It is hard to believe that civilization has reached February in the year 2021, but here we are. When this month arrives, we know that the sounds of ball hitting a bat can’t be far behind. Because that is the case, those interested in fantasy baseball need to get ahead of the game and prepare for the upcoming draft day. It will be here before we know it. Who are the best players coming into the season? Let’s take a look at the fantasy baseball top players for the 2021 season. First, join with me for a silent prayer that the players and owners come to an agreement so that there will, in fact, be a baseball season. Now, on with the show!

Number One: Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals

Making his first appearance at the top of the ranking is Juan Soto. Here is a young player with an upside that is unmatched by anyone in major league baseball. Once he got rolling last year, Soto never let up. In the abbreviated 2020 season, Soto hit .351 with 13 homers and 37 RBIs. Soto also had an outstanding .490 on base percentage in 47 games. In addition, he had a mind boggling 1.185 OPS. Those are most valuable player worthy statistics.

Best of all, Soto shows a remarkable ability, especially for such a young hitter, of not swinging at bad pitches. Soto walked more (41) than he struck out (33). That is Albert Pujols at the top of his game territory. And since he is only 22 years old, the arrow is pointing straight up for Soto. Managers at the top of the draft will certainly want to add him to their roster. Soto, without question, deserves to be ranked first on this fantasy baseball top players edition.

Number Two: Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout has been at the top of the baseball world for so long it is certainly strange to see him slide just a bit. However, make no mistake, he is still Mike Trout. Despite missing some games due to the birth of a child, Trout still put together an outstanding season in 2020. He hit .281-17-46 with a .390 OBP in 53 games. The batting average was his lowest since 2014, but there is every reason to believe he will turn that around in 2021.

After all, we are talking about a three time MVP that has scored over a 100 runs in seven of his eight full seasons. Trout has also hit over 30 home runs six times and the two times that he has missed the mark, he hit 27 and 29 homers. Hard as it may be to believe since he has been around for so long, Trout will only turn 30 in August. That means there is a lot of baseball life left in Trout and owners anywhere after the first pick will want him on their roster this season.

Number Three: Ronald Acuna Jr, OF, Atlanta Braves

After Trout, it is back to the youngsters with Ronald Acuna Jr. In just his third MLB season, Acuna hit .250-14-29 in 46 games. He was one of the leaders for a team that won the National League East Division and came one game short of the World Series. Acuna can get on base as his .406 OBP and 46 runs clearly demonstrate. He also has speed as he stole eight bases. He missed some games last year, but that shouldn’t be a concern in 2021.

In there are any doubts, the 2019 season absolutely demonstrates what Acuna is capable of. He led the National League in plates appearances (715), runs (127) and stolen bases (37). And lest we forget, Acuna also won the Rookie of the Year award in 2018 after hitting .293-26-64 in 111 games. The sky is truly the limit for Acuna and he will fit well on the roster of any fantasy team.

Number Four: Mookie Betts, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Anyone out there that wants to learn how to make a great first impression need only to ask Mookie Betts how it’s done. After all, Betts came to the Dodgers in a trade last offseason and proceeded to lead Los Angeles to its first title since 1988. On the season, Betts hit .292-16-47 with a .366 OBP, 47 runs and 10 steals in 55 games. Whenever the Dodgers needed him, Betts answered the call as he was at the top of the lineup nearly every day.

Without doubt, Betts’ highlight reel defense ensures he is constantly on the field for the Dodgers. There is no need to check the lineup card before the game to see if Betts’ name is on it. He has a power and speed combination that is rare in the major leagues. He has scored over a 100 runs in four straight full seasons and he lead the American League in that category his last two years in Boston. If the three players above are off the board, select Betts with confidence and watch the stats pile up.

Number Five: Fernando Tatis, SS, San Diego Padres

The run up the ranking of fantasy baseball top players by youngsters continues with Fernando Tatis. Only 22, Tatis has risen to the very peak of players in his first two major league seasons. In 2020, Tatis hit .277-17-45 with a .366 OBP in 59 games with 11 steals. Notice that baseball played 60 games a year ago, which means that Tatis was out of the lineup for only one game. That kind of consistency is truly valuable in fantasy and real life, no question.

Tatis has not played a full season yet in the majors and it is truly staggering to consider just what he is capable of. As a rookie, he hit .317-22-53 with 16 steals in 84 games. The Padres have markedly improved their roster on paper during the offseason. If it all works together, the stats Tatis could provide will be memorable in every way possible. If drafting in the number five slot, do not hesitate to add Tatis to the roster and don’t worry about the shortstop position the rest of the season.

