2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

Welcome to the 2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings.

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The List

This list will be updated once a month.  Because these are Dynasty rankings with a 5-8 year window taken into consideration you won’t see many jumps from update to update. A Dynasty rankings list is done with the long term in mind so there isn’t a lot a player can really do to drastically improve his value in such a short period of time.

Major injuries, promotions and situation changes will be the main reasons for a player moving up or down. Hot or cold streaks won’t move the needle much.

It is very important to keep in mind that not all leagues, teams and owners will be alike.  These rankings are meant to be a guideline as it is impossible to get a list that equally covers all leagues.  Depending on a lot of variables the rankings for these players can be drastically different at times depending on the settings and values of your individual leagues.  Consider these rankings a good baseline and adjust accordingly based on your individual needs.

Be sure to check back often to see how your guys’ stocks move up and down throughout the season and the years.

Also be sure to check out the rest of our fantastic Fantasy Baseball content during draft season including our Redraft Rankings from two of the top rankers according to Fantasy Pros.

Top Riser

Tyler Mahle, Cincinnati Red SP – I will admit, I had been sleeping on Mahle who jumps up 382 spots in my rankings. I had never really been a fan because quite simply he never impressed me. He has taken a major turn in my eyes this year. His 3.68 ERA and 1.19 WHIP do not scream of someone that would make this kind of a jump. But when you look at this advanced stats he is in the top 75th percentile or higher in all the ones I value. Year after year we are seeing his K% continue to rise and he is now comfortably a 30% K pitcher in my eyes. This was a long overdue bump.

Top Fallers

Yermin Mercedes, Chicago White Sox UTIL – Well, it was fun while it lasted. I made the mistake of breaking one of my own rules and jumping him up in the rankings before we saw enough to know that it was real. He has come crashing down to earth and it shouldn’t come as a major surprise. Sometimes these pop up guys end up being real but often times this is what ends up happening.

Adam Eaton, Chicago White Sox OF – For as long as I can remember I have thought Eaton was an underrated Dynasty asset. After an offense starved White Sox opted they would be better without him my opinion has no choice but to change. Even at age 32 he is likely to be without a full time role again in his career. Granted, he could turn things around but he was bad in 2020 and managed to be even worse so far in 2021. Some new surroundings might rejuvenate his career. But if playing for a World Series contender wasn’t enough motivation for him, I am not sure what would be.

My strategy in a Dynasty league is pretty simple but complex at the same time (if that even makes any sense). I want my starting lineup to be a good mix of quality veterans that provide me with value now, a couple of cornerstone young players and a wealth of talent in the minors. I try the difficult task of walking a fine line between competing for a title but also having a solid farm. There is a couple of reason for this.

First, I want to win a title, so I want my starting lineup to be competitive. I want to have a good farm system because I want to be able to sell off veterans a year or two before they lose their value and replace them with a young up and comer.  Having quality prospect depth also allows you to make moves to sure up your starting roster as you see fit.

Granted it is tough to walk a fine line like that because the worst-case scenario is that your team is not a title contender and your prospects aren’t good enough to bank on them turning your team into a title contender in the future. So you really have to make smart trades, at the right time to keep both sides of the fence in good order. Definitely not for the faint of heart!

Hitting Trumps Pitching

As a rule of thumb, I value hitting well above pitching. Especially when we start talking about prospects. To me, the most volatile type of a player is a pitcher that is at least two years away from the big leagues.  Injuries, specifically to pitchers scare me to death!  They should scare you too. Now with that being said I like to target guys that have recently been injured, specifically pitching.

How to Handle TJ Injuries

The above paragraph seems a little contrary but I have some logic. I truly believe that the majority of pitchers will need TJ surgery these days.  Believe it or not, I am actually less scared of a player that has had the surgery. I no longer have to wait for the day they get hurt and subsequently miss the next 12-18 months. I consider TJ pitchers that are recovering to be great buy-low candidates.  These are the guys I will try and target via trade. Just something for you to chew on.

2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

*Note ECR column is not how much the players rank has changed, it is the difference between my ranks and Fantasy Pros Expert Consensus Rankings