MLB all-time lists: Defensive WAR
The defensive component at third base is a significant portion of a player’s overall value.
Today, the best category for rating third base play is probably Outs Above Average. But data for that calculation is not available for the pre-Statcast era, leaving Defensive WAR as the next best choice when considering the entire expansion era.
It reflects the number of runs a player is projected to have saved his team due to his defensive play over the course of his career, then is converted to the number of wins those runs contributed to.
The balanced offensive-defensive nature of the third base position is reflected in the ratings of our 30 candidates. The average, +7.99, tilts toward the fielding side of the spectrum.
Here are the top 10 for third basemen since 1969.
| Player | Defensive WAR |
|---|---|
| 1. Adrian Beltre | 27.2 |
| 2. Buddy Bell | 23.8 |
| 3. Graig Nettles | 21.4 |
| 4. Scott Rolen | 21.2 |
| 5. Mike Schmidt | 18.4 |
| 6. Robin Ventura | 17.9 |
| 7. Gary Gaetti | 15.9 |
| 8. Nolan Arenado | 14.7 |
| 9. Evan Longoria | 14.6 |
| 10. Wade Boggs | 13.9 |
Defensive WAR turns out to be a decisive category in distinguishing between the records of Mike Schmidt and George Brett. While Schmidt ranks a respectable fifth at 18.4 Defensive WAR, Brett – at just 2.2 dWAR, is only 22nd. He’s also well below the positional average among our 30 candidates; Schmidt is well above the group average.
That’s not an isolated difference: Schmidt also beats Brett in fielding percentage (.955 to .951) and range (3.15 chances to 3.11) at third base. Those were the two dominant fielding measures of their peak period.
Adrian Beltre’s leadership is significant for his challenge to Schmidt’s category primacy. Scott Rolen is the category’s other big winner. Increasingly viewed as a potential Hall of Famer, Rolen’s 21.2 dWAR enhances the overall impression he makes.