Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Prospects for Week 14

The weekly Top 50 Prospects for 2021 Redraft Leagues is back after a one-week hiatus which allowed me to provide an updated Top 250 dynasty league prospects list.

When last we met to discuss 2021 redraft prospects, Wander Franco was No. 1 on the list while playing very well at Triple-A and Jesus Sanchez was also tearing up the minors. Both players have since been promoted to the Majors so they’re no longer eligible for the list, but a familiar face is back in the top spot and we have a new addition to the list that jumps right into the Top 10.

Along with the Top 50 and Top 250 lists, I’ll be publishing Top 10 fantasy prospect lists for every organization in baseball very shortly so keep an eye out for those rankings. For now, let’s see how the near-MLB-ready prospects have been doing over the past two weeks.

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Top Impact Prospects for Redraft Leagues

This prospects list is a ranking for 2021 redraft leagues only and is not a dynasty ranking. It also does not include any prospects on MLB rosters.

Top 10 Prospects for 2021

1. Jarred Kelenic, OF: It took Kelenic a few games to lick his wounds after failing in his first attempt at the majors, but he’s once again setting the world on fire at Triple-A. The 21-year-old outfielder entered the weekend on a 6-for-9 (.666) streak with two home runs and a steal. I could see him getting another shot in mid-to-late July if he continues to hit well and show confidence.

2. Jarren Duran, OF: Duran has been very consistent through the first two months of the minor league season. He’s maintained his newfound power well and hasn’t sacrificed any other aspects of his game. I was still cautious on his Top 250 prospect ranking, but that could change significantly if he can have another strong month. His value is getting ready to explode.

3. Seth Beer, 1B/OF: If Beer was competent defensively, he would probably already be in the majors. Of his 22 hits in June, 14 have gone for extra bases. He also has an on-base percentage well over .400 this month.

4. Josh Jung, 3B: Jung has come back with a vengeance after missing the first six weeks of the season due to an injury. Through nine games at Double-A, he has hit the ball extremely hard as witnessed by his 35% line-drive rate and three home runs. The biggest knock on him is that he doesn’t hit enough balls in the air to fully utilize his impressive raw power.

5. Jo Adell, OF: Adell is producing a much better average in June (.330), but he entered the weekend on a stretch of eight games without a home run. He also has a strikeout rate near 30% this month.

6. Keibert Ruiz, C: Ruiz suffered through an inconsistent week, but he entered the weekend on a high note (4-for-7 with a 3-0 BB-K ratio). His quickest path to consistent playing time still looks like it would be through a trade, but it would no doubt take a significant talent for the Dodgers to part with him.

7. Josh Lowe, OF: After walking just four times with two steals in May, Lowe now has 12 more free passes and has gone a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts in June. He’s jumped over Vidal Brujan as the favorite to get the next promotion to Tampa Bay.

8. Joey Bart, C: The Top 2 catchers — Keibert Ruiz and Bart — share a similar problem. Both young backstops are blocked by good big-league catchers. However, Bart also has an ugly BB-K ratio of 2-24 in June which likely isn’t helping his cause.

9. Vidal Brujan, IF/OF: Brujan takes a significant slide down the list this week. June just hasn’t been his month as he’s hitting .167 with two homers after a scorching May that saw him hit .315 with an uncharacteristic seven homers.

10. Hunter Greene, SP: Greene’s season has been remarkable when you consider he went almost two-and-a-half years without pitching in a competitive game. He breezed through Double-A and has looked good in Triple-A although his command and control have been spotty at the higher level.

Prospects 11-20

11. Shane Baz, SP: Like Hunter Greene above, Baz was very good at Double-A to earn a shot at Triple-A. Through two starts, he has a 2.00 ERA with a K-BB ratio of 10-3 in nine innings of work.

12. Edward Cabrera, SP: When Cabrera began the season on the injured list with a “TBD” listed as his return date, it looked like he was destined to arrive in the majors in 2022. However, after a short two-game rehab stint in A-ball, he’s dominating Double-A with a 0.87 ERA and K-BB ratio of 16-1 in 10 1/3 innings of work.

