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Top 10 fantasy baseball third basemen for the 2023 season

By Michael Cahill

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres reacts after hitting a solo homerun during the eighth inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PETCO Park on September 22, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres reacts after hitting a solo homerun during the eighth inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PETCO Park on September 22, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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We continue on in our fantasy baseball rankings, this time with third basemen. This is a very deep position, especially when you consider the prospects who have yet to establish themselves. There are about seven elite players here, followed by some other solid and even versatile options.

This list is a ranking of the top 10 fantasy baseball third basemen you should target for your team.

First, a few third basemen who just missed the list:

Gunnar Henderson is the best prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He’s mostly been a shortstop, but it seems like the full-time switch to third is imminent. He got a cup of coffee in The Show at the end of the season, slashing .259/.348/.440/.788, good for a 123 OPS+. He hit four homers, seven doubles, drove in 18 runs, and scored 12. Before his call-up, he hit 19 homers and stole 22 bases in the minors, so he is a potential 25-25 guy who can rocket onto and way up this list.

Two Mets names to watch are Brett Baty and Eduardo Escobar. At some point this year, Baty is going to take over as the full-time third baseman, the question is when. Escobar will likely start the year as the third baseman with Baty in the minors. Obviously that is subject to change if he tears the cover off the ball in Spring Training or if Escobar or another infielder gets hurt. Stashing Baty is a smart move, as he is another top prospect who could make the jump onto the list with a productive season.

The Rockies also have a tandem of third basemen worth keeping an eye on in Ryan McMahon and Nolan Jones. McMahon will likely be the everyday third baseman, but Jones will get a chance to DH or play the corner outfield spots at some point this year. McMahon had a decent season in 2022, slashing .246/.327/.414/.741 with an OPS+ just two ticks below league average at 98, which he did in 2021 as well. Jones got called up by the Guardians last year and hit .244/.309/.372/.681 with a 96 OPS+ in 28 games. His power potential is massive, so having him play in Coors Field is enticing.

Max Muncy has been an every-other-year performer for the last four seasons, and if the pattern continues, 2023 should be a good one. In 2019, he hit 35 homers with an OPS+ of 132. He followed that with a 95 OPS+ in the pandemic-shortened 2020. Then he rose back up with a 135 OPS+ and 36 homers in 2021, but fell back to a 96 OPS+ and 21 homers in 2022. Hopefully the really good version of Muncy comes back in 2023.

These are all guys that you should be happy with on your fantasy baseball teams. With the honorable mentions out of the way, let’s look at the top 10 fantasy baseball third basemen you should target for your team in 2023.

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