Fantasy Baseball: Third Base Rankings

With the middle infield boasting two of the more shallow positions in fantasy baseball, the corners bring with them a larger degree of depth. Sure, first base has more power as you move down the list, but third base is no slouch when it comes to production. 

In fact, third base is one position where an owner could pick up help in one or more statistical categories very late in the draft, thanks to injuries or concerns about various players. There are expectations that come with this position.

A player should provide you numbers in the major power categories without killing you in others. 

ESPN points out that you're likely to see around 16-17 third basemen starting in a given league based on the requirement to start a third baseman, eligibility at utility, and a corner infield position or two.

As you look down the list, making sure you have at least one of the top players at this position will give you fewer headaches as the season progresses. 

Major news at this position? We'll see the addition of Michael Young and the losses of Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Braun. Substantial to say the least.  

I usually have my starting third baseman in the "Can't Miss" rounds of one through five. I like having a guy that can carry my team.

Whether it's grabbing an Alex Rodriguez or David Wright in round one, or Aramis Ramirez a couple rounds later, I like getting top-flight production from the corner. 

How do the rest of these guys rank? Check it out.

1. Alex Rodriguez

2. David Wright

3. Evan Longoria

4. Aramis Ramirez

5. Kevin Youkilis

6. Chipper Jones

7. Chris Davis

8. Garrett Atkins

9. Aubrey Huff

10. Adrian Beltre

11. Ryan Zimmerman

12. Alex Gordon

13. Chone Figgins

14. Mark Reynolds

15. Mark DeRosa

16. Melvin Mora

17. Carlos Guillen

18. Mike Lowell

19. Edwin Encarnacion

20. Jorge Cantu

21. Kevin Kouzmanoff

22. Troy Glaus

23. Scott Rolen

24. Eric Chavez

25. Jed Lowrie

Notes

* Your first two on this list are first round selections. The next three to four are all likely going to be gone before the end of round five.

* Say what you want about Rodriguez and steroids or anything else, but the guy produces. If he falls below three overall in any draft, he's a steal at that point. He's close to .300 every year and 35+ home runs. With Mark Teixeira protecting him this season, those numbers should get better, not worse. Even if they might be steroid enhanced, I'll live with it.

* You either believe in Aubrey Huff or you don't. I'm not convinced that he'll be able to duplicate his year from 2008. Huff put up amazing numbers, but to me he's just not consistent enough to warrant being a starter at the position if I have other options available to me. Huff has done this before, during a breakout year with Tampa, and fallen off the following seasons.

* Chone Figgins is developing a reputation for being incredibly fragile. Figgins can steal bases and hit for average, but his injury history makes it hard to draft him. He's got upside, but I'd rather use it in a utility spot than I would as the position starter for my team. Even with injuries, he stole 34 bases. His average should hover around .285-.290 this season, and if healthy he'll steal 40 bases.

* Ryan Zimmerman tore up the last half of 2008 with a .306 average. He struggled early, missing a portion of the season with a shoulder injury. I wouldn't be surprised to see him return to .290/25/90 numbers in 2009. You can steal him later in a draft and get solid production.

* Mark Reynolds strikes out a LOT, and he hit 19 of his 28 home runs prior to the All-Star break. Reynolds, though, should see a slight average rebound closer to his career norms (.255). Expect similar power production, since Arizona is going to need his bat to make any sort of run in the division. In mixed leagues, he's often an afterthought, but owners can find power late by grabbing the slugger.

* You can see how deep the position is by looking at Mark DeRosa. DeRosa moved within the top 10 in our second base rankings, but isn't close to that at third base. He has much more value to owners as a middle infielder, and using him at third should be looked at as more of a stopgap solution.

* The opposite here is Chris Davis. Davis has dual eligibility at first base, but his power numbers should be a more welcome addition in the third base slot.

* Mike Lowell is progressing well from his hip injury that sidelined him at the end of last season. Lowell isn't likely to be the hitter he was in 2007, but he should be stronger than he looked in 2008. He's a high-upside selection that you can grab late in the draft, and that makes him very low risk.

* Troy Glaus is making it easier on owners this year. He's already injured, so that should stop any concern over drafting him too early. Glaus is going to miss the early part to the season. Take a shot at him in the last round or two to put on your DL, and look at any production from him as a bonus.

* You could do much worse than Melvin Mora as a starter at third. Mora's stats tend to mimic Atkins, but he's a much cheaper option for owners. He's no spring chicken at 37, but he went .285/23/104 last season and should produce similar numbers, except a slight drop in the RBI total.

That covers us for now—how does your list look?

Have questions? Email Collin at [e-mail].