Early leaders for 2021 looks like a DND list from 2020.

Well, we knew 2020 was an anomaly, right? In the Fantasy Industry, it was quite a debate as to how to weigh a 60 game season in the middle of a global pandemic when ranking players for 2021. For the most part, I was throwing out 2020 for established players that had down 2020s. It's early days, but let's take a look at who is leading some important categories for 2021.

Your current 2021 leader for offensive WAR, Slugging, and OPS is.... 

Byron Buxton .

It's true. Byron Buxton has been on FIRE. For those of you that drafted him, THIS is what we have all been saying we were waiting for. You may have finally picked the right spot. I, for one, had to stay away. I still doubt he can stay healthy for an entire season. Expecting Buxton to produce at the level he should produce feels like expecting the Mets to get Jacob deGrom a Win when he pitches six innings of no-run ball. Should it happen? YES. Will it happen? I can't bet on that. Buxton has only played a "full" season once- I'm giving him credit for 140 games in 2017. In his five other seasons in the league, his max games played was 92. Buxton was a tenth-round pick for many, so for those of you that scooped up the value, you should be sitting pretty in your leagues right now.

Your current 2021 leader for runs scored is...

Jose Altuve .  

Yep, the 30-year-old "cheater" from Houston is batting leadoff for the 'Stros. That 2020 BA of .219? Distant memory. Altuve is batting .351 with an OPS of .919. His expected batting average is in the 95th percentile, and here's a fun fact- his sprint speed is in the top 8% of the league. In other words, it doesn't look like this former MVP second baseman and career .311 hitter is washed up quite yet. Altuve was going in the 8th round in most drafts this year.

Your current leader for Total Bases, Runs Created, Doubles, and RBI is.... 

J.D. Martinez.  

I, for one, couldn't believe how low people were on J.D., but I guess a .213 batting average and a .160 ISO from 2020 is enough to make anyone a little hesitant. It's unclear precisely what happened in 2020. His exit velocity was down, but his walk rate and strikeout rate weren't off from his five- year range. But here is what I keep coming back to: Beginning in 2016, power-hitter J.D. Martinez hit for .300+ four seasons in a row. In both 2017 and 2018, he hit 40+ bombs and then followed up with a 36-bomb season in 2019. Alex Cora is back, and so is in-game video. J.D. Martinez already looks to me like he could be the steal of the draft.  

And finally, your current leader for Batting Average and OBP is... 

Yermín Mercedes.   

Mercedes wasn't on anyone's radar for 2021, but the loss of Eloy Jiménez has opened up a pathway for nearly every day playing time for this 28-year- old DH. 

Again, it's early, but one thing I am already seeing is veteran hitters who have proven their ability year after year didn't just forget how to play baseball in 2020. Correa and Yelich look back on track, and Buster Posey has two homers and is batting .286 after taking the year off. If any of these career- .275+ hitters are still available (heck, even Evan Longoria is looking back in the groove), I would be looking to add them to my squad. As much as I love a promising rookie, I want a few of these solid vets on my team. It's a long season, and there's a lot more baseball to play, but I have a feeling the stars will be coming back out in 2021.