MLB: Ranking the Top 30 Third Basemen for the 2017 Season

Our MLB positional previews continues as we project the top 30 third basemen with the 2017 season just getting started.

Some of MLB’s best players reside over in the hot corner. Like first base, there is a ton of power coming from the position, and not just from the players at the top of the list.

Even with this being the case, when looking at the projected top 30 third basemen in MLB today, you have to notice a somewhat steep decline after getting past the first 15 players or so. There is still some potential for guys on the back-end of these rankings to move up.

Projecting how a player will perform over the course of 162 games is a rather difficult task considering the possibilities of injuries, off the field issues and lack of playing time to name a few factors.

With this being said, this list will use a combination of track record, 2016 performance, playing time, opportunity, potential, consistency, statistics and the eye test as the main sources of how these rankings shake out.

Also, just because a player is on the bench or not receiving as many plate appearances as a third baseman on another team doesn’t mean that they should automatically be disqualified. If a bench player projects as the better performer and he gets enough playing time to prove his worth, then there could be multiple players on this list from the same team.

However, if you don’t see a prominent minor league or bench player on this list, then odds are that they just won’t receive enough time as a MLB player to warrant consideration as a top 30 third baseman in the game right now.

Here’s how I see the third base position shaking out in terms of individual performance with the 2017 MLB regular season now alive and well.

*All stats are from 2016 unless otherwise indicated

30-26

30. Adonis Garcia (Atlanta Braves)

29. Brock Holt (Boston Red Sox)

28. Wilmer Flores (New York Mets)

27. Hernan Perez (Milwaukee Brewers)

26. Pablo Sandoval (Boston Red Sox) *2015 Stats

Garcia was a pleasant surprise for the Atlanta Braves in 2016. He posted a solid batting average and flashed a little bit of power at the hot corner. He’s a bit older at 32 years old with a lack of MLB experience he’s accumulated to this point. He should be a stable veteran at the position until Atlanta finds a long-term answer.

Then we have three sort of utility players that I’ve decided to rank as third baseman based on where their team’s rosters are. Hernan Perez may be the most intriguing player of this trio considering his youth and the solid numbers he posted last season. Finishing with a WAR of 2.0, the 26 year-old flashed power and a solid hitting ability. Perez will also play left field, but he’s a third baseman by trade.

Wilmer Flores, best known for the trade fiasco from two years ago, has silently become a pretty good piece for the Mets since then. He’s filled in admirably at third base and shortstop, but it seems like Flores will be mostly playing at third base because of the presence of Asdrubal Cabrera on the roster.

Brock Holt can literally play almost anywhere on the baseball diamond, and that’s where he’s most valuable. He’s probably not an everyday player, but he brings definite value because of his defensive versatility. He is certainly by no means a subpar hitter. He did finish with a .255 average. He won’t hit the ball hard a lot of the time, but his speed and average hitting ability puts him in the top 30.

The Kung Fu Panda is the greatest unknown on this entire list. He has an MLB all-star resume, but has come into many a  year completely out of shape. Apparently, Sandoval is in much better physical condition, but it’s tough to project that he will turn back into his San Francisco Giant self. The potential is there for him to move considerably up this list IF he can find his game again.

25-21

25. Eduardo Nuñez (San Francisco Giants)

24. Chase Headley (New York Yankees)

23. Yunel Escobar (Los Angeles Angels)

22. Johnny Peralta (St. Louis Cardinals)

21. Travis Shaw (Milwaukee Brewers)

This part of the list is filled with a few veterans that represent average starting MLB options, but don’t really offer much upside. One of these players is Chase Headley. Once a prominent up-and- comer with the San Diego Padres, the soon to be 33 year-old had a reasonable good season in 2016, but his 31 home run 2012 campaign does seem like a long time ago. Headley will provide some power and decent overall hitting numbers, but that’s pretty much it.

Yunel Escobar and Jhonny Peralta also fits into this type of role. Escobar really brings no batter, but he can hit for average (.304 BA in 2016). His hard contact percentage from last season was on the lower-end, so it’s expected that his slugging percentage will represent that. He should be a capable catalyst for Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. Peralta on the other hand had to fight to win the Cardinals third base job and eventually did. He once was an above average MLB shortstop, but now he’s just an average overall hitter who will hopefully bring some power to Mike Matheny‘s lineup.

