Now that the first 10 rounds of the 2021 MLB Draft are in the books, we’ve re-expanded and re-ranked our list of prospects just added to the pool for dynasty leagues. We take into account the landing spots for the prospects, whether they were taken by a team like the Cardinals or Rays with their historically tremendous player development or in a pitcher’s park like San Francisco or Miami or a hitter’s park like Colorado (Benny Montgomery, pictured above, was the first-round pick of the Rockies) or Cincinnati. Here’s how we’re prioritizing the newest additions to our just-expanded RotoProspects Top 350 after the draft:
- Jack Leiter, RHP, Rangers: The Vanderbilt co-ace lands in a good spot as Texas’ new ballpark has been pitcher-friendly. Leiter should be able to move fast as he’s as polished of a college pitcher as you’ll find. A lot of this ranking is just the degree of certainty that Leiter is going to be a very good MLB pitcher and soon. His fastball may sit 92-95, but he can hump it up to the upper-90s and it has so much late life that it’s a devastating swing-and-miss pitch. His deep arsenal and pedigree (son of 2-time All-Star Al Leiter) help give Leiter the edge over a certain well-known teammate.
- Kumar Rocker, RHP, Mets: The Mets got a steal with the 10th overall pick by getting the other Vanderbilt co-ace in Rocker, who could even get a call to pitch in New York in September. It’s a great spot for Rocker, who should enjoy the Mets’ pitcher’s park as well as the bright lights of New York on a contender. Name value means something, and leading the Commodores to the 2019 national title and striking out 19 in a no-hitter as a freshman have gained Rocker much fame. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound right-hander has a devastating slider that he got all 19 of those strikeouts with in the no-hitter to go with a mid-90s fastball. Rocker shouldn’t take long to reach the majors either and should soon be an innings-eating rotation centerpiece.
- Marcelo Mayer, SS, Red Sox: Boston was a great landing spot for Mayer, who becomes the heir apparent to Xander Bogaerts at shortstop. The Eastlake High (CA) product has drawn comparisons to Corey Seager and was the consensus No. 1 prospect in the draft before being picked fourth. That smooth left-handed stroke gives you plenty to dream on as a future franchise player.
- Jordan Lawlar, SS, D’backs: The five-tool shortstop from Jesuit Prep (TX) went ahead of Mayer at third overall and goes to Arizona, a team with a great park to hit in. Lawlar was a contender for the No. 1 pick, but his hit tool lags slightly behind Mayer. Lawler has more speed than Mayer and has drawn comparisons to Bobby Witt Jr., so there’s plenty of ceiling to dream on here too.
- Kahlil Watson, SS, Marlins: The Wake Forest High (NC) product slipped to 16th overall and winds up in Miami, with it’s pitcher-friendly park. The final piece of the triumvirate of prep shortstops contending for the No. 1 pick with the two Vandy aces, Watson has the most speed of the trio and a similar combo of hit and power tools. He should reach Miami in time to play alongside Jazz Chisholm, and maybe by then the Marlins will have a good enough lineup for Watson to reach his enormous ceiling in.
- Jackson Jobe, RHP, Tigers: Detroit keeps adding elite pitching prospects to take advantage of their pitcher-friendly park and Jobe has a chance to be the best of them. The Heritage Hall High (OK) product with a slider that some scouts give an 80 grade and rank ahead of Rocker’s, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound righty is one of the most advanced high school pitching prospects in recent years. Dylan Bundy is a fellow Oklahoma prepster who went fourth overall in 2011 and reached the majors 15 months later, but he’s never really lived up to the hype. How about these stats last year: 9-0 with a 0.13 ERA and 122-5 K-BB in 51 2/3 IP. Both his fastball and change get 60 grades and even his curve gets a 55.
- Henry Davis, C, Pirates: The Louisville catcher may be getting the most money by going No. 1 overall to Pittsburgh, but he winds up in a pitcher-friendly park on a team that struggles to score runs. A backstop with 55 grades for his hit and power tools, Davis has a tremendous arm that should allow him to stick behind the plate. Catchers are notoriously slow developers and don’t provide the ceilings that the other positions do, but fantasy owners would love to see have another J.T. Realmuto or Salvador Perez.
- Brady House, SS, Nationals: The 6-foot-3, 210-pound shortstop from Winder-Barrow (GA) High has the best power in the draft, but will likely wind up at third base. It’s going to be a while before he arrives in Washington, but when he does the lineup should still feature Trea Turner and Juan Soto in their primes. House has drawn comparisons to Joey Gallo and Nolan Gorman as the hit tool lags behind his power.
