Top 10 fantasy baseball third basemen for the 2023 season

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.

Fantasy baseball third basemen #10: Bobby Witt Jr.

Bobby Witt Jr. was just okay in 2022, but the former top prospect still has all the tools to be a superstar in this game for years to come. The righty slashed .254/.294/.428/.722, which was a 102 OPS+. He hit 20 homers, 31 doubles, drove in 80 runs, and scored 82. He also stole 30 bases. His power and speed numbers were good, but he’ll have to increase those rate stats to reach his full potential. He only walked 30 times last year, compared to 51 times in 2021 in the minors, so that’s one area of improvement that could make a big difference for him. If he has a big year, he could jump up this list next season.

Fantasy baseball third basemen #9: Brandon Drury

Brandon Drury had a career year in 2022 split between Cincinnati and San Diego. He slashed .263/.320/.492/.813, good for an OPS+ of 122. He slugged 28 homers, 31 doubles, drove in 87 runs, and scored 87. It’s likely that he’ll regress a little bit in 2023, but he’s going to play everyday at different positions for the Angels — and if Anthony Rendon gets hurt again, he’ll be the everyday third baseman. They have a pretty good lineup, so he’ll have chances to score and drive in runs.

Fantasy baseball third basemen #6: Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman quietly put up another elite season in 2022. The righty slashed .259/.366/.454/.820, good for a 133 OPS+. He hit 23 homers, 38 doubles, and drove in and scored 93 runs. He walked more (87) than he struck out (77), the third time in his career that he’s accomplished that feat. He hasn’t hit for as much power since the juiced ball seasons of 2018 and 2019, but he doesn’t need to be a slugger to be productive. He turns 29 on Opening Day, so he still has a few years of prime production left. This is a safe pick.

Fantasy baseball third basemen #5: Rafael Devers

Rafael Devers has been one of the best hitters in baseball since he debuted in 2017, and he’s just now entering his prime at the age of 26. Last season, the lefty slashed .295/.358/.521/.879, good for an OPS+ of 141. He hit 27 homers, 42 doubles, drove in 88 runs, and scored 84. His strikeout rate dropped 3% from 2021 (21.5%) to last season (18.6%), which can only help his value both in real life and in fantasy baseball. This is the kind of guy you build your team around, and that applies to the rest of the list as well.

Fantasy baseball third basemen #4: Austin Riley

Austin Riley has been an offensive weapon for the Braves for the last two seasons. He turns 26 in a couple of weeks, so like Devers, he’s entering his prime. Last year, the righty slashed .273/.349/.528/.878, good for an OPS+ of 142. He mashed 38 homers, 39 doubles, drove in 93 runs, and scored 90. He finished in the top seven of MVP voting each of the last two seasons, and he parlayed that into what’s basically going to be a lifetime contract with the Braves.

Fantasy baseball third basemen #3: Jose Ramirez

Jose Ramirez has been one of the best players in the league for awhile now. Last year was no different, as the switch-hitter hit .280/.355/.514/.869, good for a 148 OPS+. He hit 29 homers, led the American League with 44 doubles, drove in 126 runs, and scored 90. In five of the last six seasons, he’s finished in the top six of AL MVP voting, and he signed a team-friendly-but-still-massive extension to stay in Cleveland for the next several years. They’re building a nice team around him, so expect more elite production from him. Maybe this is the year he finally gets his MVP, although the competition is stiff.

Fantasy baseball third basemen #2: Nolan Arenado

What can I say about Nolan Arenado that hasn’t been said? The guy’s a stud. The righty slashed .293/.358/.533/.891, which was an OPS+ of 154. He hit 30 homers, 42 doubles, drove in 103 runs, and scored 73. He finished third in NL MVP voting and he won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger for third basemen. This is his fifth season where he’s finished in the top eight of MVP voting and won those two awards, and he’s won the Gold Glove every season he’s played, which you love to see if your league has assists as a scoring category.

Fantasy baseball third basemen #1: Manny Machado

As incredible as Arenado was last year, Machado was even better, so he gets the top spot on this year’s fantasy baseball third basemen rankings. He hit .298/.366/.531/.898, good for an OPS+ of 159. He slugged 32 homers, 37 doubles, drove in 102 runs, and scored 100. He finished second in MVP voting, just ahead of Arenado but behind Paul Goldschmidt. Machado still received several first-place votes, and he was more-than deserving with the career year he had. He got a lifetime contract extension from San Diego, so expect more of the same from the future Hall of Famer.

How would you rank your top fantasy baseball third basemen? Let us know in the comments.