Last week, D1Baseball.com updated its Top 100 list for 2021 and there were several notable risers. As we talked about in the preseason, there were sure to be players who would emerge as prospects after a shortened 2020 season and nearly non-existent summer. Below are reports from D1Baseball and PBR staff on a few of the guys who have been trending upward this spring.

Tanner Allen, OF, Mississippi State
After a strong 2019 campaign in which he hit .349 with 23 doubles and seven home runs, Allen’s stock was high heading into the 2020 season. But a slow start and the shutdown allowed him to return to Starkville. A relatively modest start to 2021 has quickly been erased and the 5-foot-11, 190-pound spark plug has been dominant in SEC play, emerging as one of the league’s and country’s premier hitters. Built with some compact strength and strong forearms, Allen’s bat speed is impressive, generated from a strong bottom hand that whips the barrel through the zone while covering the plate with firm contact to all fields. He gets on plane early with the barrel, exhibiting considerable lag through the zone and an innate ability to change planes and track pitches. His relaxed, gap-to-gap approach allows him to handle elite arms with comfort in all counts. His power has ticked up slightly, as he has six home runs, three triples and nine doubles through 39 games, and given his loud exit velocities, there is reason to believe there is more to come. Amplifying his rising stock has been the evolution of his in-game speed, which includes being 7-for-8 in stolen bases and during in sub-4.0 times down the line, as well as a 4.2 on a turn during a big weekend performance against Mississippi. He’s an adequate defender on the corners, working to become better in that facet of the game.