2021 MLB Draft preview: Taking stock of New England’s top 20 prospects

Central Catholic (Mass.) alumnus Steve Hajjar could be a first-round selection in the 2021 MLB Draft. (University of Michigan)

The 2021 MLB Draft class is well-stocked with high-end New England talent. While 2020 proved to be a somewhat light year for New England prospects -- with only two New England natives earning selections in the five-round draft -- 2021 could prove to be a historic draft for players with New England ties.

In June, New Bedford, Mass., native Jared Shuster (Wake Forest) became the first New England native to earn a selection in the first round of the MLB Draft since 2016. So, it's certainly not a rarity for New England natives to get shut out of the first round.

However, New England's 2021 draft class figures to fall more in line with some of the best in the region's history, perhaps even similar to the 2011 class that included three players in the top 21 selections.

There's no guarantee that next year's MLB Draft will go back to 40 rounds. Nonetheless, New England should be well represented even if there are as few as 10 rounds. We count 10 players with New England ties that have solid chances of earning selections in a five-round draft if the 2021 format remains the same as 2020.