Travis Shaw and Eduardo Nuñez are younger players that had breakout 2016 campaigns. Both have been traded at some point over the past year with Shaw going to the Brewers in the Tyler Thornburg-Red Sox trade. Nuñez filled in at third base for the Giants after he was dealt to the Giants at the MLB trade deadline. I’m a little higher on Shaw’s offensive capabilities because of his power and also because Nunez’s outlier first half seems more like an outlier than a true progression.

15-11

15. Jake Lamb (Arizona Diamondbacks)

14. Alex Bregman (Houston Astros)

13. Jung-ho Kang (Pittsburgh Pirates)

12. Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Indians)

11. Nick Castellanos (Detroit Tigers)

Alex Bregman is the player that sticks out for me on this part of the list. Part of the difficult of ranking players for an upcoming season is projection. Bregman clearly ran into some troubles during his first taste of big league action, but he did show some why he was such a hyped project. The youngster’s hit tool is expected to be above average and he should bring some power as well. Bregman did hit 8 homers in just 49 games, but he’s known more as a contact hitter who can spray the ball over the field more than anything else. I expect him to grow over over the course of the 2017 season.

Jung-ho Kang sticks out for a completely different reason, which is that he’s not even in the United States at the moment. Currently Kang is located in South Korea as he was denied a U.S. Visa after a DUI conviction. He also was sentenced to 8 months in prison for a sexual assault case that was suspended for two years, giving him an opportunity to avoid jail time if he stays out of trouble during that time period. This is all extremely troubling, but if Kang is able to get back to the Pirates there is no denying that he is a very good hitter. He’s shown power and the ability to hit for average over the past two years since transition from the Korean Baseball Organization. All the off the field stuff remains a giant cloud over his baseball playing career, but from what he’s just shown on the baseball field, this is where he belongs on this list.

Jake Lamb, Nick Castellanos and especially Jose Ramirez all gained increased recognition last season. Lamb did tapper off after missing out on the all-star game, but is game still flashes tons of potential. Castellanos gets the slight nod over Ramirez because of his significantly greater hard contact rate, even though Ramirez had the better 2016 campaign.

10-6

10. Todd Frazier (Chicago White Sox)

Frazier is a well known third baseman who will be able to test the market after the 2017 MLB season concludes. His power is legit, but all the other parts of his game suffered last year. Hitting 40 long balls brings significant value in itself, but it’s not as impactful when your batting average, on-base percentage and strike out numbers where at the level they were in 2016.

What was odd about his numbers was that Frazier posted batting averages of above .250 in 2015 and 2014 and was much less of a strikeout threat during his time in Cincinnati. We’ll see if the free agent possibilities bring out the best version of himself, but I expect his numbers to go slightly back to his career norms and for his power to remain high.

9. Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays)

Longoria is the consummate professional. He’s been one of the premier players in baseball since he as a rookie, but like all players, Longoria is no immune to the effects of getting older. Now in his early 30’s, there is some clear tread on the tires after being a full-time MLB player since 2008. Longoria has been one of the more durable and consistent all around hitters in MLB, and he has remained that close to that level even last season.

Unfortunately, for the face of the Rays, some younger player have clearly jumped him in the tiers of third baseman. I don’t expect his fall off to all come in 2017, but he has shown signs of getting a little bit slower, even though his numbers have remained at an all-star level. His power will still play, but some younger, more dynamic players are now the better options.

8. Anthony Rendon (Washington Nationals)

Rendon was a high first round pick because of his overall offensive game and he’s shown signs of reaching that potential since he came to D.C. a few years ago. Rendon is not an really a power hitter, even though he can lift balls out of the park. His value lies in his potential ability to be a doubles machine and above average on-base player. The 26 year-old has always had the ability to reach that level, but a combination of injuries and the changing of roles has held him back. Now as the definitive third baseman, Rendon is one of the more likely players to start to become a prominent player at his position in all MLB.

7. Justin Turner (Los Angeles Dodgers)

If Corey Seager was the MVP of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Turner was a more than qualified number two for manager Dave Roberts. After beginning 2016 in somewhat of a slump, Turner became one of the premier players at the hot corner. Proving that his breakout 2014 season was not by any means a fluke. He came into his own a little bit later than most upper-echelon players, but that shouldn’t distract people from recognizing that he is a middle of the order hitter in a very good Dodgers batting order.

