Third base is one of the most skilled positions in baseball today. From veterans in Beltre, to rising studs in Bryant and Arenado there is so much talent manning the hot corner. Though this was a tough group to rank, here are the top third basemen in major league baseball.
Top Third Basemen in MLB
10 Kyle Seager
Seager has been a very consistent piece on one of the best power-hitting offenses in baseball. The past six seasons Seager has 150 home runs and 512 runs batted in. He averages around 25-35 doubles/season. Seager sees plenty of opportunities with men on base in that lineup, as he hits behind both Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz.
9 Anthony Rendon
Rendon had a career year in 2017, hitting .301 with 25 home runs, 41 doubles, and 100 RBI’s. He finished sixth in MVP voting, which was the second time in his career he has finished in the Top-10. Rendon has been shaky defensively at the hot corner, however his offensive prowess has covered for that.
8 Justin Turner
Turner has risen from a non-tender recipient to a star in LA. The past two years, he has finished 8th and 9th in MVP voting. Since joining the Dodgers, Turner is a .303 hitter with 71 home runs, 113 doubles, and 264 RBI’s. JT has turned himself into a star on the games biggest stage in Chavez Ravine.
7 Adrian Beltre
Beltre is a gamer, and is loved around the game by many, as long as you don’t touch his head! In his 20th year in the league, Beltre is still producing at an elite level. Over his career, he has won a pair of Platinum Gloves, five Gold Gloves, and four Silver Sluggers. The sure ballot Hall of Famer is a career .287 hitter with 3,048 hits, 462 home runs, 613 doubles, and 1,642 RBI’s. At 39 years old, Beltre will continue to get it done in 2018.
6 Alex Bregman
Bregman broke out in his first full year in the league. He helped lead the Astros to a World Series win, hitting .284 with 39 doubles, 19 home runs, stealing 17 bases, and driving in 71 runs. Bergman also flashed the leather at the hot corner on multiple occasions during the run. The 23 year old certainly showed he can get it done on the biggest stage. Alex Bregman is going to be a name to remember in this league for a long time.
5 Josh Donaldson
“The Bringer of Rain” certainly makes baseballs rain out of the park. (Terrible joke, I know.) Donaldson has a combined 111 home runs the past three seasons. In an injury shortened 2017, Donaldson slashed .270/.385/.559 with 33 home urns and 78 RBI’s. He is certainly in for a big payday as he is up for free agency in 2019.
4 Jose Ramirez
Receiving regular playing time the past two years, Ramirez has enjoyed stellar 2016 and 2017 campaigns. At only 24 years old, Ramirez has become one of the brightest young stars in the game. In 2017, Ramirez finished third in AL MVP voting after hitting .318 with 56 doubles, 29 home runs, and 83 RBI’s. Jose Ramirez is going to shine in the league for a long time.
3 Manny Machado
Manny being Manny? Well Manny certainly didn’t play like Manny in 2017. Despite hitting 33 homers, Machado had a down year. Machado certainly has all the potential in the world. He is a free-swinger, and has high batting average potential. The past three years, Machado has hit a combined 103 home runs. In a walk year in 2018, I expect Manny to bounce back in a HUGE way.
2 Kris Bryant
Kris Bryant could easily been No.1 on this list. He has been a stud since breaking into the league and winning Rookie of the Year in 2015. In 2016 he won the NL MVP after hitting .292 with 35 doubles, 39 home urns, and 102 RBI’s and leading the Cub to the World Series. He followed that up by finishing in seventh in MVP voting in 2017. In a bit of a rough year, Bryant slashed .295/.409/.537 with 38 doubles, 29 home urns, and only 73 RBI’s. At only 25, Kris Bryant will be a MVP candidate for a long time.
1 Nolan Arenado
Nolan Arenado is one of the top players in baseball today in all aspects of the game. Arenado is easily one of the top defenders in the game, as evidenced by his five straight Gold Gloves. He has also been a major offensive force, not just at Coors Field, but on the road as well. Arenado has finished in the Top-5 in MVP voting in back-to-back years. Nolan Arenado is only 27, and is only getting better.
Check out the 2017 top third basemen list here!
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