ACL, an opportunity for a young outfielder could be on the way. I think Marsh will get the first shot over Jo Adell.
24. Tanner Houck, SP: Houck was recently demoted to the minors to the surprise of just about everyone given that he had a K-BB of 10-1 in six innings. But he also allowed four runs (although just two were earned). He should be back sooner rather than later.
25. James Karinchak, RP: Karinchak is in line for lots of high-leverage appearances but so far he has yet to record a hold or a save. Emmanuel Clase has also looked very good and could push Karinchak aside for key opportunities.
26. Jo Adell, OF: As mentioned above, the Angels' outfield depth took a big hit with the loss of Dexter Fowler to a knee injury. Adell or Marsh should soon get an opportunity soon with the former needing to show more consistent contact to fully realize his potential.
27. Michael Kopech, RP: Kopech has been nearly unhittable in four relief innings. But he's a little further down on this list because I think he'll stick as a multi-inning reliever this year given that he hasn't pitched competitively in two years and he's predominantly relying on just two pitches.
28. Akil Baddoo, OF: Baddoo got off to a quick start to the year with five hits and two homers in his first four games. But he's quieted down recently with no hits and significantly reduced exit velocities in his last two games.
29. Dane Dunning, SP: Dunning is an underrated prospect but he's also pitching for a club that doesn't necessarily project to win many games this season.
30. Taylor Trammell, OF: Trammell has seven walks in seven games this season which is encouraging but he also has a 48% strikeout rate. He needs to trim the Ks soon if he wants to avoid a trip to the minors.
Prospects 31-40
31. Luis Patino, SP: Patino is currently in the minors as the organization looks to protect its young arms from the year-over-year spike in innings.
32. Ryan Weathers, RP: Traditionally a starter, Weathers has been pitching well as a multi-inning reliever for the Padres. He has a K-BB of 7-2 through his first six innings.
33. Logan Gilbert, SP: The loss of James Paxton and the inconsistent returns from the majority of the starting rotation could help create an opportunity sooner rather than later for Gilbert.
34. Adrian Morejon, P: Morejon has been filling in for the injured Dinelson Lamet who is getting closer to returning. The young pitcher and his inconsistent command could be better suited for relief.
35. Chris Rodriguez, RP: Rodriguez has shown swing-and-miss stuff when can find the plate but with five walks in 6.1 innings, he's not finding the strike zone consistently enough just yet in the unfamiliar (relief) role.
36. Spencer Howard, SP: Howard is currently dealing with a back issue but when he's ready for another MLB shot, he's reportedly going to be working in a hybrid starter/reliever role.
37. Tyler Stephenson, C: As I expected, Stephenson has been a strong offensive contributor so far this season. He's hitting .417 with one home run through his first four games. I'd love to see him push Tucker Barnhart out of the way for more playing time.
38. Kyle Isbel, OF: Isbel has slowed down after his scorching start to the year. But if he can re-adjust, he's shown the ability to be a plus hitter in the minors which could lead to further MLB success.
39. Joey Bart, C: Buster Posey has been looking good so far this year but he's also 34 with more than 1,200 games under his belt. Look for Bart to see some time in the second half of the year, if not sooner.
40. Vidal Brujan, 2B: The infield has been doing fairly well for the Rays so far this season so there hasn't been any pressure to bring up Brujan just yet. He's also getting acclimatized to playing the outfield given that Wander Franco is likely ahead of him on the infield depth chart.
Prospects 41-50
41. Phillip Evans, OF: Evans has now seen playing time in parts of four MLB seasons but has only amassed 116 at-bats. He's shown the ability to hit for average and, more recently, power.
42. Brent Rooker, OF: Rooker ended the spring poorly and was sent to the alternate training site. He received a quick recall due to injuries but then got hurt himself. If he can find playing time, he has the power to be an impact player.
43. Luis Garcia, SP: Even with the loss of George Springer, Houston is off to a strong start this year with the offense. That means Garcia could win a lot of games if he can do a better job of throwing quality pitches.
44. Alejandro Kirk, C: It's been a slow start to the year for Kirk who is hitless in 11 at-bats but he has just one strikeout so he hasn't been overmatched. He needs to calm down a bit on the box and wait for his pitch rather than trying to force the issue.
45. Nolan Jones, 3B/1B: With Franmil Reyes hitting well at DH and Jose Ramirez doing Jose-Ramirez-like things at third, there isn't a clear path to a role at the MLB level for Jones. First base would be an option with Jake Bauers hitting poorly (again) but Bobby Bradley should get the next shot there.
46. Jarren Duran, OF: Duran had an eye-opening spring but there's currently no clear path to playing time for him.
47. Trevor Larnach, OF: Larnach has depth ahead of him in Alex Kirilloff and Brent Rooker but the former had a poor spring and the latter is injured. He may get a shot sooner than we thought.
48. Daulton Jefferies, SP: Jefferies looked outstanding in the spring but the club is closely monitoring his workload after he threw just two official innings in 2020 and 70 in 2019.
49. A.J. Puk, P: It took just one MLB outing for Puk (biceps strain) to hit the injured list again. He has a lot of talent but will he ever stay healthy?
50. Cristian Pache, OF: Pache's strong defense will afford him plenty of opportunities to play but he needs to jumpstart the bat to have value in fantasy baseball.
Others Under Consideration: Brent Honeywell (Rays), Heliot Ramos (Giants), Garrett Whitlock (Red Sox), Shane McClanahan (Rays), Bobby Bradley (Indians), Deivi Garcia (Yankees)
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