Continuing our series on MLB History, today we look at the top 25 third basemen in the history of baseball.
We looked at the top 15 right-handed pitchers, the top 10 catchers, the top 25 first basemen, and the top 25 shortstops in baseball history. Now it’s time to look at the top 25 third basemen. For the most part, third base is a position where players can carry the lumber. Unlike shortstop, you won’t find any below average hitters here.
That’s not to say all third basemen are top tier hitters. One guy in particular on this list was slightly above average at the plate but a magician in the field. If you’re old enough, you may remember him making some incredible plays in the 1970 World Series. Even if you’re not that old, you’ve probably heard how good he was with the glove.
In Little League, the third baseman is one of the toughest players on the field. The mantra “knock it down and throw ‘em out” applies to the hot corner, where right-handed pull hitters send bullets down the third base line. Third baseman don’t need to range too far, but they need quick feet and a strong arm.
Historically, third base has been underrepresented in the Hall of Fame. On this list, there’s a top-10 third baseman who was on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time last year and received just 10.2 percent of the vote. There are a few top-20 guys who didn’t come close to induction.
There are a couple active players who may surprise you, guys you might not think of as one of the 25 best third basemen of all-time. There are also some players who aren’t on the list that you think should be. In the case of Miguel Cabrera, it’s not that he doesn’t belong, it’s that he was predominantly a first baseman in his career. Otherwise, he would be. Dick Allen, Tony Perez and Harmon Killebrew are in the same boat.
Two versions of Wins Above Replacement (WAR) were used, those from Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference, along with Wins Above Average (WAA). Wins Above Average gives a little more credit to very good seasons. Jay Jaffe’s JAWS list was also part of the discussion.
In the end, 25 men made the cut and their careers span more than a century of baseball. Let’s look at the 25 greatest third basemen in the history of the game.