Number Six: Jacob Degrom, SP, New York Mets

Many, if not most, baseball observers have Gerrit Cole (see below) as the top pitcher in baseball, However, he does not top this list. Jacob Degrom does. He made 12 starts last season and finished with a 4-2 record with a 2.38 ERA and a 0.956 WHIP. Further demonstrating his dominance, Degrom struck out 104 hitters in just 68 innings. Not convinced yet? This stat should seal the deal: Degrom hasn’t posted an ERA above 2.43 in the past three seasons.

The only stat that Degrom falls behind other major league pitchers in recent years is victories. The Mets just haven’t scored runs for him when he takes the mound. However, that could change big time this season as New York added SS Francisco Lindor. In addition, 1B Pete Alonzo, among others, is poised for a huge bounce back year. Add it all together and Degrom is at the top of the pitching pyramid this season.

Number Seven: Trea Turner, SS, Washington Nationals

Like Soto, Trea Turner is another Washington Nationals player at the top of the ranking. Last season, Turner was on fire from beginning to end. He hit .335-12-41 with 46 runs, a .394 OBP and he also stole 12 bases. The home runs and stolen bases were third by a shortstop in the majors last season. Additionally, Turner was first in hits and was tied for the most doubles and triples at his position. There is nothing that Turner can’t do on a baseball field and, at only 27 years old, the best may yet to come.

Unquestionably, Turner has speed, as he has never stolen less than 33 bases before the shortened season in 2020. There have been injury concerns, but Turner only missed a single game last year and in 2018, he played in every game. That season shows just what Turner can do as he led the National League in plate appearances (740), at bats (664) and steals (43). There isn’t much more a fantasy owner can want. Draft Turner with confidence when on the clock this year.

Number Eight: Gerrit Cole, SP, New York Yankees

The next player on the fantasy baseball top players list is pitcher Gerrit Cole. He had an excellent first season in New York as he was 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA, a 0.959 WHIP and 94 strikeouts in 73 innings. His 12 starts matched Degrom, which was tied for third in baseball. Since leaving Pittsburgh in 2017, Cole’s highest ERA was 2.88. That is dominance by any definition, folks.

In his previous two full seasons, Cole won a combined 35 games against only 10 losses. Before 2020, he pitched more than 200 innings in three straight years and four out of five. Cole makes every start and pitches deep into games with outstanding results. And, lest we forget, he has the Yankee offense behind him. He is an ace starting pitcher in every sense of the word. Add Cole to head a fantasy pitching staff without reservation. Cole is certainly worthy to appear on this fantasy baseball top players edition.

Number Nine: Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves

We all know that Freddie Freeman won the National League Most Valuable Player award last season. The fact that he did so while playing in every game is remarkable because Freeman was battling the virus prior to the season. There was no fall off whatsoever after Freeman took the field. He hit a robust .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs. He had a mammoth .462 OBP and an other worldly 1.102 OPS. Additionally, he joined Soto as players that walked more (45) than struck out (37).

Any way you rate him, Freeman comes up stellar, except for speed. Freeman was first in doubles, second in batting, RBIs, total bases and walks in the National League. Further, he was third in hits. And it has already been mentioned that he played in every game. Freeman is the top first baseman in the game and he is definitely a set and forget player for fantasy rosters. Draft him and don’t look back.

Number Ten: Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Indians

Don’t look now, but Jose Ramirez is back at the top of his game. After a down year in 2019 (.255-23-83), Ramirez rebounded quite well in the shorted 2020 season. He hit .292-17-46 with a .993 OPS, 45 runs, 64 hits and 10 steals in 58 games. Ramirez was all over the American League leader board- first in runs, second in OPS and total bases, third in homers, RBIs, slugging and doubles. In addition, Ramirez was fifth in steals, sixth in OBP and seventh in hits.

What more could a fantasy owner want? If 2020 hadn’t been so short, Ramirez was well on his way to the numbers he posted in 2018. Recall that in that season, Ramirez hit 39 homes, stole 34 bases, scored 110 runs and drove in 105. Since Lindor is now in New York, the speculation is that his numbers might come down just a bit. I am not buying that, especially if Eddie Rosario joins the Indians as expected. The Cleveland offense will still be in excellent shape and Ramirez will be right in the middle of it. It will be all systems go for Ramirez this season.

Also consider: Trevor Story, Christian Yelich, Shane Bieber, Cody Bellinger and Lindor.

Thanks all for joining me for this fantasy baseball top players edition! As always, I welcome input from all of my readers. Let me know how your rankings if and how your rankings differ from mine. Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea, and be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports and Picks for all the latest NFL and sports news!