Welcome to the deepest position in fantasy baseball, folks. To be fair, part of that depth is due to several players being eligible at third base even though you’ll start them elsewhere (Manny Machado, Jonathan Villar and Matt Carpenter). But still, from top to bottom, this position is where it’s at for fantasy owners.
As you’ll see, third base offers pretty much everything. You want to go for the elite? Great, you’ve got three options in the first round. You want steady, guaranteed production? You’ve got it. You want to wait forever to fill your starting spot? You’ll be just fine.
Unlike in most years, your starting corner infield spot is likely to be filled by someone at this position, rather than first base. So let’s take a quick look at the landscape to plan our draft.
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The Studs
Note: Manny Machado fits in here above Donaldson, of course, but you’re playing him at shortstop.
Unless Donaldson’s calf injury lingers for the majority of the spring, there’s no reason to drop him out of the first round. I doubt anyone reading this article (other than my mother – Hi Mom! Sorry for not calling more) needs me to explain how good these guys are. So, I’ll just lay it out for you, Pedro Cerrano-style.
Straight ball, they hit it very much. And bats no longer afraid of curveballs. And it’s very bad to steal Jobu’s rum.
Guys, this is like my 30th preseason baseball article, ok? Cut me some slack on these jokes.
The Extremely Goods
Note: Jonathan Villar would slide in ahead of Seager, and Matt Carpenter would slide in behind Beltre, but you’re playing them pretty much anywhere other than third base.
Ok, a couple of things here. First, these guys are good, but this is a giant step down from the first tier. We’re probably looking at the fourth or fifth round for Seager and Beltre, so there’s a universe between these guys and that top tier.
Second, there’s an argument to be made that you could fit as many as three guys from the next tier into this one. But, for me, Seager and Beltre remain a cut above. Seager may be the most under-appreciated hitter in all of fantasy, and you can feel confident, without question, that he’s going to deliver rock solid power numbers.
And Beltre enjoyed a little renaissance last year, but, even if it was a mirage, it doesn’t matter. Despite his advancing age, Beltre should be a lock to put up a line somewhere around .290-80-20-80, with the potential for a lot more. Don’t be an ageist. We octogenarians have feelings too.
The Really Goods
It’s a smorgasbord of options here. Bregman is obviously the exciting name, with fantastic minor league numbers to go along with his solid debut last season.
And he’s obviously got the mental makeup to succeed, as he recovered nicely from his 0-for-17 and 2-for-38 start at the plate. Bregman clearly offers the highest ceiling, but he also comes with the most risk, given his age and inexperience.
The other three are really about personal preference. Frazier offers elite power and throws in some speed, but hurts your batting average and will lose counting stats playing in the decimated White Sox lineup.
Rendon offers all-around solid numbers but doesn’t wow you anywhere. And Longoria gives you a little more power than Rendon, but no speed. If you walk away from your draft with any of these guys as your starting third baseman, you’re in fine shape.
The Kinda Goods
These are options 10-14 (not including Machado, Villar and Carpenter) and we are still talking about perfectly startable names. These guys will all offer you steady-to-above average power or, in the case of Ramirez, will chip in with speed. And the best part is that other than Turner, you can see all these guys in the 12th to 15th round. That’s well worth waiting on.
As for Turner, it’s fine if you want to include him in the next tier up. But for me, I’m waiting to see if the power gains are real before promoting him.
The Draftables
Eduardo Nunez would lead this tier, but you’ll be playing him somewhere else. These guys are just steady. Completely fine to draft any of them to start as your corner infielder or utility spot, or better yet, a bench option.
Don’t sleep on Jose Reyes, either. Shoulder injuries already limit David Wright, and Reyes was on pace for a 20-20 season in 2016. He’s a great late-round option.
Everyone Else
- Yulieski Gurriel
- Yoan Moncada
- Yangervis Solarte
- Hernan Perez
- Brandon Drury
- Travis Shaw
- Eugenio Suarez
- Adonis Garcia
My apologies to my friend, Bobby Sylvester, for ranking Gurriel this low, but I just would not feel comfortable as a starting option at this point. All of these guys can give you some minimal help along the way, and both Gurriel and Moncada are the types of late-round fliers that could win you a championship if everything breaks right. But at this point, they’re all bench pieces only.
More Tiers
First Base Rankings Tiers
Catcher Rankings Tiers
Second Base Rankings Tiers
Shortstop Rankings Tiers
Outfield Rankings Tiers
Starting Pitcher Rankings Tiers
Relief Pitcher Rankings Tiers
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Dan Harris is a correspondent with FantasyPros. For more from Dan, check out his archive or follow him on Twitter at @danharris80.