13. Cal Raleigh, C: There are a lot of good, young catchers knocking on the door of the majors. Raleigh continues to show an outstanding approach at the plate He’s hitting for a high average with good power. He also has just seven strikeouts in 65 at-bats this month.

14. Edward Olivares, OF: Olivares has done everything he can to show he’s ready for an extended look in the majors. With that said, he’s struggled since returning to the minors from a brief taste of MLB action.

15. Roansy Contreras, SP: Contreras has been outstanding for his new organization in 2021. Through eight Double-A starts, he has a 2.00 ERA with a 64-9 K-BB ratio in 45 innings.

16. Brent Rooker, OF: Rooker has some swing-and-miss issues, but he has six home runs in 65 at-bats this month and he continues to rack up the free passes too. He’s another prospect that could probably benefit from a trade given the good, young depth ahead of him.

17. Brandon Marsh, OF: Marsh is still on the injured list with shoulder inflammation but it’s not considered a serious issue.

18. Joe Ryan, SP: Ryan’s strikeout rate is down this month, but Triple-A batters are still struggling to hit against him. He’s holding opponents to a .180 average in June.

19. Jake Burger, 3B: Burger saw an eight-game hit streak come to an end recently, but he’s been very good at Triple-A this season despite missing three years due to injuries and the pandemic.

20. Jeter Downs, SS/2B: Downs is making better contact in June after having a downright scary month of May. Even if he hits just .240-.260, he can have good value in fantasy baseball with a solid power-speed combination.

Prospects 21-30

21. Aaron Ashby, SP: Ashby struck out 11 batters in a game on June 4, which then earned him… a trip to the bullpen? The Brewers have transitioned the young pitcher to a relief role to prepare him for a multi-inning relief role in the majors later this season.

22. Nick Lodolo, SP: I’m not quite sure what the Reds are looking for as a sign that Lodolo is ready for Triple-A. Through six starts in Double-A, he has a 0.90 ERA with a K-BB ratio of 45-6 in 30 innings. With that said, he’s currently on the injured list with a blister issue.

23. Nick Pratto, 1B: Pratto continues to look good through two months at the Double-A level after a forgettable season in 2019 before the pandemic hit. He deserves a look at Triple-A.

24. Jackson Kowar, SP: Kowar is back in the minors after an ugly stint at the MLB level. His 18.00 ERA at the MLB level is in stark contrast to the 0.85 ERA he has in six Triple-A starts.

25. Triston Casas, 1B: It’s been a rough June for Casas. He’s hitting just .204 with no home runs in 54 at-bats but his plate rates suggest he’s been the victim of some bad luck.

26. Gabriel Moreno, C: Moreno just keeps on trucking along during his breakout season which has him at a .373 batting average with eight homers as we approach the end of June. The Jays have been giving him regular rest and are also slotting him in at DH and even third base to keep him fresh.

27. Matthew Liberatore, SP: This 21-year-old hurler has held his own at the Triple-A level in 2021. He allowed just one run in each of his first two starts in June. In his last start, he allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings, but he did strike out nine batters.

28. Tanner Houck, SP: Houck is finally back off the injured list. He’s made two appearances but has yet to surpass the four-inning mark. In 6 2/3 innings, he’s shown good control with a 12-1 K-BB ratio.

29. Lewin Diaz, 1B: Diaz has received a couple of cups of coffee at the big league level in 2021, but his playing time will continue to be sparse until (and if) Miami decides to part ways with Jesus Aguilar.

30. Kevin Smith, SS/3B: The Blue Jays aren’t in desperate need of offensive right now, but Smith has been pushing for an opportunity after rebounding from an ugly 2019 season. He might actually end up as a highly-sought-after trade commodity as Toronto looks for pitching help. Smith has 10 homers, 10 steals, and a 151 wRC+ in 41 games at Triple-A.

Prospects 31-40

31. Adley Rutschman, C: Less than two months into the minor league season, Rutschman is hitting .292 with 11 home runs and a BB-K ratio of 38-34 in 44 games at Double-A. Yeah, that’ll play.

32. Daniel Lynch, SP: Lynch continues to struggle with his command at Triple-A after returning from a rough introduction to Major League Baseball.

