Where Does 2024 Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre Rank Among Greatest 3B in MLB History?
It has historically been difficult for third basemen to find their way into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown, but Adrián Beltré cruised into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a first-ballot selection on the strength of 3,166 hits, 477 home runs, 1,707 RBI and 93.5 WAR over 21 seasons.
Now that he has officially punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame, where does he fit in among the greatest third basemen to ever play the game?
Ahead we've put together our ranking of the 10 greatest players in MLB history to man the hot corner, focusing solely on players who spent the majority of their career at the position. That meant Alex Rodriguez (SS), Paul Molitor (DH), Edgar Martinez (DH) and Harmon Killebrew (1B) didn't qualify.
Let's start things off with a long list of worthy honorable mentions before diving into the top 10 list.
Honorable Mentions
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These third basemen didn't quite crack our top 10 but still deserve a mention:
- Home Run Baker
- Sal Bando
- Buddy Bell
- Ken Boyer
- Ron Cey
- Jimmy Collins
- Darrell Evans
- Stan Hack
- George Kell
- Freddie Lindstrom
- Evan Longoria
- Manny Machado
- Graig Nettles
- José Ramírez
- Pie Traynor
- Robin Ventura
- Deacon White
- Matt Williams
- David Wright
Since we're just looking at MLB history, Negro League stars were not included on this list, but these Hall of Famers deserve a nod as well:
- Ray Dandridge
- Judy Johnson
10. Nolan Arenado
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Stats: 1,528 G, 122 OPS+, 1,669 H, 325 HR, 1,061 RBI, 874 R, 26 SB, 54.4 WAR
Accolades: 8x All-Star, 10x Gold Glove, 5x Silver Slugger
There were a number of candidates in the running for the No. 10 spot, but in the end it came down to longtime New York Yankees star Graig Nettles and current St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.
WIth 10 Gold Gloves and six Platinum Gloves, Arenado has already established himself as one of the greatest defensive third basemen in the history of the game, arguably behind only Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson on that list.
He also has seven 30-homer, 100-RBI campaigns on his resume, and at 32 years old with a contract that runs through the 2027 season, he has plenty of time to cement his Hall of Fame case.
9. Scott Rolen
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Stats: 2,038 G, 122 OPS+, 2,077 H, 316 HR, 1,287 RBI, 1,211 R, 118 SB, 70.1 WAR
Accolades: 7x All-Star, 8x Gold Glove, 1x Silver Slugger
Scott Rolen burst onto the scene with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997, posting a 121 OPS+ with 35 doubles, 21 home runs, 92 RBI and 4.5 WAR to win NL Rookie of the Year honors unanimously.
He had already tallied 29.2 WAR when he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals as a 27-year-old midway through the 2002 season. He continued to rank among the game's best offensive and defensive third basemen during his time with the Cardinals, sharing a potent middle of the order with Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds.
He received 76.3 percent voting support in his sixth year of eligibility in 2023 to finally get over the hump and earn the call to Cooperstown.
8. Ron Santo
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Stats: 2,243 G, 125 OPS+, 2,254 H, 342 HR, 1,331 RBI, 1,138 R, 35 SB, 70.5 WAR
Accolades: 9x All-Star, 5x Gold Glove
A model of consistency and durability, Ron Santo played in at least 154 games every year from 1961 through 1971, posting a 130 OPS+ while averaging 25 doubles, 26 home runs, 100 RBI and 5.8 WAR during that 11-year stretch.
He spent his entire 15-year career in the city of Chicago, playing his first 14 seasons with the Cubs before closing out his time in the big leagues with the White Sox in 1974.
After never receiving more than 43.1 percent support in his 15 years on the Hall of Fame ballot, his long-overdue induction finally came courtesy of the Veterans Committee in 2012.
7. Adrián Beltré
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Stats: 2,933 G, 116 OPS+, 3,166 H, 477 HR, 1,707 RBI, 1,524 R, 121 SB, 93.5 WAR
Accolades: 4x All-Star, 5x Gold Glove, 4x Silver Slugger
Few players have done more after their age-30 season to build a Hall of Fame case than Adrián Beltré.
A hyped international prospect who flew through the minors, he made his MLB debut in 1998 shortly after his 19th birthday. In 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners he showed flashes of stardom, including a 48-homer, 121-RBI contract year in L.A. in 2004, but he never quite found the consistency to take that next step.
- Through Age-30 (LAD/SEA): 1,681 G, 105 OPS+, 1,700 H, 250 HR, 906 RBI, 44.6 WAR
Following an injury-plagued contract year in Seattle in 2009, he inked a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox in hopes of rebuilding his value and ended up doing just that, parlaying his first All-Star selection into a six-year, $96 million deal with the Texas Rangers. There the pieces finally all fell into place and he enjoyed a stretch as one of the most productive players in the sport.
- Following Age-30 (BOS/TEX): 1,252 G, 130 OPS+, 1,466 H, 227 HR, 801 RBI, 48.9 WAR
He is a deserving first-ballot Hall of Famer and an easy choice for a spot inside the top 10 all-time at the hot corner.