- Benny Montgomery (pictured above), OF, Rockies: Big (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) and fast (70-grade speed), the Red Lands (PA) High product winds up in the best place for hitters, Coors Field. There’s a lot of power here too, as he won the Perfect Game All-American Classic Home Run Derby. This all makes for quite a package of tools to dream on one day starring in Colorado’s mile-high air.
- Colton Cowser, OF, Orioles: The toolsy Cowser lands in Baltimore’s bandbox that helped make Cedric Mullins a breakout this season. Coming out of Sam Houston as one of the best college hitters, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound outfielder carries 60 grades in hit and run with a 50 power to boot. The smooth-swinging lefty has drawn comparisons to Brandon Nimmo and Bradley Zimmer.
- Sal Frelick, OF, Brewers: Another toolsy outfielder heading to a hitter-friendly park (Milwaukee), the Boston College product has a 60-grade hit tool and 70 speed, but his power lags behind Cowser a bit. He walked more than he struck out in 2019-20 and has plus bat speed, so the hit tool should play up in Milwaukee, which is a haven for lefty hitters.
- Matt McLain, SS, Reds: A perfect landing spot for any hitter is Cincinnati, and the UCLA product has a nice blend of tools (60 hit, 50 power, 60 speed) to make work there. We’ll see if he can stick at shortstop, where Jose Barrerro could be entrenched by the time McLain arrives in Cincinnati, so his future could be anywhere from second to third to the outfield.
- Will Bednar, RHP, Giants: The College World Series hero couldn’t have landed in a better spot with San Francisco’s track record with pitchers. Bednar’s stock soared in the past month and he could be one of the very first from this draft class to reach the majors, even as early as this September in a pennant race. The late-bloomer has a plus fastball and slider that could make him a top-of-the-rotation stud with the Giants.
- Ty Madden, RHP, Tigers: The Texas product slipped from the top 10 all the way to 32nd overall to Detroit, where he’ll get to join their stable of young hurlers getting to enjoy the pitcher-friendly park. TMadden led the Longhorns to the College World Series as the Big 12 pitcher of the year this season. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound righty draws 60 grades for his fastball and slider and his curve and change are solid too.
- Sam Bachman, RHP, Angels: The Miami of Ohio product was a surprise pick at No. 9, ahead of Rocker, but the strikeout artist joins a franchise hungry for close-to-the-majors hurlers. Angel Stadium is supposed to be pitcher-friendly, but hasn’t been too friendly in recent years to Angels pitchers. With a 70-grade fastball and a 65 slider, Bachman is another pitcher who could arrive in the majors by this September.
- Jordan Wicks, LHP, Cubs: The Kansas State southpaw set school records for single-season and career strikeouts this spring, and now he brings his balanced arsenal led by the best changeup in the draft to Wrigley Field after going 21st overall. Wicks has been compared to Angels prospect Reid Detmers, who is burning through the minors this season after going 10th overall in last year’s draft. Wicks has the polish to make a similarly-quick trip through the minors.
- Michael McGreevy, RHP, Cardinals: The UCSB hurler has drawn comparisons to fellow Gaucho alum Shane Beiber as a command specialist. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds and with four above-average pitches, he could soon join Jack Flaherty at the front of the Cardinals rotation after going 18th overall.
- Harry Ford, C, Mariners: An athletic catcher who has received Russell Martin comps, landing in Seattle isn’t the best place for hitters except that the Mariners lineup could be loaded with the likes of Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez by the time Ford arrives. Ford is the fifth first-round catcher hailing from Georgia in the past eight years (joining Max Pentecost, Tyler Stephenson, Anthony Seigler and Joey Bart) and he has better all-around tools than any of them. High school catchers usually take a long while to develop, but there’s a very high ceiling here to dream on.
- Andrew Painter, RHP, Phillies: Standing 6-foot-7 and possessing both huge raw stuff with an advanced feel for pitching, Painter has as high of a ceiling as any pitcher in this draft. Philadelphia has a somewhat hitter-friendly park, but that hasn’t stopped Aaron Nola from becoming a perennial fantasy No. 2 SP.
- Gunnar Hoglund, RHP, Blue Jays: Coming off Tommy John surgery in May and landing in hitter-friendly Toronto, Hoglund will likely be overlooked by dynasty owners. He was on track to be a top-10 pick before the injury dropped him to 19th overall. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound righty has a balanced arsenal and good control, so he should one day make a home in the middle of the Blue Jays rotation.