Turner is a power threat in both the doubles and home run areas and he is by no means a liability in the batting average department. He hits the ball hard and he doesn’t strike out as much as you might think. His 4.9 WAR suggests that he belongs at this spot in the MLB third base rankings and he got paid last offseason like that was the case.

6. Kyle Seager (Seattle Mariners)

It’s easy to forgot Kyle Seager when up and coming stars like Manny Machado, Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado play the same position. However, the Mariners third baseman should start to get more attention on the national level. His stats represent a player that can significantly impact the game any time he steps into the batter’s box.

His nearly .500 slugging percentage in combination with his 38.7 percent hard contact rate shows that he can barrel up balls at a very high level. While he hasn’t gotten the attention thanks to the other upper-tier players I already mentioned that should by no means discount the ability and production coming from the Mariners third baseman. Expect another all-star caliber season from Seager in 2017.

5-1

5. Adrian Beltre (Texas Rangers)

Beltre is truly an ageless wonder in every sense of the word. Even at 38 years old, Beltre remains one of the premier MLB third baseman. He will be out for a considerable period of time to start the season because of a Grade 1 calf strain. Still, this should leave him with just enough time to establish himself as a top five player at the hot corner.

Beltre brings above average marks as a hitter, home run threat and in the field (1.8 dWAR). He still has an extremely powerful swing that sometimes lands the Rangers third baseman on his knee when he follows through on his swing. His consistency and ability to be dynamic as a hitter, while also being a high strikeout type of player still grades him out as a close to elite MLB player.

4. Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies)

Arena do gets some criticism that his offensive numbers are heightened because he plays at Coors Field in Coloraso. But I would argue that while this point may have some merit, it by no means impacts the type of player you should see Arenado as. Still very young, he’ll be 26 in a couple of days, Arenado’s past few seasons should easily make him a top four third baseman.

He’s frequently proven that he can hit for both elite average and power, while also bringing a solid glove into the fold. He hits the ball hard, according to his hard contact rate and really when you just look at the stats he is putting up there is no argument that Arenado isn’t one of the MLB’s brightest starts today. His numbers may be inflated by where he plays half the season, but these numbers don’t lie. He’s elite and will be fun to watch for many years to come.

3. Josh Donaldson (Toronto Blue Jays)

Donaldson brings an energy and personality that is extremely fun to watch. His super quick bat and smooth swing creates a lot of power and an outstanding hard contact rate. He’s definitely aggressive at the plate, knowing that he can hit balls out to any part of the ballpark, but that really hasn’t led to an outstandingly high K rate. His ability to walk at a very high rate, while remaining a quality overall hitter makes him much better than the typical slugger.

Donaldson is clearly one of the most feared hitters in MLB and for good reason. He has made the Athletics regret everything about the trade that they made a few years ago to send their start third baseman to Toronto. He’s a consistent MVP candidate and he deserves all the acclaim he gets.

2. Manny Machado (Baltimore Orioles)

Machado is truly a special player in the hot corner. He frequently makes plays that make you pinch yourself to make sure that you aren’t dreaming. He’s got an outstanding glove, range that definitely plays at short and one of the strongest arms that baseball has every seen.

This is not to take away from Machado’s offensive ability, which is elite as well. He’s effectively turned in his extra base hit power earlier in his career to legitimate home run ability now. Machado sprays the ball to all parts of the field and is extremely comfortable turning on pitches or reaching out and slapping the ball to the opposite field. His average, home run and all his other stats back up that he might be one of the next greats to ever put on an MLB uniform.

1. Kris Bryant (Chicago Cubs)

He was the NL MVP for a reason and it shows in the numbers he put up in 2016. Bryant can hit the ball as far as anyone in baseball and he pairs this with a high on-base percentage and strong hard contact rate. Bryant brings a smooth uppercut swing to the table that shoots majestic home runs into the air.

Next: Reds Promote Top Prospect

Bryant may not be even close to as good of a defensive third baseman as many Machado, but he does enough to get the job done for sure. The only real weakness to his game is the strikeouts, which I’m sure aren’t as big of a deal considering the production he gives you at the plate day in and day out. He put up the highest WAR out of any player at this position last year and my projections is that he will keep his spot as the best third baseman come the end of the 2017 MLB calendar year.

How would you rank the third baseman in the early goings of the 2017 MLB regular season? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.