6. Wade Boggs
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Stats: 2,439 G, 131 OPS+, 3,010 H, 118 HR, 1,014 RBI, 1,513 R, 24 SB, 91.4 WAR
Accolades: 12x All-Star, 2x Gold Glove, 8x Silver Slugger
One of the best pure hitters to ever play the game, Wade Boggs posted a .328 career batting average with 3,010 hits over 18 seasons in the big leagues.
Over his first eight seasons in the majors, he batted .352/.443/.480 for a 150 OPS+ while winning five batting titles and piling up 60.2 WAR for one of the most impressive peaks ever by a third baseman.
In his final season in 1999, he hit .301 with a .377 on-base percentage over 334 plate appearances as a 41-year-old for the Tampa Bay Rays, tallying his 3,000th hit along the way. He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer five years later, receiving 91.9 percent of the vote to make him one of only 36 players to enter with at least 90 percent support.
5. Brooks Robinson
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Stats: 2,896 G, 105 OPS+, 2,848 H, 268 HR, 1,357 RBI, 1,232 R, 78.5 WAR
Accolades: 18x All-Star, 16x Gold Glove, 1964 AL MVP
The gold standard defensively at third base, Brooks Robinson was also a key middle-of-the-order run producer for Baltimore Orioles teams that won the World Series in 1966 and 1970, taking home 1970 World Series MVP honors.
His 16 Gold Glove Awards are the most ever by a non-pitcher, with only Greg Maddux (18) and Jim Kaat (16) matching him. He has a comfortable lead among third basemen, with Mike Schmidt and Nolan Arenado tied for second with 10 each.
Robinson took home AL MVP honors in 1964 when he hit .317/.368/.521 with a career-high 28 home runs and an AL-leading 118 RBI in an 8.1-WAR season.
4. George Brett
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Stats: 2,707 G, 135 OPS+, 3,154 H, 317 HR, 1,596 RBI, 1,583 R, 201 SB, 88.6 WAR
Accolades: 13x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, 1x Gold Glove, 1980 AL MVP
The gap between George Brett and every other player in Kansas City Royals history is the largest of any franchise icon, and he was one of the faces of the sport during the 1980s.
He won AL MVP in 1980 when he made a serious run at the ever elusive .400 average, batting .400 on Sept. 19 before finishing with a .390/.464/.664 line in a 9.4-WAR season for a 97-win team that reached the World Series.
He also won the AL batting title in 1976 (.333) and 1990 (.329), making him the only player ever to win one in three different decades. His 98.2 percent voting support in his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1999 is the highest total ever for a third baseman and the eighth-highest mark across all positions.
3. Eddie Mathews
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Stats: 2,391 G, 143 OPS+, 2,315 H, 512 HR, 1,453 RBI, 1,509 R, 68 SB, 96.0 WAR
Accolades: 12x All-Star
Eddie Mathews spent much of his career playing in the shadow of Henry Aaron, with the pair playing side-by-side from 1954 through 1966 during the team's first year following the move from Milwaukee to Atlanta.
Mathews slugged 25 home runs as a 20-year-old rookie in 1952 and finished runner-up in NL MVP voting in his second season when he hit .302/.406/.627 with an NL-leading 47 home runs and 135 RBI. That was his first of three straight 40-homer seasons, all before he turned 24 years old.
When he retired in 1968, he was sixth on the all-time list with 512 career home runs, making the fact that it took him six years on the ballot to be inducted into the Hall of Fame all the more shocking.
2. Chipper Jones
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Stats: 2,499 G, 141 OPS+, 2,726 H, 468 HR, 1,623 RBI, 1,619 R, 150 SB, 85.3 WAR
Accolades: 8x All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger, 1999 NL MVP
One of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history, Chipper Jones lived up to being a highly touted prep phenom who was chosen No. 1 overall in the 1990 draft and spent several years as one of baseball's most talked-about prospects.
His breakout season in 1995 when he finished runner-up to Hideo Nomo in NL Rookie of the Year voting coincided with the Atlanta Braves' only World Series win during their run of 14 straight division titles.
He received MVP votes a whopping 13 different times, taking home the NL hardware in 1999 when he hit .319/.441/.633 for a 169 OPS+ with 41 doubles, 45 home runs, 110 RBI, 25 steals and 6.9 WAR. He also won the NL batting title as a 36-year-old in 2008 when he hit .364 with a .470 on-base percentage.
1. Mike Schmidt
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Stats: 2,404 G, 148 OPS+, 2,234 H, 548 HR, 1,595 RBI, 1,506 R, 174 SB, 106.8 WAR
Accolades: 12x All-Star, 10x Gold Glove, 6x Silver Slugger, 3x NL MVP
There is little debate that Mike Schmidt is the greatest third baseman in MLB history, and he holds a spot comfortably among the 25 best players to ever step foot onto a baseball diamond.
He led the NL in home runs eight different times, and his 13 30-homer seasons trail only Henry Aaron (15), Alex Rodriguez (15), Barry Bonds (14) and Albert Pujols (14) for the most all-time. He is also one of 11 players to win three MVP awards and one of 32 players with at least 100 WAR for his career.
On top of his stellar offensive numbers, he also won 10 Gold Gloves, making him a well-rounded superstar and an easy choice for the No. 1 spot on this list.
Advanced stats via Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.
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