Fantasy baseball managers often overlook how unreliable unproven rookies can be, and it is little surprise that Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz leads ESPN's most-added list. Cruz, standing at an imposing 6-foot-7 and possessing immense power potential, looks like a special player. He should have been in the major leagues all season, but, well, that's baseball. He's here now and while his initial statistics tell us little, he nevertheless moves way up in my latest category-based roto rankings. Hitting isn't easy, but Cruz may be a difference maker right away, perhaps the NL's version of Seattle Mariners rookie star Julio Rodriguez.
Cruz, who played in two games for the Pirates late last season and hardly looked overwhelmed then, knocked in seven runs in a four-game series last week versus the pitching-weak Chicago Cubs, then struggled against the more formidable Tampa Bay Rays this past weekend. Hey, join the club. Cruz has yet to homer or draw a walk, but give him time. The Pirates play the terrible Washington Nationals this week. Next week the Cincinnati Reds are on tap and a Coors Field series versus the Colorado Rockies ends the first half of the team's season in a few weeks. Cruz will face far easier pitching on a regular basis than the likes of Tampa Bay's Shane McClanahan.
Fantasy managers flock to add rookies such as Cruz because they have yet to fail at the big-league level, even though most rookies struggle. Rodriguez, now the No. 11 option on the ESPN full-season Player Rater (thanks mainly to myriad stolen bases), hit only .206 with nary a home run in April. I hope you were patient. This information hardly signifies that Cruz will or will not struggle initially, but we can all see the minor-league numbers. Cruz, now 23, hit .310 with 17 home runs and 19 stolen bases across two minor-league levels last season, and .232 with nine home runs and 11 steals in 55 games at Triple-A Indianapolis this season. He hit .277 in June.
Cruz and Detroit Tigers OF Riley Greene both skyrocket into the range of our top 100 based on the potential for significant, five-category fantasy impact right away -- moving past popular, occasionally boring universally rostered options such as Tigers SS Javier Baez, Yankees IF Gleyber Torres and Los Angeles Dodgers staples Chris Taylor and Cody Bellinger. Oh, how quickly things change! Cruz and Greene are exciting and offer fantasy managers hope, and while ranking them so generously right away may be aggressive, we must take upside into account. Frankly, we weren't nearly aggressive enough on Rodriguez. Now he rises into the top 30!
Much has happened in recent weeks and there are numerous significant injuries that have altered the rankings, so let us again go position-by-position detailing the key rankings updates.
Catcher
Philadelphia's J.T. Realmuto reclaims the top spot, albeit barely and outside the overall top 100, and again the stolen bases (nine of them) are critical. He also homered twice this weekend. Toronto's Alejandro Kirk is the big catcher riser, a potential batting champion and No. 2 at the position on the Player Rater. Meanwhile for fallers, Kansas City's Salvador Perez is not going to hit 48 home runs this season. He is stuck at 11 and left thumb surgery may keep him out until September. He is the most dropped catcher in ESPN leagues, as he should be.
First base
Nobody has forgotten what Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. achieved last season, but we cannot ignore what Paul Goldschmidt of the Cardinals is doing this season. He is third overall on the Player Rater. Vlad ranks behind Seattle's Ty France and Washington's Josh Bell on the same Rater. Yep, we changed the No. 1 spot at first base, too. The numbers don't lie. France is on the IL and falls in the ranks. Arizona's Christian Walker seems intent on bashing 40 home runs. He moves up. Detroit rookie Spencer Torkelson is helping nobody in fantasy. The game ain't easy.
Second base
The big mover here is a negative one, as Atlanta's Ozzie Albies needed surgery for a foot fracture. He will miss months. Healthy Reds sophomore Jonathan India moves up, along with productive Cardinals rookie Nolan Gorman, and Tampa Bay's Isaac Paredes has become rather interesting. We're losing patience with the Brandon Lowe of the Rays and Max Muncy of the Dodgers.
Shortstop
Speaking of the Braves, Dansby Swanson has usurped the team's leadoff role by hitting .370 in June with seven home runs and he's already at a career high with 11 stolen bases. It's all real and this is a top-50 player. Cleveland's Amed Rosario continues to run and raise his batting average and San Francisco's Thairo Estrada warrants more fantasy love, too. As for Kansas City's Nicky Lopez, this is not 2021. Take the relevant Kyle Farmer and Nico Hoerner instead.
Third base
Miami's stunning Jon Berti has 17 stolen bases in June and now leads the sport for the season, so incredibly valuable in roto formats. Frankly, he has turned into what we expected from the disappointing Whit Merrifield of the Royals. Surprising Brendan Donovan from St. Louis is a top-10 third baseman on the Rater in June. He pushes into the top 200. We say goodbye, far too early yet again, to veteran Anthony Rendon of the Angels.
Outfield
The big story here is another major injury, as Philadelphia loses Bryce Harper to a fractured thumb. Harper is No. 6 on the full-season Player Rater, a five-category monster. He may be out months. Perhaps teammate Nick Castellanos steps up in his absence, but he drops in the rankings here. Slugger Kyle Schwarber moves up, though. Adolis Garcia of the Rangers was clearly not a fluke last season. He crashes the top 100. Cincinnati's Brandon Drury is still producing. Miami's Jorge Soler and Taylor Ward of the Angels are not.
Starting pitcher
Tampa Bay's McClanahan isn't exactly ignored, but he leads the Rater among pitchers and deserves a top-five ranking. He finally gets it. Max Scherzer should return to the Mets this week. He's back in the top 10. Toronto's Kevin Gausman leaves the top 10 and his teammate Jose Berrios tumbles out of the top 25, as does Nestor Cortes of the Yankees. Moving on up Cincinnati's Tyler Mahle, Boston's Nick Pivetta and Atlanta's Spencer Strider.
Relief pitcher
Baltimore's Jorge Lopez continues his stunning rise in value, as he is presently the No. 4 reliever on the season Rater. Atlanta's Kenley Jansen (Sunday night's stumble notwithstanding) moves into the top Rater spot, with Clay Holmes of the Yankees right behind. We shall soon see exactly how the Yankees will divide the saves with Aroldis Chapman returning from injury. Philadelphia made a closer change, and Seranthony Dominguez and Brad Hand both scoot past Corey Knebel in the rankings. Boston's Tanner Houck looks like a top-20 closer.