Hub World

A tweet recently caught my attention. An MLB Network list, ranking their top 10 third basemen in the league right now.

Thoughts on @MLBNow's top 10 third basemen??? #Top10RightNow pic.twitter.com/aQkJMMH2zI

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 18, 2022

I find this list to be a little bizarre. At first glance, I even considered it a pretty egregious list. After checking it over a little more, it makes a little bit more sense, but there are still some pretty big things I would change.

So, after tons and tons of requests (one of my friends tweeting at me to make a list of my top 10 players in each position), I have decided to make a top 10 list of players in each position leading up to the season, starting right here on the hot corner. Let’s get started.

#10) Josh Donaldson: JD is certainly still a good third baseman, and will play a good part in the middle of that Yankees lineup this season. But 5th? I don’t know about all that chief. He’s had his share of health issues recently, which is concerning now that he’s 36, but when healthy he still can play good defense and drive runs in. I would consider him on the bubble though – third base is a stacked position in the league, and having him here at 10 might be more of a courtesy.

#9) Kris Bryant: For a while there, it felt like Bryant was on his way to being one of the best players in baseball, period. While that really hasn’t come true, he’s definitely be a very solid third baseman. Maybe the Rockies recently overpaid for him, after moving on from a different, and in my opinion better player somewhere else on this list, but he is still a high tier player. Not to mention, these days he plays more outfield than third base anyway. Not sure if that will remain the case in Colorado, however.

#8) Yoan Moncada: One of the rising stars who this year will either cement his place on this list, or get pushed back. His numbers offensively weren’t the sexiest last season, but the talent and trajectory is absolutely present. His solid defense and high potential make him a great player to keep an eye on this season.

#7) Austin Riley: This to me is the biggest let down of the MLB Network list. This kid is obviously special. He had a decent rookie year in 2019, hitting 18 bombs in only his first 80 games, followed it up with a solid short 2020 season, and followed that up with MVP discussions and a Silver Slugger – did I mention he’s only 24, and played a huge part in the Braves’ championship run? He may only have the one truly stellar year under his belt, but I don’t imagine he’s going to regress into oblivion. His defense could use a little work, but that bat is too impressive to ignore.

#6) Manny Machado: Manny has enjoyed a ton of success in all three of his new homes recently: San Diego, third base, and batting around Fernando Tatis Jr. in the lineup. While he may not be that baby faced, ultra young phenom anymore, he has proven for years his consistency, and shows no signs of stopping. For how effective he is at the plate, you can almost argue he’s more known for his arm and his glove. Check out those defensive highlights if you’re bored.

#5) Alex Bregman: I’m going to just get it out of the way now: the cheating scandal doesn’t really impact my opinion of Bregman a whole lot when making this list. He has the potential to put together some incredible seasons when healthy, and I expect him to do that for a LONG tine. While historically he plays better defense up the middle, he is still a capable defender with star-play potential at third. High average, walks a lot, doesn’t strike out a ton, and can still get 30-40 balls over the fence on a year. At 26, this guy will be a premier third basemen for a while.

#4) Justin Turner: I don’t care that he’s 37, I don’t care that the position is stacked, JT is without question year in and year out one of the game’s best at his position. He fields the corner just as well percentage wise as guys like Bregman (albeit maybe a few levels down on the athleticism scale) and his bat has not gone anywhere. Incredibly consistent, doubles, bombs, average – and you’re going to have to pitch to SOMEONE in that Dodgers lineup this year, something JT will continue to benefit from. For crying out loud, he was an All Star last year at 36. A proven, dependable winner, who until shows me otherwise, belongs high on this list.

#3) Nolan Arenado: Let me level with you: up until now, I have been as unbiased as I could try to be when ranking these guys. That is probably not the case here. I love Nolan Arenado. The Rockies have been my secret second favorite team for a long time, and it’s been fun to silently root for a team with him on it. Not anymore, for some reason (the Rockies are inept), but still. The problem when talking about Nolan’s career is the Coors Field bump. There’s a clear regression offensively when he’s not hitting in that park. I get it. But the man has been in the bigs for nine seasons now, has won a Gold Glove EVERY SINGLE YEAR, made the All Star game 6 times, has stayed generally healthy, put up big time numbers, and has done it all with the highest level of class of anyone in the league. Sometimes you have to throw home/road splits, advanced stats, and all of the mumbo jumbo out; Nolan Arenado is not worse than any more than 2 third basemen in the league, at least in my heart.

#2) Rafael Devers: This is a guy that flew under my radar for a while. He had a breakout year in 2019, and followed that up with a pretty good short season, but for some reason I feel like that largely went unnoticed in the mainstream. Those who knew will tell you how great he is, and maybe I’m in the minority, but I feel like he just cemented his “star player” status this past season. He proved he’s easily one of the best the league has to offer on the hot corner. Solid defense, an ass load of power, and a ton of time to continue to establish himself as a star. He strikes out quite a lot, but that doesn’t really matter a whole lot when you drive 110+ runs in at that age. The reason why I have him here at 2 is because I think you’ll see all of those impressive stats go up even higher this year. I’m thinking close to 45 bombs, 40-50 doubles, 120+ RBI, and .280+ average. A monster year is on the horizon.

#1) Jose Ramirez: Have you ever played Mario Baseball? If so, have you ever tried pitching against Bowser, and it feels like no matter where you throw the ball it’s likely to end up launched out of the stadium? I have to imagine that’s what it’s like pitching against Jose Ramirez. He’s still young and has a ton of experience in the bigs, he stays healthy and consistent at the plate, he plays great defense, and has had multiple seasons in the last few years All Star worthy, Silver Slugger worthy, even MVP discussion worthy. Just last year, he hit 36 bombs, drove over 100 runs in, and also stole 27 bags. If you somehow don’t know much about this guy, which could be fair considering he’s been tucked away in Cleveland his entire career, then get familiar, because he’s the best damn third baseman in the MLB.

So, in the end, looks like I had the same top 2 as the list mentioned above. Third base is certainly one of the most stacked positions in the league nowadays. Some honorable mentions go to guys like Anthony Rendon, Matt Chapman, and the up-and-coming Luis Urias.

Be on the lookout for more lists in the coming days.