33. MacKenzie Gore, SP: People are really down on Gore and willing to flush away years of success for 20 rough Triple-A innings. The 22-year-old has been battling through blister issues.

34. Deivi Garcia, SP: Garcia hasn’t taken well to being that guy that gets shuttled back and forth between Triple-A and the majors. He’s been roughed up during his last four appearances in June.

35. Max Meyer, SP: Meyer has struggled with his command and control at times, but he’s been solid overall during his first taste of pro action. He has a 2.09 ERA with just 29 hits allowed in 43 innings of work.

36. Jose Barrero, SS: Barrero (formerly Jose Garcia) is hitting .329 in June and is a perfect 7-for-7 in steals. He should soon earn a shot at Triple-A.

37. Nolan Gorman, 3B: Gorman had a torrid stretch near the middle of June, but he’s slipped into a nasty slump that’s seen him striking out at a much higher clip than earlier in the season. He also entered the weekend on a stretch of eight games without a homer.

38. CJ Abrams, SS: The 20-year-old continues to handle himself remarkably well at Double-A. Through 39 games, Abrams has a 117 wRC+ with 13 steals in 14 tries.

39. Kyle Bradish, SP: Bradish continues to pitch well at Triple-A since moving up from Double-A where he was dominant. At the higher level, he’s struggled with his command and has allowed 29 hits in 25 innings. However, he has struck out batters at a 30% clip.

40. Drew Waters, OF: The 22-year-old Waters continues to have issues making consistent contact and has yet to tap into his raw power potential. However, he has 10 steals (albeit in 15 tries) and could see time in the majors in the second half as a part-time role player.

Prospects 41-50

41. Yariel Gonzalez, 3B/2B: Gonzalez has a history of hitting well (as well as stinging the ball) and currently sports a 121 wRC+ in Triple-A. He’s worth a look by the rebuilding Tigers.

42. Nolan Jones, 3B: Jones still isn’t hitting for average, but he’s showing signs of coming out of his season-long slump. Eleven of his 18 hits in June have gone for extra bases and he also has 11 free passes.

43. Grayson Rodriguez, SP: It seems like a stretch that Rodriguez could reach the majors this year, but his talent level suggests it could happen. After posting a K-BB ratio of 40-5 in 23 1/3 innings at High-A, he jumped up to Double-A. At that level in four starts, he has a K-BB ratio of 28-6 in 19 2/3 innings.

44. Nate Pearson, SP: How low can Pearson go? One of the top prospects for 2021 when the season began, this talented young pitcher just can’t stay healthy. He’s back on the injured list with the recurrence of a groin issue.

45. Jake Eder, SP: It stands to reason that Eder should soon be ready for a Triple-A test. He has a 1.13 ERA with a 71-17 K-BB ratio in 47 2/3 innings at Double-A.

46. Alec Burleson, OF: Burleson’s BB-K ratio of 18-50 isn’t anything to write home about, but he’s hitting .303 with 10 home runs in 43 games. Like Jake Eder above, this Cardinals prospect is in his first taste of pro action after being challenged with the Double-A assignment.

47. Bobby Witt Jr., SS: I’m not convinced Witt Jr. will be ready for the majors this season, but he’s held his own in Double-A at the age of 20 and has a 127 wRC+. He needs to trim the strikeouts (27%), improve his baserunning, but these are not huge red flags.

48. Jonathan Stiever, SP: Stiever has allowed too many hits at the Triple-A level with 38 in 36 1/3 innings, but he also has a solid K-BB ratio of 41-14. He just needs to strengthen his fastball command.

49. Cade Cavalli, SP: This former first-round draft pick opened the year in High-A where he dominated the competition before getting bumped up to Double-A where he’s once again looked strong. All told, he has 88 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings of work.

50. Norel Gonzalez, OF/1B: The 27-year-old Gonzalez was a fairly quiet signing earlier this year but he’s looked good at Double-A and recently had a five-hit game. He has a 165 wRC+ in his first taste of pro action in North America and has outperformed Pedro Leon, another Cuban who cashed a much larger bonus check earlier this year.

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